This Day in History – March 18, 2011

1673 Lord Berkley sells his half of New Jersey to the Quakers 1834 1st railroad tunnel in US completed, in Pennsylvania (275 meter long) 1835 Charles Darwin departs Santiago Chile on his way to Portillo Pass 1850 Henry Wells & William Fargo forms American Express in Buffalo 1865 Congress of Confederate States of American adjourns for last time 1870 1st US National Wildlife Preserve (Lake Meritt in Oakland CA) 1881 [PT] Barnum & [James A] Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth opens (Madison Square Garden) 1899 Phoebe, a moon of Saturn is discovered by Pickering 1925 (8) 60-MPH tornadoes speed through Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, & Tennessee killing 689 1930 Pluto discovered by Clyde Tombaugh (US) 1944 2,500 women trample guards & floorwalkers to purchase 1,500 alarm clocks announced for sale in a Chicago IL department store 1948 Philips begin experimental TV broadcasting 1959 President Dwight D Eisenhower signs Hawaii statehood bill 1961 Poppin’ Fresh Pillsbury Dough Boy introduced 1963 Supreme Court’s Miranda Decision: defendants must have lawyers 1968 Congress repeals requirement for a gold reserve 1974 Most Arab oil producing nations end embargo against US 1977 Vietnam hands over MIA to US 1982 Singer Teddy Pendergrass’ spinal cord severed in a car accident 1986 Treasury Department announces plans to alter paper money 1989 Investor group led by George W Bush & Edward W Rose purchases controlling interest of Texas Rangers 1990 32-day lockout by baseball owners ends 1990 Largest Art robbery in the history (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston), where 12 paintings valued at $100 million are stolen 1995 Michael Jordan announces he is ending his 17 month NBA retirement]]]]> ]]>