This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 8th March”.
1702: Anne Stuart becomes Queen of Great Britain and Ireland
Anne was the last Stuart Monarch after James II. Following the death of William III, she reigned as the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1702 to 1714. Bitter rivalries between the Whigs and Tories characterized her reign which intensified further. Though she wished to rule independently, her intellectual limitations and chronic ill health caused her to rely heavily on her ministers.
1817: The New York Stock Exchange is founded
New York Stock Exchange, now Wall Street, is one of the world’s largest marketplaces for securities and other exchange-traded investments. It was in the heart of all the business and trade coming to and going from the United States, as well as the domestic base for most banks and large corporations. It hardly faced any domestic competition for the next two centuries. Its international prestige rose along with the American economy. Thus, it soon became the most important stock exchange in the world. Nevertheless, it had its ups and downs like the Great Depression and the Wall Street Bombing of 1920.
1884: Susan B. Anthony argues for women’s voting rights
Susan B. Anthony was America’s pioneer crusader for women’s suffrage. She was also the President of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Her work paved the way for the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. In 1884, she addressed the US House Judiciary Committee and argued for an amendment to the US Constitution granting women the right to vote. This was 16 years after legislators had first introduced a federal women’s suffrage amendment.
1917: February Revolution begins, leading to the end of czarist rule in Russia
The February Revolution began when riots and strikes erupted in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), due to food scarcity. It’s known as such because of Russia’s use of the Julian calendar. One week later, centuries of czarist rule in Russia ended with the abdication of Nicholas II. This brought Russia closer the toward communist revolution and led to its involvement in World War I.
1971: Frazier and Ali battle in the ‘Fight of the Century’
Joe Frazier ended Muhammad Ali’s 31-fight winning streak at Madison Square Garden in what came to be hailed as the ‘Fight of the Century.’ He retained the heavyweight boxing title with a decision of unanimous points decision over 15 rounds. Ali had refused to fight in the Vietnam War. This had led boxing commissions to revoke his license. Thus, this bout also marked Ali’s return to the marquee three-and-a-half years after this revocation. It was also Ali’s first chance to win back the heavyweight championship after WBA (World Boxing Association) had stripped him off it.
1975: UN celebrates International Women’s Day for the first time
Although International Women’s Day has been observed since the turbulent 1900s, United Nations first celebrated it in 1975. It’s a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. According to the World Economic Forum, none of us will see gender parity in our lifetimes, and nor likely will many of our children. The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is ‘Choose To Challenge’. A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change. Learn more about the day HERE.
2014: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 loses contact and disappears
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew member when it veered off course and disappeared. It lost contact with air traffic control less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. There had been no distress signals from the plane or reports of bad weather or technical problems. Most of the plane, and everyone on board, were never seen again. The tragedy prompted the most expensive search effort in history with almost two dozen nations, including the UN, participating. Nevertheless, the search continues to remain a mystery.
