Today's Trivia and What Happened on March 8

On the TV show Gilligan's Island, what was the skipper's name?

On the TV show Gilligan's Island, what was the skipper's name? Close Large View

Jonas Grumby, played by Alan Hale, Jr.

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Quote: Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. - 14th Dalai Lama

Quote: Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. - 14th Dalai Lama Close Large View

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What Happened On

Right of Blacks to Own Slaves Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka

Right of Blacks to Own Slaves Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
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Right of Blacks to Own Slaves

March 8, 1655

Anthony Johnson was an Angolan colonist, one of the original indentured "20 and odd negroes" brought to Jamestown in 1619. By 1623, Johnson had completed his indenture and became a "free Negro". He then acquired land and began raising livestock, eventually becoming prosperous enough to import five indentured servants as slaves. One of Johnson's slaves, John Casor, sued him arguing that he had been imported as a seven to eight year indentured servant and was being forced by Johnson to serve past his term of indentured servitude. He was then freed and went to work for Robert Parker as an indentured servant. Johnson then sued Parker for Casor's services, claiming Casor was his slave for life. Johnson won and Casor was then returned to Johnson. This also sustained the right of free blacks to own slaves. Casor remained in servitude for the rest of his life.
This also made Casor the first person of African descent in the Thirteen Colonies to be declared a slave for life as the result of a civil suit.
Note: African John Punch, who was the first man documented as a slave in the Virginia Colony, in 1640 was sentenced to life in servitude for attempting to escape his indenture.

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Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Disaster Photo Credit: Laurent ERRERA

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Disaster Photo Credit: Laurent ERRERA
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Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Disaster

March 8, 2014

The aircraft disappears from air traffic controllers' radar screens. Malaysian military radar continued to track the aircraft as it deviated westwards from its planned flight path and crossed the Malay Peninsula. It left the range of Malaysian military radar while over the Andaman Sea, 200 nautical miles (370 km) north-west of Penang in north-western Malaysia. The aircraft and its 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers then disappeared. No distress signal or message was sent. Various pieces of debris from the crash have washed ashore in the years following the accident.

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First Use of an Artificial Heart on a Human

March 8, 1952

A 41-year-old male was kept alive for 80 minutes.

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Slavery Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka

Slavery Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
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Slavery

March 8, 1775

The first article proposing the emancipation of African slaves in America and the abolition of slavery is published. Titled "African Slavery in America," is published anonymously. However, many historians believe its author was Thomas Paine.

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Birthdays

Alan Hale, Jr.

Alan Hale, Jr. Close Large View
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Alan Hale, Jr. (Alan Hale MacKahan)

Born March 8, 1921 d. 1990

American actor. Known for playing the Skipper Jonas Grumby on TV's Gilligan's Island (1964-67). Hale's career included over 200 film and television roles. He also co-owned the restaurant Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel.
Film: The Crawling Hand (1963, Sheriff Townsend) and Hang 'Em High (1968, Matt Stone).

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Aidan Quinn

Born March 8, 1959

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

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Add Trivia to Your Web Page

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Randy Meisner

Born March 8, 1946 d. 2023

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

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Micky Dolenz

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Micky Dolenz (George Michael Dolenz Jr.)

Born March 8, 1945

American drummer, actor. One of The Monkees (1966-68). Music: Last Train to Clarksville (1966) and I'm a Believer (1966). TV: Circus Boy (1956-58, Corky).

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Lynn Redgrave

Born March 8, 1943 d. 2010

British actress. Film: Georgy Girl (1966, Georgy). TV: Weight-Watcher advertisements. She is the only person to have been nominated for all of the 'Big Four' American entertainment awards (Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and Tony) without winning any of them.

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Cyd Charisse

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Cyd Charisse (Tula Ellice Finklea)

Born March 8, 1922 d. 2008

American dancer, actress. Film: Singin' in the Rain (1952).

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Priscilla Lawson (Priscilla Shortridge)

Born March 8, 1914 d. 1958

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

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Louise Beavers

Born March 8, 1902 d. 1962

American actress, one of TV's first black stars. She was the second actress to portray Beulah on the TV series (Beulah, 1952-53).

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Howard Hathaway Aiken

Born March 8, 1900 d. 1973

American engineer, builder of the second digital computer (Mark I, 1944).

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Otto Hahn

Born March 8, 1879 d. 1968

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.

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Kenneth Grahame

Born March 8, 1859 d. 1932

English author. Writings: The Wind in the Willows (1908).

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Karl Ferdinand von Graefe

Born March 8, 1787 d. 1840

German surgeon. Founder of modern plastic surgery.

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Deaths

Joe DiMaggio

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Joe DiMaggio (Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr.)

