ANNUNCIATION OR LADY DAY

The precession of the equinoxes has moved the astronomical beginning of spring back four days to March 21, but its previous date of March 25 became identified with the Virgin Mary, who was told by the angel Gabriel on that day that she would become the mother of Christ. Lady Day, as this day was commonly called, was one of the great quarterly dividing points of the year (the others being Midsummer Day, Michaelmas, and Christmas). It was traditionally the day for paying rents, signing or vacating leases, and hiring farm laborers for the year. The flower cardamine, or lady’s-smock, with its milky white flowers, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and appears about this time.

Every Year

• ANNUNCIATION OR LADY DAY

1520s

• 1524: ITALIAN EXPLORER GIOVANNI DA VERRAZANO ARRIVED OFF OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA

1770s

• 1775: GEORGE WASHINGTON PLANTED PECANS AT MOUNT VERNON
• 1776: CONGRESS AUTHORIZED FIRST U.S. MEDAL FOR GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON, FOR FORCING BRITISH ARMY TO EVACUATE BOSTON

1860s

• BORN 1867: ARTURO TOSCANINI (CONDUCTOR)

1880s

• BORN 1881: BELA BARTOK (COMPOSER)
• 1882: FIRST U.S. PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION OF PANCAKE MAKING, NYC

1890s

• 1894: JACOB S. COXEY’S ARMY OF JOBLESS MEN BEGAN MARCH FROM OHIO TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO DEMAND RELIEF MEASURES FROM CONGRESS

1900s

• 1900: SOCIALIST PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES ORGANIZED AT INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
• BORN 1901: ED BEGLEY, SR. (ACTOR)

1910s

• 1911: TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE IN NYC KILLED 148 WOMEN TRAPPED BY LOCKED FIRE ESCAPE DOORS

1920s

• BORN 1920: HOWARD COSELL (SPORTSCASTER)
• BORN 1922: EILEEN FORD (BUSINESS EXECUTIVE)
• BORN 1925: FLANNERY O’CONNOR (NOVELIST)
• BORN 1928: JAMES ARTHUR LOVELL, JR. (ASTRONAUT)

1930s

• BORN 1934: GLORIA STEINEM (WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST)
• 1937: WASHINGTON D.C.’S DAILY NEWS WAS THE FIRST U.S. NEWSPAPER TO HAVE A PERFUMED AD

1940s

• BORN 1942: ARETHA FRANKLIN (SINGER)
• 1943: THE JIMMY DURANTE AND GARRY MOORE SHOW PREMIERED ON THE RADIO. THE DUO REPLACED THE POPULAR ABBOTT AND COSTELLO
• BORN 1947: ELTON JOHN (MUSICIAN)
• BORN 1948: BONNIE BEDELIA CULKIN (ACTRESS)

1950s

• 1958: SUGAR RAY ROBINSON WON WORLD’S MIDDLEWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP BY DEFEATING CARMEN BASILIO, IN CHICAGO

1960s

• BORN 1962: MARCIA CROSS (ACTRESS)
• 1965: ABOUT 25,000 CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATORS ENDED A FIVE-DAY MARCH FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, WITH A RALLY DEMANDING EQUAL RIGHTS FOR BLACKS
• BORN 1965: SARAH JESSICA PARKER (ACTRESS)
• BORN 1966: JEFFREY HEALEY (CANADIAN MUSICIAN)
• 1966: U.S. SUPREME COURT DECLARED THE POLL TAX TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR ALL ELECTIONS

1970s

• BORN 1971: SHERYL SWOOPES (BASKETBALL PLAYER; OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST)
• 1972: MULTINATIONAL AGREEMENT TO COORDINATE EFFORTS TO CONTROL TRADE IN NARCOTIC DRUGS SIGNED IN GENEVA
• DIED 1973: EDWARD STEICHEN (PHOTOGRAPHER)
• BORN 1979: LEE PACE (ACTOR)

1980s

• BORN 1982: DANICA PATRICK (RACE CAR DRIVER)
• 1987: THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RULED THAT AN EMPLOYER MAY VOLUNTARILY ACT TO REDRESS IMBALANCES IN THE WORKFORCE THROUGH AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE COURT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED SUCH PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN
• BORN 1989: ALY MICHALKA (ACTRESS)

2000s

• DIED 2004: VISCOUNTESS DILHORNE (TRAINED PIGEONS TO CARRY SECRET COMMUNICATIONS IN EUROPE DURING WWII)
• DIED 2006: BUCK OWENS (SINGER)
• DIED 2008: HERB PETERSON (INVENTED MCDONALD’S EGG MCMUFFIN)

2010s

• 2017: RESIDENTS OF INNISFAIL, AUSTRALIA, SET A NEW GUINNESS RECORD FOR LONGEST BANANA SPLIT. IT WAS 26,377 FEET 11.4 INCHES LONG AND INCLUDED 40,000 BANANAS, MORE THAN 2,000 GALLONS OF ICE CREAM AND 528 GALLONS OF TOPPINGS.

COURTESY www.almanac.com