"Honey, I forgot to duck" - President Ronald Wilson Reagan (3/30/81)...
This was the day we almost lost the 40th President of the United States. At first, Ronald Reagan didn't even realize that he was shot along with Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and D.C. policeman Thomas Delahaney. The .22 caliber bullet from the gun of John Hinckley Jr. pierced Reagan's lung but came frighteningly close to his heart. Before undergoing 2 hours of surgery at George Washington University Hospital, Reagan would say to his surgeons, "Please tell me you're Republicans"...
The most seriously wounded of the 4 men shot in the assassination attempt was James Brady who suffered permanent brain damage, both McCarthy and Delahaney would recover as well as our 70-year old President. It is said that privately Reagan would admit feeling the effects of being shot for years...
John Hinckley Jr., 25, who had a thing for actress Jodie Foster would be found not quilty of the attempted assassination by reason of insanity and was assigned to a mental institution. In 1999 he was allowed supervised day trips off the hospital grounds and later allowed to visit his parents once a week, unsupervised. The Secret Service monitors him closely during his visits. If his mental illness remains in remission, he may one day be released...
In 1993 Congress passed the "Brady Bill" which established a 5-day waiting period and background checks for prospective gun buyers. President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law...
More March 30 Memories...
1867] The U.S. purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The deal will become known as "Seward's Folly" after Secretary of State William H. Seward who brokered the deal for the U.S...
1909] The Queensboro bridge aka the 59th Street bridge linking Manhattan and Queens opens to traffic and becomes the 1st double decker bridge (and we've been "feeling groovy" ever since)...
1966] Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end a 32-day double holdout and sign with the L.A. Dodgers (each pitcher received an estimated $135,000 a year, "chump change" today)...
1967] The cover picture of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" LP is shot at Michael Cooper's studio in Chelsea, England...
1986] Legendary actor James Cagney dies at 86...
1987] Keith Smart pops a 17-foot jumper from the corner with 4 seconds left to give Indiana a 74-73 victory over Syracuse and the Hoosiers celebrate their 3rd NCAA title under coach Bobby Knight (Knight celebrates by hitting Smart over the head with a chair for taking the dumb shot but then realizing he won, gets Smart in a bear hug and breaks 3 ribs)...
1989] Gladys Knight performs solo for the 1st time since her grammar school days. She sings "Pip"-less during a Las Vegas date...
1992] WNSR (105.1) changes calll letters to WMXV in New York...
1993] Charlie Brown hits his 1st home run in the Peanuts comic strip...
1998] BMW buys Rolls-Royce for $570 million...
1999] A jury in Portland, Oregon orders Philip Morris to pay $81 million to the family of a man who died of lung cancer after smoking Marlboros for 4 decades...
2002] The Queen Mother Elizabeth of England dies at age 101...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]
Happy Birthday To...
1913] Frankie Laine...
1930] John (Gomez Addams) Astin...
1930] "Hollywood Squares" host Peter Marshall...
1937] Warren Beatty...
1945] Eric Clapton...
1962] MC Hammer ("Can't touch This")...
1964] Tracy Chapman...
1968] Celine Dion...
1979] Norah Jones...
[Today is the 89th day of 2006 with 276 days remaining in the year and just 3 days until opening day]
