March 301533 - Henry VIII divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. 1814 - The allied European nations against Napoleon marched into Paris. 1822 - Florida became a U.S. territory. 1842 - Dr. Crawford W. Long performed the first operation while his patient was anesthetized by ether. 1855 - About 5,000 "Border Ruffians" from western Missouri invaded the territory of Kansas and forced the election of a pro-slavery legislature. It was the first election in Kansas. 1856 - A peace treaty was signed between England and Russia. (Treaty of Paris) 1858 - Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia patented the pencil. 1867 - The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars. 1870 - The 15th amendment, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race, was passed by the U.S. Congress. 1870 - Texas was readmitted to the Union. 1903 - Revolutionary activity in the Dominican Republic brought U.S. troops to Santo Domingo to protect American interests. 1905 - U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was chosen to mediate in the Russo-Japanese peace talks. 1909 - The Queensboro bridge in New York opened linking Manhattan and Queens. It was the first double decker bridge. 1909 - In Oklahoma, Seminole Indians revolted against meager pay for government jobs. 1916 - Pancho Villa killed 172 at the Guerrero garrison in Mexico. 1936 - Britain announced a naval construction program of 38 warships. 1939 - The comic book "Detective Comics #27" appeared on newstands. This comic introduced Batman. 1940 - The Japanese set up a puppet government called Manchuko in Nanking, China. 1941 - The German Afrika Korps under General Erwin Rommel began its first offensive against British forces in Libya. 1944 - The U.S. fleet attacked Palau, near the Philippines. 1945 - The U.S.S.R. invaded Austria during World War II. 1946 - The Allies seized 1,000 Nazis attempting to revive the Nazi party in Frankfurt. 1947 - Lord Mountbatten arrived in India as the new Viceroy. 1950 - The invention of the phototransistor was announced. 1950 - U.S. President Truman denounced Senator Joe McCarthy as a saboteur of U.S. foreign policy. 1957 - Tunisia and Morocco signed a friendship treaty in Rabat. 1958 - The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gave its initial performance. 1964 - "Jeopardy" debuted on NBC-TV. 1964 - John Glenn withdrew from the Ohio race for U.S. Senate because of injuries suffered in a fall. 1970 - "Applause" opened on Broadway. 1970 - "Another World - Somerset" debuted on NBC-TV. 1972 - The British government assumed direct rule over Northern Ireland. 1972 - The Eastertide Offensive began when North Vietnamese troops crossed into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the northern portion of South Vietnam. 1975 - As the North Vietnamese forces moved toward Saigon South Vietnamese soldiers mob rescue jets in desperation. 1981 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in Washington, DC, by John W. Hinckley Jr. Two police officers and Press Secretary James Brady were also wounded. 1982 - The space shuttle Columbia completed its third and its longest test flight after 8 days in space. 1984 - The U.S. ended its participation in the multinational peace force in Lebanon. 1987 - Vincent Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" was bought for $39.85 million. 1993 - In Sarajevo, two Serb militiamen were sentenced to death for war crimes committed in Bosnia. 1993 - In the Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown hit his first home run. 1994 - Serbs and Croats signed a cease-fire to end their war in Croatia while Bosnian Muslims and Serbs continued to fight each other. 1998 - Rolls-Royce was purchased by BMW in a $570 million deal. 2002 - An unmanned U.S. spy plan crashed at sea in the Southern Philippines. 2002 - Suspected Islamic militants set off several grenades at a temple in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Four civilians, four policemen and two attackers were killed and 20 people were injured. 2009 - The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the new World Trade Center building would be officially known by its legal name of "One World Trade Center." |