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Wallace Harrison

Wallace Harrison

Wallace Kirkman Harrison (September 28 1895 Worcester, Massachusetts – December 21981 New York City), American twentieth-century architect. Harrison started his professional career with the firm of Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray participating in the construction of Rockefeller Center, and Harrison is best known for executing large public projects in New York City and upstate, many of them a result of his long and fruitful personal relationship with Nelson Rockefeller. Architecturally, Harrison's major projects are marked by straightforward planning and sensible functionalism, although his residential side-projects show more experimental and humane flair. His architectural partner from 1941 to 1976 was Max Abramovitz. In 1931 Harrison established an 11 acre (45,000 m²) summer retreat in West Hills, New York, which was a very early example and workshop for the International Style in the United States, and a social and intellectual center of architecture, art, and politics. Frequent visitors and guests included Nelson Rockefeller, Robert Moses, Marc Chagall, Le Corbusier, and Fernand Léger, who waited out part of World War II by painting a mural at the bottom of Harrison's swimming pool. Harrison's major projects include:
- the landmark Perisphere and Trylon for the 1939 New York World's Fair
- LaGuardia Airport
- The Hopkins Center of 1962, a performing arts, restaurant, and art studio center at Dartmouth College. In detail, it forshadows the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center.
- master plan for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (coordinating the work of Pietro Belluschi, Gordon Bunshaft, Philip Johnson, and Eero Saarinen, among others)
- the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center
- the Time-Life Building, New York City
- the Exxon Building, New York City
- lead architect for the United Nations headquarters complex, coordinating the work of an international cadre of designers including Sven Markelius, Le Corbusier, and Oscar Niemeyer, among others
- the New York Hall of Science at the 1964 New York World's Fair
- the Battery Park City complex, New York City
- Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York, his last major project Harrison, Wallace Harrison, Wallace Harrison, Wallace

September 28

September 28 is the 271st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (272nd in leap years). There are 94 days remaining.

Events


- 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt (may have occurred September 29, records unclear).
- 365 - Roman usurper Procopius bribes two legions passing by Constantinople, and proclaims himself Roman emperor.
- 935 - Saint Wenceslas is murdered by his brother, Boleslaus I the Cruel
- 995 - Members of Slavník's dynasty - Spytimír, Pobraslav, Pořej and Čáslav are murdered by Boleslaus's son, Boleslaus II the Pious
- 1066 - William the Conqueror invades England: the Norman Conquest begins.
- 1106 - The Battle of Tinchebrai - Henry I of England defeats his brother, Robert Curthose.
- 1322 - Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor defeats Frederick I of Austria in the Battle of Mühldorf.
- 1448 - Christian I is crowned king of Denmark.
- 1542 - Navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo of Portugal arrives as what is now San Diego, California, United States.
- 1708 - Peter the Great defeats the Swedes at the Battle of Lesnaya.
- 1779 - American Revolution: Samuel Huntington is elected President of the Continental Congress, succeeding John Jay.
- 1781 - American forces backed by a French fleet begin the siege of Yorktown Heights, Virginia, during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1787 - The newly completed United States Constitution is voted on by the U.S. Congress to be sent to the State legislatures for approval.
- 1820 - The tomato is publicly proven safe when Robert Johnson eats a bushel (24 kg) of tomatoes in Salem, Massachusetts.
- 1823 - Leo XII is elected pope.
- 1844 - Oscar I of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Sweden.
- 1867 - Toronto becomes the capital of Ontario.
- 1867 - The United States takes control of Midway Island.
- 1868 - Battle of Alcolea, causes Queen Isabella II of Spain to flee to France.
- 1871 - Brazil passes law freeing future children of slaves.
- 1928 - UK passed Dangerous Drugs Act.
- 1939 - Germany and the Soviet Union agree on a division of Poland after their invasion during World War II.
- 1939 - Warsaw surrenders to Nazi Germany during World War II.
- 1944 - Battle of Arnhem - Germans defeat British airborne at Arnhem, Netherlands.
- 1944 - Soviet Army troops liberate Klooga concentration camp in Klooga, Estonia.
- 1958 - France ratifies a new Constitution of France; the French Fifth Republic is then formed upon the formal adoption of the new constitution on October 4. Guinea rejects the new constitution, voting for independence instead.
- 1961 - A military coup in Damascus effectively ends the United Arab Republic, the union between Egypt and Syria.
- 1962 - Paddington tram depot fire destroys 65 trams in Brisbane,Australia
- 1971 - UK Misuse of Drugs Act: medicinal cannabis is banned.
- 1972 - Paul Henderson scores The Goal to win the Canada/USSR (ice hockey) "Summit Series".
- 1973 - ITT Building in New York City bombed to protest ITT's involvement in the September 11 1973 coup d'état in Chile.
- 1976 - R&B singer Stevie Wonder releases the classic double album Songs in the Key of Life.
- 1987 - Encounter at Farpoint, the first episode of TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation airs.
- 1994 - The car ferry MS Estonia sinks in Baltic Sea, killing 852 people.
- 1995 - Bob Denard and a group of mercenaries take the islands of Comoros in a coup.
- 2000 - The Al-Aqsa Intifada begins after the visit of Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Births


