On This Day March 2nd
OTD
March 2 is the Sixty-second day of the year in the
Gregorian calendar; 303 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under King Vitiges
begins the capital's siege. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the
Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his bucellarii are almost cut off.
1484 – The College of Arms is formally incorporated by the Royal
Charter signed by King Richard III of England.
1657 – The Great Fire of Meireki begins in Edo (now Tokyo),
Japan, causing more than 100,000 deaths before it exhausts itself three days
later.
1797 – The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and
two-pound banknotes.
1807 – The U.S. Congress passes the Act Prohibiting the Importation
of Slaves, disallowing the importation of new slaves into the country.
1855 – Alexander II becomes Tsar of Russia.
1877 – Two days before the inauguration, the U.S.
Congress declared Rutherford B. Hayes the 1876 U.S. presidential election
winner even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote.
1901 – United States Steel Corporation was founded because of
a merger between Carnegie Steel Company and Federal Steel Company, which became
the first corporation in the world with a market capital of over $1 billion.
1949 – Captain James Gallagher lands his B-50 Superfortress
Lucky Lady II in Fort Worth, Texas, after completing the first non-stop
around-the-world airplane flight in 94 hours and one minute.
1962 – Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record
in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points.
1972 – The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape
Canaveral, Florida, to explore the outer planets.
2017 – The elements Moscovium, Tennessine, and Oganesson are
officially added to the periodic table at a conference in Moscow, Russia.
Birthdays
1316 – Robert II of Scotland (d. 1390)
1577 – George Sandys, English traveler, colonist, and poet
(d. 1644)
1770 – Louis-Gabriel Suchet, French general (d. 1826)
1793 – Sam Houston, American soldier and politician, 1st
President of the Republic of Texas (d. 1863)
1842 – Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer, art collector, and
philanthropist (d. 1914)
1900 – Kurt Weill, German American pianist and composer (d.
1950)
1902 – Moe Berg, American baseball player and spy (d. 1972)
*If you haven’t heard of him, look him up.
1904 – Dr. Seuss, American children's book writer, poet, and
illustrator (d. 1991)
1926 – Murray Rothbard, American economist and historian (d.
1995)
1935 – Gene Stallings was an American football player and
coach.
1947 – Harry Redknapp, English footballer and manager
1977 – Chris Martin, English singer-songwriter (Coldplay)
1978 – Sebastian Jankowski, Polish gridiron football player.
1990 – Luke Combs, American singer-songwriter
1998 – Tua Tagovailoa, American football player
Holiday Spotlight
The Great Iditarod Race
Alaska’s most iconic race, known locally as the Great Race,
pays homage to the century-old tale of the state. In the early 1900s, dogs were
the primary means of transportation for Alaskan natives. From carrying critical
goods to patrolling the wilderness via Eskimo Scouts, the sled dogs were
generationally trained to wade through the snow. When a virus tore through the
villages of south-central Alaska, a 10-day mission chaperoned by Leonhard
Seppala delivered lifesaving serum to the coastal holdout of Nome and saved
countless children.
This incident, coupled with preserving the original trail of
Iditarod, became the founding principles behind the first Iditarod race, held
on March 3, 1973. The Iditarod Race channels the determination and grit of
mushers who once delivered the lifesaving diphtheria serum across the state. The
spirit of the competition is about the selfless efforts and perseverance of the
Alaskan ancestors who made civilization possible. The trail of the race
stretches for about 1,200 miles, covering all the towns and villages from
Anchorage to Nome. The checkpoints include famous Alaskan strongholds such as
Takotna, Skwentna, Finger Lake, Rohn Roadhouse, Nikolai, and Ophir. Every
participant is greeted by the crowd fashioning a festive chute.
Considered the Mecca of sled dog racing, Alaska conducts over
a dozen races yearly, including the grueling thousand-mile Yukon Quest held in
February. The Iditarod Race has significant cultural and economic importance
for Alaska. Every year, top mushers and their dogs line up to compete in the
race.
Others Include.
Dr. Seuss Day
International Open Data Day
International Rescue Cat Day
National Banana Cream Pie Day
National Frozen Food Day
National Old Stuff Day
National Play Outside Day
Read Across America Day
Sock Monkey Day
Texas Independence Day
World Day of Prayer
World Teen Mental Wellness Day
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