Today in History
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1979 The compact disc is presented to the public
Philips and Sony collaborated to create the CD. Later, the companies collaborated to create a standard format and CD players.
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1978 The first episode of the radio comedy The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is broadcast
Douglas Adams’ radio play was a huge hit among BBC Radio 4 listeners. A Trilogy in Five Parts, a book version consisting of five novels, became a worldwide success.
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1971 In the Fight of the Century, Joe Frazier triumphs over Muhammad Ali
In 1967, Ali was stripped of his World Heavyweight Championship for refusing to serve in the armed forces. Frazier needed to defeat him to be recognized as the world champion because he was still undefeated.
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1910 Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman with a pilot’s license
She was also the first woman to fly solo in France. Her experimental plane crashed at Le Crotoy airfield in northern France, killing her at the age of 36.
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1817 The New York Stock Exchange is founded
The NYSE at 11 Wall Street in New York City is the world’s largest stock exchange.
Births On This Day, March 8
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1990 Petra Kvitová
Czech tennis player
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1952 George Allen
American politician, 67th Governor of Virginia
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1907 Konstantinos Karamanlis
Greek politician, 3rd President of Greece
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1879 Otto Hahn
German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
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1841 Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
American jurist
Deaths On This Day, March 8
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1999 Joe DiMaggio
American baseball player
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1942 José Raúl Capablanca
Cuban chess player
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1930 William Howard Taft
American politician, 27th President of the United States
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1917 Ferdinand von Zeppelin
German general, businessman
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1869 Hector Berlioz
French composer