- 1493 - Agnolo Firenzuola, Italian poet
- 1573 - Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Italian artist (d. 1610)
- 1605 - Ismael Bullialdus, French astronomer (d. 1694)
- 1667 - Asano Naganori, Japanese warlord (d. 1701)
- 1681 - Johann Mattheson, German composer (d. 1764)
- 1705 - Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, English statesman (d. 1774)
- 1746 - Sir William Jones, English philologist (d. 1794)
- 1803 - Prosper Mérimée, French author (d. 1870)
- 1823 - Alexandre Cabanel, French painter (d. 1889)
- 1824 - Francis Turner Palgrave, British critic and poet (d. 1897)
- 1841 - Georges Clemenceau, French politician (d. 1929)
- 1852 - Henri Moissan, French chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1907)
- 1856 - Kate Douglas Wiggin, American children's author (d. 1923)
- 1867 - Kiichiro Hiranuma, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1952)
- 1881 - Pedro de Cordoba, American actor (d. 1950)
- 1887 - Avery Brundage, American athlete and sports official (d. 1975)
- 1891 - Myrtle Gonzalez, American actress (d. 1918)
- 1901 - William S. Paley, American raadio and television executive (d. 1990)
- 1901 - Ed Sullivan, American television show host (d. 1974)
- 1905 - Max Schmeling, German boxer (d. 2005)
- 1909 - Al Capp, American cartoonist (d. 1979)
- 1915 - Ethel Rosenberg, American spy (d. 1953)
- 1916 - Peter Finch, English-born actor (d. 1977)
- 1923 - William Windom, American actor
- 1924 - Marcello Mastroianni, Italian actor (d. 1996)
- 1925 - Seymour Cray, American computer scientist (d. 1996)
- 1925 - Arnold Stang, American actor
- 1926 - Jerry Clower, American comedian (d. 1998)
- 1929 - Lata Mangeshkar, Indian playback singer
- 1934 - Brigitte Bardot, French actress
- 1937 - Alice Mahon, English politician and labor leader
- 1937 - Rod Roddy, American television announcer (d. 2003)
- 1938 - Ben E. King, American singer and songwriter
- 1939 - Stuart Kauffman, American biologist
- 1941 - Edmund Stoiber, German politician
- 1942 - Marshall Bell, American actor
- 1943 - Joel Higgins, American actor
- 1943 - J. T. Walsh, American actor (d. 1998)
- 1946 - Helen Shapiro, English singer
- 1947 - Bob Carr, Premier of New South Wales
- 1947 - Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
- 1947 - Jeffrey Jones, American actor
- 1950 - John Sayles, American director and screenwriter
- 1950 - Laurie Lewis, American musician
- 1952 - Sylvia Kristel, Dutch actress
- 1954 - Steve Largent, American football player and U.S. Congressman
- 1962 - Grant Fuhr, Canadian hockey player
- 1964 - Janeane Garofalo, American actress and comedian
- 1967 - Mira Sorvino, American actress
- 1967 - Moon Unit Zappa, American singer and actress
- 1968 - Mika Häkkinen, Finnish race car driver
- 1968 - Naomi Watts, English-born actress
- 1972 - Gwyneth Paltrow, American actress
- 1977 - Se Ri Pak, Korean golfer
- 1979 - Bam Margera, American skateboarder
- 1987 - Hilary Duff, American actress and singer

Deaths


- 48 BC - Pompey, Roman general and politician (b. 106 BC)
- 235 - Saint Pontianus, Pope
- 876 - Louis the German, King of Eastern Francia (b. 804)
- 935 - Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (b. 907)
- 1104 - Pedro I, king of Aragon and Navarre (b. 1068)
- 1197 - Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1165)
- 1429 - Cymburgis of Masovia, wife of Duke Ernest of Austria
- 1582 - George Buchanan, Scottish historian (b. 1506)
- 1618 - Joshua Sylvester, English poet (b. 1563)
- 1687 - Francis Turretin, Swiss theologian (b. 1623)
- 1702 - Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, English statesman (b. 1640)
- 1742 - Jean Baptiste Massillon, French churchman (b. 1663)
- 1781 - William Henry Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of Rochford, British diplomat and statesman (b. 1717)
- 1891 - Herman Melville, American novelist (b. 1819)
- 1895 - Louis Pasteur, French scientist (b. 1822)
- 1915 - Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian theatre director (d. 1989)
- 1918 - Georg Simmel, German sociologist and philosopher (b. 1858)
- 1918 - Freddie Stowers, American soldier (b. 1896)
- 1935 - W.K. Dickson, Scottish inventor (b. 1860)
- 1953 - Edwin Hubble, American astronomer (b. 1889)
- 1964 - Harpo Marx, American comedian and actor (b. 1888)
- 1966 - André Breton, French poet (b. 1896)
- 1970 - John Dos Passos, American novelist (b. 1896)
- 1970 - Gamal Abdal Nasser, first President of Egypt (b. 1918)
- 1978 - Pope John Paul I (b. 1912)
- 1979 - John Herbert Chapman, Canadian physicist (b. 1921)
- 1981 - Rómulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela (b. 1908)
- 1982 - Mabel Albertson, American actress (b. 1901)
- 1988 - Charles Addams, American cartoonist (b. 1912)
- 1989 - Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Philippines (b. 1917)
- 1991 - Miles Davis, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1926)
- 1993 - Peter De Vries, American novelist (b. 1910)
- 1994 - José Francisco Ruiz Massieu, Mexican politician (assassinated) (b. 1946)
- 2000 - Pierre Elliott Trudeau, fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1919)
- 2002 - Patsy T. Mink, U.S. Congresswoman (b. 1927)
- 2003 - Althea Gibson, American tennis player (b. 1927)
- 2003 - Elia Kazan, Hungarian-born film director (b. 1909)
- 2003 - George Odlum, West Indian politician (b. 1934)
- 2004 - Geoffrey Beene, American fashion designer (b. 1927)
- 2005 - Constance Baker Motley, American judge (b. 1921)

Holidays and observances


- RC Saints - St. Wenceslas, Lorenzo Ruiz Also see September 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Czech Republic - Czech Statehood Day
- Taiwan - Teacher's Day (Confucius' birthday),

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/28 BBC: On This Day] ---- September 27 - September 29 - August 28 - October 28 – listing of all days ko:9월 28일 ms:28 September ja:9月28日 simple:September 28 th:28 กันยายน

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city in Worcester County in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States of America. Its population in the 2000 census was 172,648; a July 1, 2002, estimate put the city's population at 174,962. In terms of population, Worcester is the third largest city in New England, behind Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. Worcester is also the second largest city in Massachusetts and is considered part of the Consolidated Boston Metropolitan Area The city and its surrounding region are the fastest growing areas in the state. It is ranked twenty-fifth in the nation for its size in terms of current population and economic growth. Nevertheless, downtown Worcester has suffered from the trend toward urban sprawl, as some of its business activity has been lured away by shopping malls.

