This Day in History – March 16, 2011

1345 Holy spirit glides above fire; “the miracle of Amsterdam” (legend)

1641 General court declares Rhode Island a democracy & adopts new constitution

1802 Law signed to establish US Military Academy (West Point NY)

1802 US army Corps of Engineers established (2nd time)

1827 1st US black newspaper, “Freedom’s Journal” (New York NY), begins publishing

1830 London‘s re-organized police force (Scotland Yard) forms

1830 New York Stock Exchange slowest day ever (31 shares traded)

1836 Texas approves a constitution

1850 Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter” published

1861 Arizona Territory votes to leave the Union

1882 US Senate ratifies treaty establishing the Red Cross

1912 Mrs. William Howard Taft plants 1st cherry tree in Washington DC

1915 Federal Trade Commission organizes

1916 US & Canada sign Migratory bird treaty

1930 USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) floated out to become a national shrine

1945 US defeats Japan at Iwo Jima

1988 Federal grand jury indicts Marine Lt. Col. Oliver L. North & Navy Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter in Iran-Contra affair

1991 7 members of Reba McEntire’s band are killed in a plane crash

1994 Tonya Harding pleads guilty to felony attack on Nancy Kerrigan