Historical Events on March 6

On This Day in History: March 6

1. In 1521, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan became the first European to sight Guam during his historic voyage across the western Pacific Ocean.
2. In 1808, the first college orchestra in America was established at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
3. In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision ruled that African Americans could not be U.S. citizens, further deepening national tensions over slavery.
4. In 1865, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s second inauguration ceremony was held, marking the beginning of his second term amid the final days of the Civil War.
5. In 1921, the Natal Indian Congress was revived and reorganised in Durban, with Ismail Gora appointed its president.
6. In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt became the first First Lady to hold an official press conference at the White House, redefining the role of First Ladies in public affairs.
7. In 1940, the first American broadcast from an airplane was made in New York City, marking a milestone in the history of aviation and television.
8. In 1943, Sukarno, in collaboration with Indonesia’s Japanese occupiers, established the Poesat Tenaga Rakta (Centre of People’s Power), aimed at mobilising support for his regime.
9. In 1945, George Nissen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received a patent for the first modern trampoline, which revolutionized gymnastics and recreational sports.
10. In 1947, the B-45, America’s first four-engine jet bomber, completed its first test flight at Modoc, California.
11. In 1964, boxing legend Cassius Clay joined the Nation of Islam and adopted the name Muhammad Ali, rejecting his former “slave name”.
12. In 1965, Bruce Taylor scored 105 for New Zealand against India in his first Test cricket innings, a remarkable start to his career.
13. In 1971, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar made his Test debut against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain, and went on to his illustrious career featuring in 125 Tests with an average of 51.12 and 34 centuries.
14. In 1976, 17-year-old Puerto Rican boxer Wilfred Benítez defeated WBA light welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes in a 15-round split decision in San Juan, becoming the youngest world champion in boxing history.
15. In 1981, Walter Cronkite stepped down as anchor of the CBS Evening News, ending his illustrious career as one of America’s most trusted journalists.