History

Worcester was first settled in 1673 and was officially incorporated in 1684. The settlement was established as a town in 1722, and chartered as a city in 1848. When the government of Worcester County was established on April 2, 1731, Worcester was chosen as its shire town (later known as a county seat). From that date until the dissolution of the county government on July 1, 1998, it was the only county seat. John Adams taught at the village schoolhouse in Worcester before returning to Braintree to practice law and contribute to the revolution and founding of the United States. On June 9, 1953, Worcester was hit by a tornado that killed 94 people and damaged a large part of the city. It was the deadliest tornado in New England history. Among others, the tornado struck the then campus of Assumption College (currently Quinsigamond Community College).

The "Worcester Six"

On December 3, 1999, a four-alarm fire broke out in an abandoned cold storage warehouse a few miles east of downtown. Fire companies from throughout the city and neighboring town were called in to fight the fire. The firefighters' task was made difficult by the building's extensive interior isulation and its many darkened hallways. The lack of available windows prevented them from creating an exhaust for the smoke, which added to the darkness inside the building. The fire eventually claimed the lives of six Worcester firefighters, who have since become known locally as the "Worcester Six". Services for the six firefighters were held later held in the DCU Center (then called the Worcester Centrum Centre). The funeral procession was broadcast on several national news networks and was attended by Bill Clinton, the then-U.S. President. City leaders currently plan to erect a memorial to the Six in Institute Park, behind the Grove Street fire station. A new fire station is planned for the space formally occupied by the cold storage facility.

Worcester firsts


- The Declaration of Independence was first publicly read in Massachusetts by Isaiah Thomas in Worcester in July 1776.
- The monkey wrench was invented by Loring Coes of the Coes Knife Company in 1840.
- The birth control pill was developed by the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Worcester suburb Shrewsbury.
- Worcester resident Charles Thurber patented the first modern-day typewriter in 1843.
- The first national convention of women advocating women's suffrage was held in Worcester on October 23 and 24, 1850.
- Dr. Russell L. Hawes, a Worcester physician, invented the first machine for folding plain paper into envelopes in 1852.
- Charles Olson, a poet and Worcester native, coined the term postmodern in his 1958 essay "The Present is Prologue".
- Candy Cummings threw the first ever curveball pitch in Worcester in 1867 while playing for the Brooklyn Stars. It was a strike.
- Elm Park became the first public park in the country when land was deeded to the city of Worcester in 1854.
- Worcester resident Joshua Stoddard invented the steam calliope in 1855.
- Worcester blacksmith Albert Tolman is said to have invented the rickshaw in 1848 for a missionary traveling to South America; however there are numerous other theories about the origin of the rickshaw
- J. Lee Richmond of the Worcesters pitched the first perfect game in major league baseball history on June 12, 1880.
- Candlepin bowling was first developed in Worcester in 1880.
- Worcester resident Henry Perky became the first to mass produce shredded wheat in 1895.
- Albert A. Michelson, chairman of Clark University's Physics Department, named America's first Nobel Prize Winner in 1902 for his experiments relating to his calculation of the speed of light.
- Dr. Robert H. Goddard of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's class of 1908 and later Clark University patented the first liquid fuel rocket in 1914.
- Harvey Ball designed the world famous Smiley face in 1963.
- The first radio station to play a Beatles song in the United States was WORC in Worcester.
- The first woman to serve on a President's cabinet was Frances Perkins of Worcester; she served as FDR's Secretary of Labor.
- The first dictionary printed in the U.S. was in Worcester in the 18th century, by Isaiah Thomas, who also printed the largest newspaper of the time, the Massachusetts Spy.
- In 1847, the first commercial valentine was mass produced in Worcester by Esther Howland.
- Between September 6-10, 1909, Sigmund Freud delivered his only American lectures at Clark University ("Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis" later published as "On Psychoanalysis"). Carl Jung joined him, and William James attended.

Geography

Worcester is located at 42°16'8" North, 71°48'14" West (42.268843, -71.803774). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 99.9 km² (38.6 mi²). 97.3 km² (37.6 mi²) of it is land and 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.59% water. The Blackstone River passes through Worcester, but is almost completely covered as it passes through. Water Street (the traditional hub of Worcester's Jewish population, famed for its bakeries), and the appearance of the river just south of the city, are the only indications of its existence. Just as in Rome, Italy, there are seven very steep hills that distinguish its topography: Airport Hill, Bancroft Hill, Belmont Hill (Bell Hill), Grafton Hill, Green Hill, Pakachoag Hill and Vernon Hill. Lake Quinsigamond, on its eastern border, is frequently the site of rowing competitions. ZIP codes in Worcester are 01601-01610, 01613-01615, and 01653-01655.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 172,648 people, 67,028 households, and 39,211 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,774.8/km² (4,596.5/mi²). There are 70,723 housing units at an average density of 727.0/km² (1,882.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 77.11% White, 6.89% African American, 0.45% Native American, 4.87% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 7.24% from other races, and 3.39% from two or more races. 15.15% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 67,028 households out of which 29.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% are married couples living together, 15.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% are non-families. 33.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 3.11. The population is spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.7 males. The median household income is $35,623, and the median family income is $42,988. Males have a median income of $36,190 versus $28,522 for females. The per capita income is $18,614. 17.9% of the population and 14.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Government

