Here is a run down of some historical things happening on this day and some birthdays.
AND AWAY WE GO!
From: Weasel Stop
And away we go!
Mel Blanc (Foghorn Leghorn)
Events
March 9
1799 – Congress contracted with Simeon North of Berlin, CT for 500 horse pistols, costing the government $6.50 each. Horse pistols, for those of you born after 1800, were large pistols that used to be carried by — you guessed it — horsemen.
1832 – Abraham Lincoln of New Salem, IL announced that he would run for political office for the first time. He sought a seat in the Illinois state legislature. ‘Honest Abe’ was not successful. Less than thirty years later, however, he became President of the United States.
1858 – Albert Potts of Philadelphia, PA opened his letter box to find that he had been awarded a patent for — his lamppost-mounted letter box. Way to go, Albert!
1859 – The National Association of Baseball Players adopted a rule that limited the size of bats to no more than 2-1/2 inches in diameter.
1929 – Eric Krenz of Palo Alto, CA became the first athlete to toss the discus over 160 feet. He bettered the old mark by 8-3/4 inches.
1949 – The first all-electric dining car was placed in service — on the Illinois Central Railroad. Passengers enjoyed all-electric cooking between Chicago and St. Louis.
1954 – WNBT-TV (now WNBC-TV), New York, broadcast the first local color television commercials — for Castro Decorators of New York City. Castro were the folks who made the Castro convertible sofa beds. The TV commercial featured a little girl (a member of the Castro family) opening a big couch into a bed. It was so-o-o easy! Let me see you try it.
1964 – The U.S. Supreme Court issued its New York Times vs. Sullivan decision. The court ruled public officials who felt they had been libeled could not recover damages for newspaper and broadcast reports related to their official duties unless the officials could prove actual malice on the part of the news organization.
1987 – Chrysler Corporation offered to buy American Motors Corporation on this day. The car maker offered up to $1 billion dollars for the financially troubled AMC. Remember the Gremlin? How about the Rambler American — the car with seats that recline to a completely horizontal position?
1997 – Rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie) was returning to his hotel in Los Angeles, California after an awards party. A car pulled up beside his and opened fire. Biggie was killed almost instantly.
Born On This Day (Just some)
March 9
1454 – Amerigo Vespucci
merchant, explorer; America named for him; died Feb 22, 1512; see New World Day [above]
1918 – Mickey Spillane (Frank Morrison Spillane)
writer of Mike Hammer mysteries: I the Jury, My Gun is Quick, Kiss Me Deadly, Vengeance is Mine, The Killing Man; died July 17, 2006
1934 – Yuri Gagarin
Russian cosmonaut: the first man to travel in space; killed plane crash Mar 27, 1968
1934 – Joyce Van Patten
actress: Monkey Shines, The Goodbye Guys, Bad News Bears, Breathing Lessons; sister of actor Dick Van Patten
1940 – Raul Julia (Raul Rafael Carlos Julia y Arcelay)
actor: The Addams Family, Kiss of the Spider Woman; received four Tony award nominations: Proteus, Mack the Knife; died Oct 24, 1994
1941 – Jim Colbert
golf: eight-time PGA Tour winner; Senior PGA Tour leading money winner [1995, 1996] player of year [1996]; ESPN color commentator
1942 – Bert (Dagoberto Blanco) Campaneris
‘Campy’: baseball: shorstop: KC Athletics, Oakland Athletics, [all-star: 1968, 1972-1975/World Series: 1972-1974], Texas Rangers [all-star: 1977], California Angels, NY Yankees
1943 – Bobby Fischer
World Chess Champion [1972], U.S. Champion [1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966]; died Jan 17, 2008
1943 – Charles Gibson
TV news host: Good Morning America, 20/20
1945 – Robin Trower
musician: guitar: group: Procol Harum: Whiter Shade of Pale
1960 – Linda Fiorentino (Clorinda Fiorentino)
actress: Unforgettable, Bodily Harm, The Last Seduction, Vision Quest, Men in Black
1964 – Juliette Binoche
Academy Award-winning supporting actress: The English Patient [1997]; The Children of the Century, Jet Lag, A Few Days in September, Flight of the Red Balloon, The Son of No One, Cosmopolis, Camille Claudel, 1915
1971 – Emmanuel Lewis
actor: Webster
1986 – Brittany Snow
actress: Hairspray, John Tucker Must Die, On the Doll, The Pacifier, Murphy’s Doze, From the Earth to the Moon