Important Events From This day in History – 08 March

Today in History

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.