8 History Lessons + 6 Births & 4 Deaths for March 12, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1088 – Urban II is elected as the 159th Pope of the Catholic Church, later initiating the First Crusade.
- 1912 – The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the United States by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia.
- 1930 – Mahatma Gandhi embarks on the Salt March, a 240-mile protest against the British salt tax in colonial India.
- 1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his first “fireside chat,” addressing the nation via radio to discuss the banking crisis.
- 1947 – President Harry S. Truman announces the Truman Doctrine, pledging U.S. support to countries threatened by communism.
- 1980 – A Chicago jury finds John Wayne Gacy Jr. guilty of the murders of 33 men and boys.
- 2003 – Elizabeth Smart, who vanished from her bedroom nine months earlier, is found alive in a Salt Lake City suburb.
- 2009 – Financier Bernard Madoff pleads guilty to the largest Ponzi scheme in history, defrauding clients of nearly $65 billion.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1946 – Liza Minnelli, American actress and singer renowned for her Academy Award-winning performance in “Cabaret” (79).
- 1948 – James Taylor, American singer-songwriter celebrated for hits like “Fire and Rain” and “You’ve Got a Friend” (77).
- 1957 – Marlon Jackson, American singer and member of the Jackson 5, known for songs like “ABC” and “I Want You Back” (68).
- 1960 – Courtney B. Vance, American actor recognized for his roles in “The People v. O. J. Simpson” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (65).
- 1968 – Aaron Eckhart, American actor known for performances in “The Dark Knight” and “Thank You for Smoking” (57).
- 1969 – Jake Tapper, American journalist and author, chief Washington correspondent for CNN (56).
Today’s Deaths:
- 1945 – Anne Frank, Jewish diarist who documented her life in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands (age 15).
- 1955 – Charlie Parker, American jazz saxophonist and composer, a leading figure in the development of bebop (age 34).
- 2015 – Terry Pratchett, English author renowned for his “Discworld” series of fantasy novels (age 66).
- 2022 – Traci Braxton, American singer, reality television personality, and member of the Braxton family (age 50).
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