March 2

ON THIS DAY IN RECENT HISTORY ~ MARCH 2

 

 

 1904 - Dr Seuss, [Theodor Geisel], children's author (Horton Hears a Who!) born
 1917 - Desi Arnaz, Santiago Cuba, actor (I Love Lucy) born.

 1919 - Eddie Lawrence, comedian, born

 1923 - "Doc" Watson, bluegrass musician, (d. 2012) born
 1927 - Babe Ruth becomes highest paid baseball player ($70,000 per year)
 1933 - "King Kong," premieres at Radio City Music Hall & RKO Roxy NYC

 1933 - Most powerful earthquake in 180 years hit Japan

 1939 - Eugenio Pacelli chosen as Pope Pius XII
 1939 - Mass Legislature vote to ratify the Bill of Rights - 147 years late
 1942 - 14th Academy Awards - "How Green was My Valley," Cooper & Fontaine win
 1942 - John Irving, NH, short-story writer (World According to Garp)
 1942 - Lou Reed, New York City, American rock vocalist and guitarist (Velvet Underground)
 1943 - 1st transport from Westerbork Neth to Sobibor concentration camp
 1943 - Sea battle in Bismarck Sea finishes, US & Australia win
 1944 - 16th Academy Awards - "Casablanca," Jennifer Jones & Paul Lukas win

 1946 - Ho Chi Minh elected president of North Vietnam

 1949 - 1st automatic street light (New Milford, Ct)
 1950 - Karen Carpenter,  vocalist/drummer (We've Only Just Begun, Close To You) born

 1953 - The Academy Awards are first broadcast on television by NBC.

 1955 - William Inge's "Bus Stop," premieres in NYC

 1955 - Jay Osmond, Ogden Utah, singer (Osmond Brothers, Donnie & Marie) born
 1958 - 1st surface crossing of Antarctic continent is completed in 99 days
 1961 - "13 Daughters" opens at 54th St Theater NYC for 28 performances
 1962 - JFK announces US will resume above ground nuclear testing
 1962 - Jon Bon Jovi, Sayreville NJ, rocker (Bon Jovi-Give Love a Bad Name) born
 1964 - "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles was released in the U.S.
 1964 - Beatles begin filming "Hard Days Night," Harrison meets Patti Boyd

 1965 - "Sound Of Music" opens

 1966 - 215,000 US soldiers in Vietnam

 1967 - 9th Grammy Awards: Strangers in Night, Michele wins

 1967 - The Supremes recorded "Reflections."
 1968 - USAF displays Lockheed C-5A Galaxy, biggest plane in the world
 1968 - Worlds Ladies Figure Skating Champ in Geneva won by Peggy Fleming (US)
 1969 - 1st test flight of the supersonic Concorde
 1970 - American Airlines' 1st flight of a Boeing 747
 1970 - Supreme Court ruled draft evaders can not be penalized after 5 years
 1972 - Pioneer 10 launched for Jupiter flyby
 1974 - 16th Grammy Awards: Killing Me Softly, Bette Midler wins
 1974 - 1st class postage raised to 10 cents from 8 cents
 1976 - Walt Disney World logged its 50 millionth guest

 1977 - 1st time Jay Leno appears on Tonight Show

 1977 - Bette Davis is 1st woman to receive Life Achievement Award
 1977 - Future Tonight Show host Jay Leno debuts with host Johnny Carson
 1978 - 1st broadcast of "Dallas" on CBS TV

 1983 - Compact Disc recordings developed by Phillips & Sony introduced

 1983 - Final episode of M*A*S*H; 125,000,000 viewers

 1985 - US approves screening test for AIDS

 1988 - 30th Grammy Awards: Graceland, Joshua Tree, Jody Watley
 1999 - Dusty Springfield, singer, (You Don't Have To Say You Love Me) (b 1939) dies
 2006 - Jack Wild, British actor (b. 1952) dies