Worcester is governed by a Council-Manager type of government with a popularly elected mayor. A city council acts as the legislative body, and the council-appointed manager handles the traditional day to day chief executive functions. City councilors can run as either a representative of a city district or as an at-large candidate. The winning at-large candidate who receives the greatest number of votes for mayor becomes the mayor (at large councilor candidates must ask to be removed from the ballot for Mayor if they do not want to be listed on the ballot for mayor). As a result, voters must vote for their mayoral candidate twice, once as an at large councilor, and once as the mayor. The mayor has no more authority than other city councilors, but is the ceremonial head of the city and chair of the city council. Currently, there are 11 councilors: 6 At-Large and 5 district. Worcester's first charter, which went into effect in 1848, established a Mayor/Bicameral form of government. Together, the two chambers -- the 11-member Board of Aldermen and the 30-member Common Council -- were vested with complete legislative powers. The mayor handled all administrative departments, though appointments to those departments had to be approved by the two-chamber City Council. Seeking to replace the old, outdated charter, Worcester voters in November 1947 approved of a change to Plan E municipal government. In effect from January 1949 until November 1985, this charter (as outlined in chapter 43 of the Massachusetts General Laws) established City Council/City Manager government. This type of governance, with modifications, has survived to the present day. Initially, Plan E government in Worcester was organized as a 9-member Council (all at-large), a ceremonial Mayor elected from the Council by the Councilors, and a Council-appointed City Manager. The Manager oversees the daily administration of the city, makes all appointments to city offices, and can be removed at any time by a majority vote of the Council. The Mayor chairs the City Council and the School Committee, and does not have the power to veto any vote. In 1983, Worcester voters again decided to change the city charter. This "Home Rule" charter (named for the method of adoption of the charter) is similar to Plan E, the major changes being to the structure of the Council and the election of the mayor. The 9-member Council became 11, 6 At-Large and 1 from each city district. The Mayor is chosen by popular election, but must run as an At-Large Councilor.

Education

Colleges and universities

The city is known for its numerous institutions of higher learning, including:
- Assumption College (founded 1904)
- Becker College, (1784)
- Central New England Colleges (1977, closed 1989)
  - Central New England College of Technology (1938 - 1989)
  - Worcester Junior College (1905-merged with Becker College, 1989)
- Clark University (1887)
- College of the Holy Cross (1843)
- Oread Institute (1849, closed 1881)
- Quinsigamond Community College (1963)
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Worcester campus opened 2000, Boston campus 1823)
- University of Massachusetts Medical School (1970)
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) (1865)
- Worcester State College (1874) Many of these institutions participate in the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. This independent non-profit collegiate association operates and facilitates cooperation among the colleges and universities, for example, through its inter-college shuttle bus and student cross registration. The consortium includes all academic institutions in Worcester County, whether within or outside the city boundaries. Members not listed above include Anna Maria College, Atlantic Union College, Nichols College, and Tufts Veterinary School.

Professional schools


- Bancroft School of Massage Therapy (1950)

Preparatory schools

Worcester Academy and [http://www.bancroftschool.org/ Bancroft School], two well-known preparatory schools, are located in Worcester. Bancroft School was founded in 1901 and is a K through 12 private school. It is located on Shore Drive, across the road from Indian Lake. [http://www.stjohnshigh.org/ Saint John's High School] is also located within the metropolitan area. St. Peter-Marian Jr./Sr. Central Catholic High School, St. Mary's Jr/Sr. High School, Holy Name and Notre Dame are Catholic high schools located in the city. The Highland Military Academy opened in 1856 but is now closed.

Public high schools

The City of Worcester has seven public high schools: Doherty Memorial High School, Burncoat High School, North High School, South High Community School, and Worcester Vocational High School, the Accelerate Learning Laboratory (ALL School) and the University Park Campus School, which is affiliated with Clark University. The University Park Campus School is nationally known for its success at closing the achievement gap for low-income, minority, and non-English speaking students. In May 2005, it was ranked the #68 high school in the nation by Newsweek Magazine. Doherty has a program in engineering mechanics which is conducted at a highly advanced level; students are introduced to stress analysis, statics, dynamics, vectors and calculus in the tenth grade. Burncoat has an arts magnet program featuring majors in visual arts, dance, music, and theater. South boasts a small school setting in which students can choose several different concentrations including computer technologies. The Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science, a public magnet school for science and mathematics founded in 1992, is affiliated with and located near the campus of WPI.

Culture

Landmarks

WPI WPI Worcester counts within its borders over 1200 acres (5 km²) of publicly owned property. Elm Park, purchased in 1854 and laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, was not only the first public park in the city (after the 8 acre (32,000 m²) Common, 1669) but also one of the first of its kind in the nation. Both the City Common and Elm Park are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1903 the Green family donated the 549 acres (2.2 km²) of Green Hill area land to the city, making Green Hill Park the largest in the city. In June 2002, city and state leaders dedicated the state's Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Green Hill Park grounds. Worcester is home to the American Antiquarian Society, Higgins Armory Museum (the largest collection of arms and armor in the western hemisphere), the Worcester Art Museum, Mechanics Hall, the Ecotarium, and the DCU Center (formerly the Worcester Centrum). Worcester's Union Station, recently renovated back to its French Renaissance glory, opines in symbol the elegance and industrial legacy of this bustling metropolis. The station, once serving 10,000 passengers daily, is now home to an intermodal terminal, [http://www.unionstationtherestaurant.com a successful restaurant], [http://www.unionblues.org a blues lounge], and [http://www.fdrheritage.org The FDR American Heritage Center Museum and Special Collection showcase]. Worcester also has its share of quirky landmarks. For example, the [http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/MA3127/ American Sanitary Plumbing Muesum] on Piedmont street is home to a collection of toilets and sinks from various periods of history. The Burnside Fountain, located on the south side of the Worcester Common, is known to locals as "The Turtle-Boy Love Statue". The fountain features a boy and a turtle engaged in what many observers believe to be an obscene act.

