This Day In History

[MedicCook]

March 16th

1621
Samoset, a Mohegan, visits the settlers of Plymouth Colony and greets them, "Welcome, Englishmen! My name is Samoset."

1802
Congress authorized the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

1850
Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter was published.

1915
The Federal Trade Commission was organized.

1926
The first liquid-fuel rocket was successfully launched by Prof. Robert Goddard at Auburn, Massachusetts. The rocket traveled 184 feet in 2.5 seconds.

1935
Adolf Hitler cancelled the military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles.

1963
"Puff The Magic Dragon" was released by Peter, Paul and Mary.

1968
The My Lai massacre occurred in Vietnam.

1985
U.S. journalist Terry Anderson was kidnapped in Beirut; he was not released until December 4, 1991 after 2454 days in captivity.

1988
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver L. North and Vice Admiral John M. Poindexter of the National Security Council are indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States for their role in the Iran-contra affair.

2005
A jury in Los Angeles acquitted actor Robert Blake of murder in the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. (A civil court jury later ordered Blake to pay $30 million to Bakley's four children.)

Birthdays
83 Jerry Lewis Actor, comedian
68 Chuck Woolery Game show host
67 Jerry Jeff Walker Country singer
62 Robin Williams Country singer
60 Erik Estrada Actor ("CHiPS")
60 Victor Garber Actor ("Alias")
58 Kate Nelligan Actress
55 Nancy Wilson Rock singer (Heart)
54 Isabelle Huppert Actress
53 Ozzie Newsome Football Hall of Famer
53 Clifton Powell Actor
50 Flavor Flav Rapper (Public Enemy)
46 Jimmy DeGrasso Rock musician (Megadeth)
45 Patty Griffin Folk singer
42 Lauren Graham Actress ("Gilmore Girls")
40 Judah Friedlander Actor ("30 Rock")
38 Alan Tudyk Actor ("Firefly")
36 Tim Kang Actor ("The Mentalist")
33 Blu Cantrell R&B singer
31 Brooke Burns Actress
18 Wolfgang Van Halen Rock musician (Van Halen)

85 James Madison 3/16/1751 - 6/28/1836 4th president of the United States (1809-17)