Under Tuesday, March 8, the book of history records, among other things:
1862: During the American Civil War, the ironclad CSS Virginia (ex-USS “Merrimack”) of the Confederates sinks the unarmored warship of the Confederates USS “Cumberland”.
1902: The Second Symphony in D major by Jean Sibelius is premiered in Helsinki.
1917: February revolution in Russia: 90,000 workers go on strike in Petrograd. There are mass demonstrations and the formation of the first workers’ and soldiers’ councils. Clashes between the military and strikers.
1917: The German aviation pioneer Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin died in Berlin at the age of 78. He had constructed his first gas-filled giant airship in 1900.
1922: As a forerunner of the “Hitler Youth” (HJ), the “Jugendbund” of the NSDAP is founded in Germany.
1937: Spanish Civil War: Battle of Guadalajara begins near Madrid, ending in last significant Republican victory. The Franco insurgents are supported by Italian troops.
1942: Japanese troops occupy the Burmese capital Rangoon.
1952: The drama “Herbert Engelmann” by Gerhart Hauptmann, completed by Carl Zuckmayer, has its premiere at the Burgtheater in Vienna.
1962: The first fully electronically controlled subway train in Europe is put into operation in Hamburg.
1992: More than a hundred people die in the worst shipwreck in Thailand’s history. A completely overcrowded ferry sinks within minutes after colliding with an oil tanker in the Gulf of Siam.
1997: Pope John Paul II has publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy of oppression of the Palestinians.
2002: 32 Palestinians are killed and over 70 injured in Israeli military operations in the occupied territories.
birthdays: Andreas Heusler, Swiss statesman (1802-1868); Konstantin Karamanlis, Greek Statsman (1907-1998); Vladimir Bakarić, Yugoslav. politician (1912-1983); Heinar Kipphardt, German writer and dramaturge (1922-1982); Cyd Charisse, US actress and dancer (1922-2008); Peter Wittmann, Austria politician (1957); Eva Schlegel, Austria visual artist (1960); Werner Franz, former Austrian Ski Racer (1972).
days of death: Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, German airship designer (1838-1917); Othmar Schoeck, Swiss composer/conductor (1886-1957); Red Callender, US jazz musician (1916-1992); Winifreda Maria Eveline “Winnie” Markus, German actress (1921-2002); George A. Olah, Hungarian-US chemist; Nobel Prize 1994 (1927-2017).
name days: John of God, Eddo, Philemon, Michael, Warmund, Julian, Felix, Beatrix, Gerhard.