Today In History [25th March, 2015]

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

Today in History
March 25

708           Constantine begins his reign as Catholic Pope.
1634           Lord Baltimore founds the Catholic colony of Maryland.
1655           Puritans jail Governor Stone after a military victory over Catholic forces in the colony of Maryland.
1668           The first horse race in America takes place.
1776           The Continental Congress authorizes a medal for General George Washington.
1807           British Parliament abolishes the slave trade.
1813           The frigate USS Essex flies the first U.S. flag in battle in the Pacific.
1865           Confederate forces capture Fort Stedman, during the siege of Petersburg, Va.
1879           Japan invades the kingdom of Liuqiu (Ryukyu) Islands, formerly a vassal of China.
1905           Rebel battle flags that were captured during the American Civil War are returned to the South.
1911           A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, a sweatshop in New York City, claims the lives of 146 workers.
1915           The first submarine disaster occurs when a U.S. F-4 sinks off the Hawaiian coast.
1919           The Paris Peace Commission adopts a plan to protect nations from the influx of foreign labor.
1931           Fifty people are killed in riots that break out in India. Mahatma Gandhi was one of many people assaulted.
1940           The United States agrees to give Britain and France access to all American warplanes.
1941           Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers.
1953           The USS Missouri fires on targets at Kojo, North Korea, the last time her guns fire until the Persian Gulf War of 1992.
1954           RCA manufactures its first color TV set and begins mass production.
1957           The European Common Market Treaty is signed in Rome. The goal is to create a common market for all products–especially coal and steel.
1965           Martin Luther King Jr. leads a group of 25,000 to the state capital in Montgomery, Ala.
1969           John Lennon and Yoko Ono stage a bed-in for peace in Amsterdam.
1970           The Concorde makes its first supersonic flight.
1975           Hue is lost and Da Nang is endangered by North Vietnamese forces. The United States orders a refugee airlift to remove those in danger.
1981           The U.S. Embassy in San Salvador is damaged when gunmen attack, firing rocket propelled grenades and machine guns.
1986           President Ronald Reagan orders emergency aid for the Honduran army. U.S. helicopters take Honduran troops to the Nicaraguan border.

Born on March 25
1133           Henry II, King of England (1154-1189).
1767           Joachim Murat, Napoleon's brother in law who became king of Naples in 1808.
1797           John Winebrenner, U.S. clergyman who founded the Church of God.
1839           William Bell Wait, educator of the blind.
1867           Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore.
1868           Arturo Toscanini, Italian conductor.
1906           Alan John Percivale Taylor, English historian.
1908           David Lean, British film director (Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia).
1925           (Mary) Flannery O'Connor, novelist and short story writer.
1934           Gloria Steinem, political activist, editor.
1942           Aretha Franklin, American singer, the "Queen of Soul."