Media

See also: List of radio stations in Massachusetts The Worcester Telegram & Gazette is Worcester's only daily newspaper. The paper, known locally as "the Telegram" or "the T and G," is wholly owned by The New York Times Company. Worcester Magazine is an independent weekly newspaper published by Worcester Publishing Ltd. The paper covers news and events in Worcester County. In City Times is an independently owned and published bi-weekly newspaper covering news stories primarily from the city of Worcester. WCTR TV-3 is Worcester's local news television station, broadcasting on Charter Communications' cable channel 3. Produced partly by NECN, "Worcester News Tonight" is a daily 30-minute news segment reporting on events in the city and in surrounding towns. WUNI TV-27, The only major over-the-air broadcast television station in Worcester. Formerly independant, now broadcasting Spanish language Univision WCRN AM 830 is Worcester's only 50,000 watt radio station. Broadcasting primarily 1950s and 1960s Rock and Roll music, they also broadcast UMass athletics and Worcester Tornadoes baseball games. Mornings feature Frank's Diner (a local DJ morning show) from 6AM to 9AM and Money Matters finacial program from 9 AM to noon. The rest of the programming consists of rock and roll hosted by DJ Scott Shannon. WTAG AM 580 is a local talk radio station. Hank and Sherman is a popular morning talkshow. They also broadcast Boston Red Sox games on the WEEI 850 Red Sox Radio Network. Formerly broadcasted Worcester Ice Cats hockey games. WCHC 88.1 FM is the College of the Holy Cross's Radio Station. Until 2002 the station featured a variety of music, all played by students or other members of the College community. Since then the musical offering is mostly a MP3 jukebox playing pop songs from the 1970s and later. The station also broadcasts Holy Cross sporting events, mainly football, basketball, and hockey. WCUW 91.3 FM was once the Clark University radio station (where CUW stood for Clark University Worcester). It is now a community radio station with studios on Main Street. WCUW is known for its conspicuous breadth of programming, which spans dozens of languages and genres. Volcano Boy is a website focusing on Worcester, Massachusetts culture, music, technology, politics, art and other topics relevant to the community. The site includes downloads of local music, message boards, weblinks and photo gallerys. Volcano Boy sponsors the Central Massachusetts Networking Mixer, a monthly meeting of members of the local community interested in networking and meeting other people who are active in the cultural community.

Sports

Worcester does not have a long history with professional sports franchises. The only professional team based in the city in recent years, the Worcester IceCats minor-league ice hockey team, ended its final Worcester season in the spring of 2005. The franchise will move to Peoria, Illinois. The New England Blazers are a now-defunct Major League Lacrosse team that played at the Worcester Centrum during the 1980s. Worcester also had an Arena Football League team, the Massachusetts Mauraders, that played at the Worcester Centrum during the 1994 season. In 2002, Worcester's Jesse Burkett Little League baseball team competed in the Little League World Series's U.S. Final. Though the Burkett team lost to the Little League All-Stars from Louisville, Kentucky, their second-place finish was the [http://www.telegram.com/static/burkett/082502b.html best in the history of Massachusetts Little League baseball]. In late 2005, a pledge drive was underway to encourage the American Hockey League to return minor-league hockey to Worcester. [http://www.worcesterhockey.com/]

Worcester Tornadoes

In January 2005, Worcester mayor Tim Murray announced the formation of the Worcester Tornadoes baseball team. The organization is a private enterprise, headed by business leaders in central Massachusetts. It set an ambitious schedule of being ready for the 2005 season, playing at an upgraded Fitton Field on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross. The team will play against area rivals in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball League. It is not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team. On March 9, 2005, in a press conference at Holy Cross, team managemant announced the team name -- the Worcester Tornadoes -- and official logo. The name was chosen from among 1000 entries in a two-month-long naming contest. The "Tornadoes" refers to the deadly tornado that struck Worcester and central Massachusetts in 1953. Team managment plans to honor the memory of the tornado by making a contribution to the tornado memorial, at the present site of Quinsigamond Community College. The Tornadoes played their first game on May 30, 2005, defeating the Brockton Rox. They finished their inaugural season by winning the Can-Am championship, sweeping the Quebec Capitales in three games in the final series.

The Worcesters

The Worcesters, a defunct Major League Baseball team, was one of the first teams to play in the nascent National League. This team, which operated from 1880 to 1882, is believed to be the only major league team in history to not have an attached nickname. The team's home field, the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds, off of Sever Street in Worcester (near the present site of Becker College's Worcester campus), was the site of the first recorded perfect game in professional baseball. Pitcher John Lee Richmond achieved this feat on June 12, 1880, against the Cleveland Blues. Attendance suffered in following seasons, despite this early spectacle, and at one game in 1882 the crowd was measured at 18 strong. This was down from the franchise high of 3,652 in 1881. At the end of its third season, the team was expelled from the National League, and replaced with a team from Philadelphia.

City name pronunciation

"Worcester" is correctly pronounced with two syllables, not three (listen). The first syllable of "Worcester" is stressed and usually rhymes with the first syllable of "pussycat"; however, some residents pronounce "Worcester" to rhyme with "mister." (The speakers in that group have the non-rhotic accent common in New England, and so would say ("WIH-stuh").)

