US Marines landed on Iwo Jima in 1945, the Donner Party was rescued in 1847, the Chicago Seven were sentenced in 1970, the temporary insanity defense was used in 1859, serfdom was abolished in Russia in 1861, Aaron Burr was arrested for treason in 1807, Executive Order 9066 was signed in 1942, the phonograph was patented in 1878, the first literature censorship commission was created in 1953, and Deng Xiaoping died in 1997.
US Marines landed on Iwo Jima. (1945) The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the most important engagements in both theaters of World War II. It lasted for about a month, and although the Allied forces were eventually victorious, it was a costly victory in terms of both men and supplies.
The survivors of the Donner Party have been rescued. (1847) The Donner Party is best known for turning to cannibalism when they were stranded in a snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada. When rescuers reached them on this day, they were shocked to see how emaciated and emotionally disturbed the survivors were. Only 48 of the 87 Donner Party members survived.
The Chicago Seven were doomed. (1970) The Chicago Seven were a group of antiwar activists who had been arrested for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial was a media circus, and the defendants used it as a platform to air their views on Nixon, the Vietnam War and American society in general. The Seven were sentenced to five years in prison in addition to a fine, but the sentence was overturned on appeal.
Temporary insanity defense was used for the first time. (1859) Daniel Edgar Sickles, a New York politician, was acquitted of murdering his wife’s lover – among others, the son of Francis Scott Key – due to temporary insanity. Sickles was popular in high society circles and was lauded as a hero for killing Key after he got out of prison.
The practice of serfdom has been abolished in Russia. (1861) The practice of serfdom had reached its peak in the Middle Ages, but still persisted in some areas of Europe as late as 1800. In 1857, Russia had 23 million serfs, nearly 40% of the population.
Aaron Burr was arrested for treason. (1807) Burr was a very prominent politician and nearly became the President of the United States when he joined the Electoral College with Thomas Jefferson. He was arrested for attempting to form an independent republic in present-day Louisiana and Texas after his political career went awry when he killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. (1942) This order paved the way for the forcible transfer of Japanese Americans to internment camps. The order was not lifted until 1976, although the internment camps closed in the 1940s.
The phonograph has been patented. (1878) Thomas Edison made a splash when he patented the phonograph by taking it to the patent office and playing a recording on the machine asking if the patent officers liked it. Officials were shocked to hear the machine “talk” and Edison was immediately granted the patent.
The first literature censorship commission was created in the United States. (1953) On this day Georgia passed a censorship board in the United States to monitor potentially obscene books and magazines. It was the first state-sponsored board of censorship in the United States.
Deng Xiaoping is dead. (1997) Deng was a major figure in both Chinese politics and history, and is known for his innovative economic reforms, as well as returning Hong Kong to China from Britain.
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