Died March 8, 1999 b. 1914

American Baseball Hall-of-Famer, and ex-husband of Marilyn Monroe. He is the only major league player selected for the All-Star Game in every season they played. His record-breaking 56-game hitting streak in the 1941 season still stands.

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Christian Kent Nelson

Christian Kent Nelson Close Large View
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Invented the Ice Cream Bar

Christian Kent Nelson

Died March 8, 1992 b. 1893

Danish-born American ice cream vendor. He patented the first ice cream bar (1922). Nelson's patent was "to provide a frozen dainty comprising a form retaining block or brick of ice cream or the like, also to, provide an encasement therefore which facilitates its ready handling." He originally sold them as "I-Scream-Bars", but later partnered with local chocolate producer Russell C. Stover to mass-produce them under the name "Eskimo Pie".
Nelson received the inspiration for his invention when a boy in his store was unable to decide whether to buy ice cream or a chocolate bar, so he ventured forth to find a way to combine the two.

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Henry Hull and as werewolf in Werewolf of London go to Video for Henry Hull
Henry Hull and as werewolf in Werewolf of London

Henry Hull and as werewolf in Werewolf of London Henry Hull and as werewolf in Werewolf of London
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First Leading Werewolf Character

Henry Hull

Died March 8, 1977 b. 1890

American actor. He played the main werewolf character in Werewolf of London (1935), the first werewolf film by a major Hollywood studio. His character was scratched and turned into a werewolf by Warner Oland's werewolf character, making Oland the first werewolf. Hull's character was the main protagonist of the film, making him the first leading werewolf character.

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Lloyd in Safety Last go to Video for Harold Lloyd
Lloyd in Safety Last

Lloyd in Safety Last Lloyd in Safety Last
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Harold Lloyd

Died March 8, 1971 b. 1893

American comic actor. Known for his dangerous stunts. Film: Grandma's Boy (1922), Safety Last (1923), and The Kid Brother (1927).

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William Howard Taft

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William Howard Taft

Died March 8, 1930 b. 1857

American politician. 27th U.S. President (1909-13), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1921-30), and U.S. Secretary of War (1904-08). He was the first U.S. president to throw out the opening ball of baseball season (1910), starting a long-held tradition. He is the only person to serve as both a U.S. President and a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
A common myth is that Taft, weighing over 300 pounds (136 kg), got stuck in the White House bathtub. While this is probably just a myth, he did have an oversized tub installed.
Quote: "Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood."

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The LZ-1 on its maiden voyage The LZ-1 on its maiden voyage

The LZ-1 on its maiden voyage The LZ-1 on its maiden voyage
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Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin

Died March 8, 1917 b. 1838

German aviator. He designed and built large dirigible balloons capable of long controlled flights. His Zeppelins were used by Germany during World War I as bombers and scout ships. The success of his airships launched the air transport business. Zeppelin also served as an official observer with the Union Army during the American Civil War.

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Millard Fillmore

Millard Fillmore Close Large View
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Millard Fillmore

Died March 8, 1874 b. 1800

American politician. 13th U.S. President (1850-53) and 12th U.S. Vice-President (1849-50). Fillmore was instrumental in getting the Compromise of 1850 passed, a bargain that led to a brief truce in the battle over slavery.
A popular myth is that he installed the first bathtub in the White House; however, this myth was part of The Great Bathtub Hoax perpetrated by H. L. Mencken in 1917.

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Max von Sydow (Carl Adolf von Sydow)

Died March 8, 2020 b. 1929

Swedish-born actor. Film: The Seventh Seal (1957, Knight Antonius Block), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965, Christ), The Exorcist (1973, Father Merrin), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, Lor San Tekka). TV: The Game of Thrones (2016, Three-eyed Raven).

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Sir George Henry Martin

Died March 8, 2016 b. 1926

English record producer, producer for The Beatles, AKA the "Fifth Beatle."

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Billy Eckstine (William Eckstein)

Died March 8, 1993 b. 1914

American blues singer. Music: Blue Moon, Fools Rush In, and I Apologize. He was the first black singer to become a national sex symbol.

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Sir Thomas Beecham

Died March 8, 1961 b. 1879

British conductor, founded the London Philharmonic orchestra (1932).

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John Ericsson

Died March 8, 1889 b. 1803

Swedish-born American Naval engineer. He invented the twin-screw propeller and built the first armored turret warship (1862, USS Monitor). He originally offered the twin screw to the Swedish navy, but they rejected the idea, so he traveled to the U.S. where his design was used by the U.S. Navy.

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Henry Ward Beecher

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Henry Ward Beecher

Died March 8, 1887 b. 1813

American preacher. Writings: Seven Lectures to Young Men (1844). He was one of the leading opponents to slavery in his time and brother of Uncle Tom's Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe.

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Celestine II

Died March 8, 1144 b. ????

religious leader, 165th Pope (1143-44).

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