Transportation

New England Two interstate highways run through Worcester. Interstate 290, a spur route off the Mass Pike (I-90), was highly controversial in its planning and construction in the late 1950s-early 1960s. City residents living in the path of the proposed highway voiced opposition to the plan. However, by 1955 the project was part of the federal Interstate Highway System and out of municipal control. Construction on the Worcester section began in 1958 and finished 10 years later. The entire route, from I-90 to I-495 in Marlborough, opened to traffic in 1970. As one of the main toll-free alternatives to the Mass Pike, I-290 currently carries approximately 125,000 vehicles per day in the city [http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/mhd/trafficc/byRoute/rte_i290.htm], more than the road's design limit of 70,000. Interstate 190 opened to traffic in 1983 as a spur from I-290 to Route 2, in the north. I-190 joins I-290 at an interchange in north-central Worcester. I-190 is known for the high average and peak speeds reached by drivers on its long straights and sweeping curves. Local enthusiasts often use it as a test road; the stretch between exits 4 and 5 is ideal for safe road driving beyond 100 miles per hour. Worcester serves as a hub for several smaller Massachusetts state highways. Route 9 links the city to its eastern suburb, Shrewsbury, and points east. Route 12 was the primary route north to Fitchburg until the completion of I-190. Route 146, the Worcester-Providence Highway, now serves as an alternative north-south route to the traffic-congested I-290/I-395. The Worcester Regional Transit Authority, or RTA, manages the municipal bus system. The RTA also operates a shuttle bus between member institutions of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. Many people also rely on the two taxi companies (known as Red Cab and Yellow Cab) operating in Worcester or on the plentiful parking. Worcester is the last stop on the Worcester/Framingham commuter rail line run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Union Station, an early-20th century structure restored to full operation in 2000, serves as the hub for commuter railway traffic. It is also an Amtrak station, serving the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago, Illinois. The Worcester Regional Airport lies at the top of the city's highest hill. The airport was devoid of airline carriers after US Airways, the last holdout, withdrew in February 2003. Attempts to draw commercial service back to the airport had been unsuccessful until late September 2005 when a small Las Vegas-based airline announced plans to create leisure-based routes to Florida. The airline, Allegiant Air, will test the market by starting a non-stop run from Worcester to Orlando- Sanford Airport on December 22, 2005. The airport also remains open for use by private and business flights. Boston-based CBS affiliate WBZ-TV installed a Doppler radar weather station at the station for use in their televised weather reports.

Notable people

Born in Worcester


- John Coolidge Adams, popular living composer
- Jerry Azuma, defensive back for the Chicago Bears
- Harvey Ball, inventor of the Smiley face
- Robert Benchley, writer and member of the Algonquin Round Table
- Elizabeth Bishop, American poet and writer
- Ronald Dworkin, American and English legal and political philosopher
- Mark Fidrych, former Detroit Tigers pitcher
- Samuel Fuller, producer and director
- Rich Gedman, former Boston Red Sox catcher, now manager of the Worcester Tornadoes
- Robert Goddard, father of modern rocketry
- John Michael Hayes, writer of the Alfred Hitchcock films Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Trouble with Harry, and The Man Who Knew Too Much
- Abbie Hoffman, radical activist
- Ryan Idol, adult film actor
- Jordan Knight, member of the boy band "New Kids On The Block"
- Stanley Kunitz, American Poet Laureate
- Denis Leary, actor and comedian
- [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0577284/ Eddie Mekka], actor
- Charles Olson, American modernist poet
- J. P. Ricciardi, general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays
- Audrey Santo, a young woman who, after an accident, lapsed into a coma and is alleged to have various miracles performed in her presence
- Erik Per Sullivan, actor from Malcolm in the Middle
- Chris Titus, actor and comedian
- Alicia Witt, actress

Other residents


- Bob Cousy, Hall of Fame Basketball player
- Frank O'Hara, American poet
- Major Taylor, track cycling champion

References


- [http://www.ci.worcester.ma.us/wpr/parks/home.htm City Parks] (2004). Retrieved June 23, 2004.
- [http://www.wrrb.org/Reports/99-2charterq.pdf Considering Worcester's Charter] (1999). Retrieved June 17, 2004. (PDF-document)
- Flynn, Sean. 3000 Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men who Fought It. New York: Warner Books, 2002.
- [http://travel.lycos.com/destinations/location.asp?pid=243845 Travel Destinations - Worcester]. Lycos Travel. Retrieved June 2, 2004.

External links


- [http://www.ci.worcester.ma.us/ Worcester official website]
- [http://www.flyorh.com/ Unofficial Home Page of the Worcester Regional Airport]
- [http://www.worcestermass.org/ Official Worcester visitors website]
- [http://www.worcesterart.org/ Worcester Art Museum]
- [http://www.bostonroads.com/roads/I-290_MA/ The Worcester Expressway (I-290)]
- [http://www.wrrb.org/ Worcester Regional Research Bureau]
- [http://wikitravel.org/en/Worcester_%28Massachusetts%29 Worcester dining and night life information in Wikitravel]
- [http://www.cowc.org/ Colleges of Worcester Consortium]
- [http://www.worcestermag.com/ Worcester Magazine]
- [http://www.wormtownreview.com/ The Wormtown Review] Category:All-America City Category:Cities in Massachusetts Category:Worcester County, Massachusetts
-

December 2

December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 29 days remaining.

