Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

March 8

1983
IBM introduces the PC XT (XTended).

1976
4.4 ton meteor shower strikes Jilin, China.

1952
First use of an artificial heart on a human, keeping a 41-year-old male alive for 80 minutes.

1910
First licensed woman pilot, Baroness Raymonde de la Roche, France.

1862
The Confederate ironclad Virginia (formerly the Merrimac) is launched, during the Civil War.

1785
First U.S. Secretary of War is appointed, Henry Knox.

1959
Aidan Quinn, American actor. Film: Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Stakeout (1987), and Benny & Joon (1993).

1946
Randy Meisner, American singer, with The Eagles. Music: Take It Easy (1972) and Hotel California (1976, #1).

1945
Mickey Dolenz, American drummer, actor, one of The Monkees. Music: Last Train to Clarksville (1966) and I'm a Believer (1966). TV: Circus Boy (Corky).

1943
Lynn Redgrave, British red-haired actress, Georgy Girl (1966), and Weight-Watcher advertisements on TV.

1918     d. 1990
Alan Hale Jr., American actor. TV: Gilligan's Island (Skipper Jonas Grumby).

1914     d. 1958
Priscilla Lawson (Priscilla Shortridge), American actress. Film: Flash Gordon movie serials (1936, Princess Aura the daughter of Ming the Merciless). She was Miss Miami Beach (1935).

1902     d. 1962
Louise Beavers, American actress, one of TV's first black stars, the second (1952-53) Beulah of the TV series.

1900     d. 1973
Howard Hathaway Aiken, American engineer, builder of the second digital computer (Mark I, 1944).

1879     d. 1968
Otto Hahn, German chemist, co-discovered, with Fritz Strassman, nuclear fission (1938) for which he won the Nobel Prize. He also discovered the element protactinium and is credited with being the first person to split an atom.

1859     d. 1932
Kenneth Grahame, English author. Writings: The Wind in the Willows (1908).

1787     d. 1840
Karl Ferdinand von Graefe, German surgeon, founder of modern plastic surgery.

1993     b. 1914
Billy Eckstine (William Eckstein), American blues singer. Music: Blue Moon, Fools Rush In, and I Apologize. He was the first black singer to become a national sex symbol.

1971     b. 1893
Harold Lloyd, American comic actor, known for his dangerous stunts. Film: Grandma's Boy (1922), Safety Last (1923), and The Kid Brother (1927).

1961     b. 1879
Sir Thomas Beecham, British conductor, founded the London Philharmonic orchestra (1932).

1930     b. 1857
William Howard Taft, 27th U.S. President (1909-13), and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1921-30). He was the first president to throw out the opening ball of baseball season (1910).

1917     b. 1838
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German aviator. He designed and built large dirigible balloons capable of long controlled flights.

1889     b. 1803
John Ericsson, Swedish-born American Naval engineer. He invented the twin-screw propeller and built the first armored turret warship (1862, USS Monitor).

1887     b. 1813
Henry Ward Beecher, American preacher. Writings: Seven Lectures to Young Men (1844). He was one of the leading opponents to slavery in his time.

1874     b. 1800
Millard Fillmore, 13th U.S. President (1850-53) and 12th U.S. Vice-President (1849-50). He was responsible for the first bathtub in the White House.

1144     b. ????
Celestine II, religious leader, 165th Pope (1143-44).

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