On this day March 22 1984 several teachers at McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach California were charged with allegations of satanic ritual abuse of children. The case became one of the most infamous and controversial criminal investigations of the 1980s fueled by mass hysteria and
On this day March 22 1982 NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia was launched from Kennedy Space Center on its third mission STS-3. This was Columbia’s final test flight before operational missions began marking another major step in the Space Shuttle program. The mission was piloted by
On this day March 21 1980 President Jimmy Carter officially announced that the United States would boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The decision was made in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan which began in December 1979. The boycott was part
On this day March 21 1984 a section of Central Park in New York City was officially named Strawberry Fields in honor of John Lennon. The 2.5-acre area located near West 72nd Street and Central Park West was dedicated as a peaceful memorial to the
On this day March 21 1988 Mike Tyson defended his WBA WBC and IBF heavyweight championships by knocking out Tony Tubbs in the second round at the Tokyo Dome. The dominant performance extended Tyson’s undefeated professional record to 34-0 further solidifying his reputation as the
On this day March 20 1985 Canadian athlete and activist Rick Hansen began his historic Man in Motion World Tour a wheelchair journey around the globe to raise awareness and funds for spinal cord injury research. Hansen traveled through 34 countries covering more than 40000
On this day March 20 1987 the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug AZT making it the first successful treatment for AIDS. AZT also known as zidovudine was initially developed as a cancer drug but was later found to slow the progression of HIV
On this day March 20 1986 New York City officially passed its first lesbian and gay rights legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing employment and public accommodations. The landmark decision was a major victory for LGBTQ+ rights activists after years of protests
On this day March 19 1987 televangelist Jim Bakker resigned as head of the PTL Club also known as The Jim and Tammy Show following a highly publicized sex scandal. Bakker who had built a massive religious broadcasting empire stepped down after it was revealed
On this day March 19 1984 a Mobil Oil tanker spilled 200000 gallons of oil into the Columbia River creating one of the worst environmental disasters in the region’s history. The spill contaminated miles of water affecting local wildlife fish populations and the surrounding ecosystem.