Events


- 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens.
- 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire.
- 1804 - At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned as the first Emperor of France in a thousand years.
- 1805 - Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Austerlitz - French troops under Napoleon defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.
- 1823 - Monroe Doctrine: US President James Monroe delivers a speech establishing American neutrality in future European conflicts.
- 1845 - Manifest Destiny: US President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
- 1848 - Franz Josef I becomes Emperor of Austria.
- 1851 - Newly-elected French President Charles Louis Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic.
- 1852 - Napoleon III becomes Emperor of France.
- 1859 - Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October 16th raid on Harper's Ferry.
- 1867 - In a New York City theater, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
- 1899 - Philippine-American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, termed "The Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.
- 1927 - Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.
- 1930 - Great Depression: US President Herbert Hoover goes before Congress and asks for a US$150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
- 1939 - New York City's La Guardia Airport opens.
- 1942 - Manhattan Project: A team led by Enrico Fermi initiate the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
- 1946 - British Government invited four Indian leaders, Nehru, Baldev Singh, Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan to obtain the participation of all parties in the Constituent Assembly.
- 1947 - Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Riots break out in Jerusalem in response to the approval of the 1947 UN Partition Plan.
- 1954 - Red Scare: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to condemn Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."
- 1961 - In a nationally-broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist-Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
- 1962 - Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of US President John F. Kennedy, US Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to not make an optimistic public comment on the war's progress.
- 1970 - The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
- 1971 - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm Al Quwain form the United Arab Emirates.
- 1972 - Gough Whitlam becomes the first Australian Labor Party Prime Minister of Australia for 23 years.
- 1975 - Pathet Lao seizes power in Laos, and establishes the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
- 1980 - Four U.S. nuns and churchwomen, Ita Ford, Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, and Dorothy Kazel, are murdered by a death squad in El Salvador.
- 1982 - At the University of Utah, Barney Clark, becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
- 1988 - Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state.
- 1990 - A coalition led by Chancellor Helmut Kohl wins the first free all-German elections since 1932.
- 1991 - Apple release the first version of QuickTime.
- 1993 - Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed in Medellín.
- 1993 - Space Shuttle program: STS-61 - NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
- 1999 - The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive.
- 2000 - The Smashing Pumpkins perform for the last time at The Metro in Chicago.
- 2001 - Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- 2004 - Brian Williams succeeds Tom Brokaw as host of NBC Nightly News.
- 2005 - Microsoft's Xbox 360 is launched in Europe.
- 2005 - Van Tuong Nguyen is executed in Singapore for drug trafficking.
- 2005 - Kenneth Boyd becomes the 1,000th person to be executed in the United States since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976.

Births


- 1578 - Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and music theorist (d. 1640)
- 1694 - William Shirley, Colonial Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1771)
- 1703 - Ferdinand Konscak, Croatian explorer (d. 1759)
- 1710 - Bertinazzi, Italian actor and writer (d. 1783)
- 1738 - Richard Montgomery, Irish-born American soldier (d. 1775)
- 1760 - John Breckinridge, American politician (d. 1806)
- 1817 - Heinrich von Sybel, German historian (d. 1895)
- 1825 - Emperor Pedro II of Brazil (d. 1891)
- 1846 - Pierre Marie René Ernest Waldeck-Rousseau, French statesman (d. 1904)
- 1859 - Georges Seurat, French painter and founder of Neoimpressionism (d. 1891)
- 1863 - Charles Ringling, American circus owner (d. 1926)
- 1885 - George Richards Minot, American physician and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1950)
- 1886 - Harry Burleigh, American composer (d. 1949)
- 1891 - Otto Dix, German painter and graphic artist (d. 1969)
- 1892 - Leo Ornstein, Russian-born American composer and pianist (d. 2002)
- 1895 - Harriet Cohen, British pianist (d. 1967)
- 1898 - Indra Lal Roy, Indian pilot (d. 1918)
- 1899 - John Barbirolli, British conductor (d. 1970)
- 1901 - Raimundo Orsi, Argentinian/Italian international footballer and World Cup winner (d. 1986)
- 1906 - Peter Carl Goldmark, Hungarian-born American Columbia Records engineer (d. 1977)
- 1914 - Adolph Green, American composer (d. 2002)
- 1914 - Ray Walston, American actor (d. 2001)
- 1923 - Maria Callas, American soprano (d. 1977)
- 1924 - Alexander M. Haig, Jr., American politician
- 1925 - Julie Harris, American actress
- 1930 - Gary Becker, American economist and Nobel Prize laureate
- 1931 - Edwin Meese, American politician
- 1933 - Michael Larrabee, American athlete and Olympic gold medalist (d. 2003)
- 1933 - K.Veeramani, Indian leader of Dravidar Kazhagam
- 1934 - Andre Rodgers, American baseball player (d. 2004)
- 1935 - David Hackett Fischer, American historian
- 1939 - Yael Dayan, Palestinian-born Israeli writer and politician
- 1939 - Harry Reid, American politician
- 1943 - Wayne Allard, American politician
- 1944 - Botho Strauß, German author
- 1945 - Penelope Spheeris, American film director
- 1946 - Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer (d. 1997)
- 1946 - John Banks, New Zealand politician
- 1950 - Bob Kevoian, Co-Host, Bob %26 Tom Show
- 1952 - Michael McDonald, American musician
- 1954 - Dan Butler, American actor
- 1954 - Stone Phillips, American television journalist
- 1957 - Dagfinn Høybråten, Norwegian politician
- 1960 - Rick Savage, British bassist (Def Leppard)
- 1966 - Jinsei Shinzaki, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1968 - Lucy Liu, American actress
- 1968 - Nate Mendel, American bassist (Foo Fighters)
- 1968 - Chris Wedge, American animator
- 1970 - Sarah Silverman, American comedian
- 1973 - Monica Seles, Yugoslav-born American tennis player
- 1973 - Jan Ullrich, German cyclist
- 1978 - Nelly Furtado, Canadian singer and songwriter
- 1979 - Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer and actress
- 1981 - Britney Spears, American singer
- 1982 - Matt Ware, American football player

