Today in History for 25th March 2018:
Historical Events
1807 – First fare-paying, passenger railway service in the world established on the Oystermouth Railway in Swansea, Wales
1847 – Pope Pius IX encyclical “On aid for Ireland”
1865 – SS General Lyon at Cape Hatteras catches fire and sinks, killing 400
1938 – 97th Grand National: Bruce Hobbs aboard Battleship wins (1st US bred and owned horse to win)
1986 – Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Geneva won by Brian Boitano (USA)
1988 – “Les Miserables” opens at Chunichi Theatre, Nagoya, Japan
Famous Birthdays
1532 – Pietro Pontio, Italian composer (Ragionamento di Musica), born in Parma (d. 1596)
1823 – William Thompson Martin, Mjr General (Confederate Army), (d. 1910)
1840 – Myles Keogh, U.S. Soldier in U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment and Irish Soldier of Fortune (d. 1876)
1906 – Jean Sablon, French singer-songwriter, born in Nogent-sur-Marne, near Paris (d. 1994)
1947 – Claudine Schneider, (Rep-R-RI, 1981- )
1965 – Sean “Hollywood” Hamilton, DJ (Hangin’ With Hollywood, Z-100)
Famous Deaths
1561 – Conrad Lycosthenes, French-born German philosopher and encyclopedist (b. 1518)
1909 – Ruperto Chapi y Lorente, composer, dies at 57
1969 – Norman Gallichan, cricketer (one Test for NZ, 30 and 2, 3-113), dies
1980 – James Wright, American poet (b. 1927)
1997 – Roberto Sanchez Vilella, governor of Puerto Rico in (1965-69), dies
1998 – Max Green, Australian lawyer (b. 1952)