The first rock and roll concert was held in 1952, the Selma to Montgomery march began in 1965, the US boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980, Alcatraz prison closed in 1963, the first Earth Day was in 1970, and Otto von Bismarck came to power in Germany in 1871.
The first rock and roll concert was held in America. (1952) The Moondog Coronation Ball was hosted by DJ Alan Freed, who is said to have coined the term “rock and roll”. The first rock and roll concert was closed after the first act, when it seemed that a riot might break out.
The march from Selma to Montgomery begins. (1965) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began leading thousands of civil rights protesters from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. The march was a turning point in the civil rights movement and was protected by federal troops by order of the president.
President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would boycott the Moscow Olympics. (1980) Carter was responding to the USSR’s failure to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, and the decision was accepted, if not popular, in America. The USSR responded by boycotting the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Alcatraz prison has been closed. (1963) “The Rock” was originally a military prison but then became a maximum security facility until it was closed by Attorney General Robert F Kennedy in 1963. Notable Alcatraz inmates include Al Capone, Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson and Arthur R. “Doc” Barker.
The first Earth Day was held. (1970) The first Earth Day proclamation was issued by San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto, and several California cities held celebrations and street parties. Earth Day was celebrated in over 170 countries by the end of the 20th century.
Pope Pius VII was crowned with a papier-mâché tiara. (1800) The church was in ruins after the French invasions of Italy, and when Pope Pius VI died, his predecessor had no access to the papal jewels. Locals quickly made a papier-mâché papal tiara for Pius VII, which remained in use until 1845.
Journalist Henry Stanley began looking for Dr. David Livingstone. (1871) Livingstone had been on an expedition in Africa for six years with little contact, and most people assumed he was dead. Stanley found him in October 1871 and greeted him with the now famous phrase: “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
The first zoological society in the United States was formed. (1859) The Philadelphia Zoological Society was the first of its kind in the United States, although it did not open until 1874 due to the Civil War. The zoo has historically been one of the best in America in terms of animal care and breeding programs, and was one of the first to house animals in natural habitats.
Otto von Bismarck came to power in Germany. (1871) Bismarck was a hugely influential politician and was best known for uniting modern Germany for the first time in history.
Dallas’ iconic season finale has aired. (1980) The show is still known for its cliffhanger ending where the character JR was shot by an unknown assailant. The line “Who shot JR?” it was a national phenomenon until the following season, and people even bet on the outcome. The craze also spread outside the United States: The day the next episode aired, the Turkish parliament organized a special holiday so members could go home to watch.
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