Deaths


- 1348 - Emperor Hanazono of Japan (b. 1297)
- 1381 - John of Ruysbroeck, Flemish mystic
- 1463 - Archduke Albert VI of Austria (b. 1418)
- 1469 - Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (b. 1416)
- 1515 - Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Spanish general and statesman (b. 1453)
- 1547 - Hernán Cortés, Spanish explorer and conqueror (b. 1485)
- 1552 - Francis Xavier, Spanish Catholic missionary (b. 1506)
- 1594 - Gerardus Mercator, Flemish cartographer (b. 1512)
- 1665 - Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet, French socialite (b. 1588)
- 1694 - Pierre Paul Puget, French artist (b. 1622)
- 1719 - Pasquier Quesnel, French Jansenist theologian (b. 1634)
- 1723 - Philip II, Duke of Orléans, regent of France (b. 1674)
- 1726 - Samuel Penhallow, English-born American colonist and historian (b. 1665)
- 1747 - Vincent Bourne, English classical scholar (b. 1695)
- 1748 - Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, English politician (b. 1662)
- 1774 - Johann Friedrich Agricola, German composer and organist (b. 1720)
- 1814 - Marquis de Sade, French writer (b. 1740)
- 1849 - Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen of William IV of the United Kingdom (b. 1792)
- 1859 - John Brown, American abolitionist (hanged) (b. 1800)
- 1860 - Alfred Bunn, British theatrical manager (b. 1796)
- 1892 - Jay Gould, American entrepreneur (b. 1836)
- 1918 - Edmond Rostand, French poet and dramatist (b. 1868)
- 1931 - Vincent d'Indy, French composer (b. 1851)
- 1943 - Nordahl Grieg - Norwegian author and journalist (b. 1902)
- 1944 - Josef Lhévinne, Russian pianist (b. 1874)
- 1944 - Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Italian founder of Futurism (b. 1876)
- 1950 - Dinu Lipatti, Romanian pianist (b. 1917)
- 1957 - Harrison Ford, American actor (b. 1884)
- 1957 - Manfred Sakel, Polish psychiatrist (b. 1902)
- 1963 - Thomas J. Hicks, British-born American marathon runner and Olympic gold medalist (b. 1875)
- 1963 - Sabu Dastagir, Indian-born American actor (b. 1924)
- 1966 - Giles Cooper, Irish-born playwright (b.1918)
- 1969 - Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov, Russian politician (b. 1881)
- 1974 - Max Weber, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1897)
- 1976 - Danny Murtaugh, American baseball player and manager (b. 1917)
- 1980 - Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1905)
- 1980 - Romain Gary, Russian-born French writer (b. 1914)
- 1982 - Marty Feldman, British comedian, writer and actor (b. 1933)
- 1983 - Fifi d'Orsay, Canadian actress (b. 1904)
- 1985 - Aniello Dellacroce, American gangster (b. 1914)
- 1985 - Philip Larkin, English poet, novelist and jazz critic (b. 1922)
- 1986 - Desi Arnaz, Cuban-born actor, musician, band leader, and composer (b. 1917)
- 1987 - Luis Federico Leloir, French-born chemist and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
- 1987 - Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich, Russian physicist (b. 1914)
- 1988 - Tata Giacobetti, Italian singer and lyricist (Quartetto Cetra)
- 1990 - Aaron Copland, American composer (b. 1900)
- 1993 - Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug dealer (b. 1949)
- 1995 - Robertson Davies, Canadian novelist (b. 1913)
- 1997 - Shirley Crabtree (Big Daddy), British professional wrestler (b. 1930)
- 2002 - Ivan Illich, Austrian priest and philosopher (b. 1926)
- 2002 - Arno Peters, German historian (b. 1916)
- 2003 - Alan Davidson, British food writer (b. 1924)
- 2004 - Mona Van Duyn, American poet (b. 1921)
- 2004 - Alicia Markova, British ballerina (b. 1910)
- 2005 - Van Tuong Nguyen, Australian drug smuggler (hanged) (b. 1980)
- 2005 - Kenneth Lee Boyd, American convicted murderer, 1,000th person to be executed in the U.S. since the re-introduction of capital punishment (b. 1948)

Holidays and observances


- R.C. Saints - St Bibiana
- Laos - National Day
- United Arab Emirates - National Day (independence from Britain, 1971)

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/2 BBC: On This Day] ---- December 1 - December 3 - November 2 - January 2 — listing of all days ko:12월 2일 ms:2 Disember ja:12月2日 simple:December 2 th:2 ธันวาคม

1981

1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January-February


- January - Sarawak chamber found
- January 1 - Greece enters the EEC
- January 1 - Palau becomes self-governing
- January 4 - Sheffield police arrests Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper
- January 13 - Donna Griffiths, a schoolgirl in Pershore, Worcestershire, UK, begins a uncontrollable series of sneezes that end September 16 1983 - after 978 days
- January 16 - Protestant gunmen shoot and wound Bernadette Devlin McAliskey and her husband
- January 19 - United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity
- January 20 - Ronald Reagan succeeds Jimmy Carter as President of the United States of America. Minutes after Reagan becomes president, Iran releases 52 American hostages that had been held captive for 444 days - Iran hostage crisis ends.
- February 4 - Gro Harlem Brundtland becomes the Prime Minister of Norway
- February 9 - Polish Prime Minister Józef Pinkowski resigns and is replaced by General Wojciech Jaruzelski
- February 10 - A fire at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino kills eight and injures 198
- February 14 - Australia withdraws recognition of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia
- February 23 - Antonio Tejero, with members of the Guardia Civil enters the Spanish Congress of Deputies, and stops the session, where Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo was going to be named president of the government. The coup d'état would fail thanks to King Juan Carlos.

March-April

Juan Carlos.]]
- March 1 - Bobby Sands, an IRA member, begins hunger strike for political status in Long Kesh prison - he dies May 5, the first of ten men.
- March 6 - After 19 years hosting the CBS Evening News Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time.
- March 7 - Colombian guerillas execute US bible translator Chester Allen Bitterman for being a CIA agent
- March 11 - Chilean president Augusto Pinochet sworn in for an eight-year term as president.
- March 19 - Three workers are killed and five injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
- March 30 - President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr., whose family had connections with the vice president. Two police officers and James Brady are also wounded.
- April 11 - Riot in Brixton, South London - rioters throw petrol bombs, attack police and loot shops.
- April 12 - The first launch of a Space Shuttle: Columbia launches on the STS-1 mission.
- April 15 - The Australian Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock resigns from cabinet accusing the Australian Prime Minister Fraser of gross disloyalty.
- April 18 - A Minor League baseball game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island becomes the