On This Day…

Hello.

Welcome to your weekend and thank you for spending some of it with us. We’re glad you are here!

So, it looks like Mother Nature wanted to play Winter after all, eh? With snow on the ground and more on the way it seems like March may have arrived like a lamb but will roar like a lion on the exit. Of course, we can’t control what the weather does but we can control the way we start our day.

For that reason, we like to slow things down a bit on Saturday mornings and take a casual look back at events that happened on this day in the pages of history before we head out to make new history today. So, grab your favorite sippin drink and let’s scroll!

On This Day…

On this day:

In 1775, Patrick Henry made his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech to the Virginia Provincial Convention.

In 1840, the term “O-K” was used in print for the first time in the New York publication, “The New Era.” The Greeks say the term comes from the phrase “ols kala,” which means everything is good or alright.

In 1858, Eleazer Gardner of Philadelphia patented the cable street car.

In 1912, the Dixie Cup was invented.

In 1929, the first telephone was installed in the White House.

In 1983, Dr. Barney Clark died at the age of 62. He was the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. He lived 112 days with the man made heart.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan first proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative. This technology to intercept enemy missiles became known as “Star Wars.”

In 2002, following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to oust the oppressive Taliban regime, girls in Afghanistan celebrated their return to school for the first time in years.

In 2003, Iraqi state-run media showed interview footage of American prisoners. Broadcast by the Al-Jazeera network, the footage also showed vivid pictures of dead U.S. soldiers. President Bush urged Iraq to treat captured coalition soldiers in accordance with rules established by the Geneva Convention.

In 2004, a day after the assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Khaled Meshall, the chief of the group’s politburo, was named to replace Yassin as the overall leader of the Palestinian militant group.

In 2004, an independent commission investigating the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States opened a hearing in Washington DC featuring testimony from key figures from the White House administrations under President George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton.

In 2009, CBS “Late Show” talk show host David Letterman announced during his show that he and longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko had tied the knot a few days earlier on March 19th. Letterman and Lasko began dating in 1986 and welcomed a son they named Harry in 2003.

In 2011, Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor died after a battle with congestive heart failure. She was 79. The legendary actress was as much known for eight marriages as she was for her film career that dated back to her days as a child star. Taylor was also known for her philanthropy, particularly for her work with raising awareness for HIV and AIDS.

In 2016, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed a bathroom bill that restricts legal protections for LGBT citizens into law.

In 2016, Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster Joe Garagiola died at the age of 90.

In 2020, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced a global ceasefire to fight the coronavirus.

In 2021, the massive cargo ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It would block the vital trade route for almost a week before it was freed.

In 2022, the founder of megachurch Hillsong, Brian Houston, resigned after an investigation found he breached their code of conduct with two women.

In 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally declared that members of Russia armed forces had committed war crimes in Ukraine.

In 2023, TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew was questioned by a US congressional hearing for over hour hours over its Chinese security risks.

In 2023, Utah became the first state to limit social media access for minors. The bill imposed a curfew blocking access between ten-thirty at night and six-thirty in the morning unless otherwise changed by their parents. It also gave parents full access to their children’s online accounts.

And that brings us here to this day. Whatever plans you have on your own 3.23.2024 here’s wishing you moments along the way to record on the pages of your own personal history books.