Martin Luther King Jr. led a large anti-war protest in Chicago in 1967, but was criticized by civil rights leaders. Other events include the abolition of the slave trade in Britain, the opening of the world’s first passenger railway, and the Greek War of Independence. The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire led to employee protection laws in the US, and US Customs seized Allen Ginsberg’s book Howl for obscenity. The Palace Theater opened in New York and Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, was discovered.
Martin Luther King, Jr. led 5,000 anti-war protesters in a march in Chicago. (1967) It was one of the largest anti-war protests to date, but King was criticized for leading it by other civil rights leaders who believed that the civil rights movement should not be connected to the anti-war movement.
Britain abolished the slave trade. (1807) The Slave Trade Act became law on this day, banning the importation of slaves into Britain. Slavery itself remained legal in Britain until the 1830s.
The world’s first passenger railway opens. (1807) The Swansea and Mumbles Railway opened in Wales and was the first railway to carry paying passengers, as opposed to slaves. It originally consisted of horse-drawn trams, later switching to sail, steam, electric and finally gas and diesel power before closing in 1960.
The first significant protest march in the United States took place. (1894) Populist leader Jacob Coxey led several hundred known as Coxey’s army in a march on Washington to protest the country’s lack of jobs. Though the movement quickly lost momentum when leaders were arrested for walking on the Capitol grass, it set the stage for subsequent protests.
The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire occurred. (1911) About 140 people died due to poor safety measures in one of the worst industrial disasters in early American history. Many of the employee protection laws in effect in the United States arose as a result of the fire.
US Customs has seized Howl by Allen Ginsberg. (1955) The book, considered one of the leading texts of the Beat movement, was seized by customs officers for obscenity. The book rocked the literary world when it was released due to its raw emotion and graphic descriptions of sex and drug use.
It is said that the city of Venice was born. (421) According to legend, the city of Venice “was born” at 12 in Rialto, formerly the central market area of the city.
The Greek War of Independence begins. (1821) Greece rebelled on this day against the Ottoman Empire, which had occupied and ruled it since the mid-1400s. The war for independence lasted nine years and was resolved only after significant intervention
The Palace Theater has opened in New York. (1913) The Palace is known as the birthplace of Vaudeville and has hosted iconic artists including Ethel Merman, Judy Garland, Harry Houdini and Will Rogers.
Discovered Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. (1655) The moon was discovered by Christiaan Huygens, who was inspired by Galileo’s discovery of the moons of Jupiter. Huygens and his brother built several telescopes and discovered Titan with the first one they built.
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