Technicians carefully tend to the Wright R-2600 ‘Twin Cyclone,’ a robust engine that epitomized WWII aviation engineering. This 14-cylinder, twin-row radial powerhouse drove legendary aircraft like the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the A-20 Havoc, and the TBF Avenger into history.

Photo taken on March 21, 1943

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On March 21, 1713 Founding Father of The United States, Francis Lewis, was born in Wales.
He signed The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

As a young merchant during The French and Indian War he was taken prisoner, sent to France and spent years in jail before returning to the American colonies in the 1760s.

Image via NYPL Digital Collections, no known restrictions

Image of John Wooden c. 1931-1932 when he played college basketball for Purdue.

On March 21, 1970 Coach Wooden led his UCLA Bruins to a 4th consecutive NCAA men’s basketball Championship.

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Image of pioneer journalist Jane Cunningham Croly who started the first professional women’s club in the United States (Sorosis) on March 21, 1868.

Jane married her husband David on Valentine’s Day in 1856.

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On March 21, 1952 disc jockey Alan Freed of Cleveland radio station WJW organized and hosted the Moondog Coronation Ball at the Cleveland Arena. Music historians consider the event to be the first rock and roll concert.

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Photo of Ernest Borgnine receiving the Academy Award from Grace Kelly for the 1955 film Marty

– March 21, 1956

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S.S. HEALDTON, Standard Oil tanker which was torpedoed 25 miles in the middle of what had previously been known as one of the “safety zones” in the barred area on March 21, 1917. The crew included 13 Americans of whom only six were reported among the survivors.

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On today’s date March 21, 1859: The first zoological society in America was incorporated in Philadelphia. The opening of the zoo did not occur until July 1874, over nine years after the American Civil War.

https://archive.org/stream/officialguideboo00west#page/188/mode/2up/search/+Zoological

Near Yuba City, California. Children of migrant workers in Yuba City Agricultural Farm Workers Community. Spring afternoon, after school.

March 21, 1940

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Ranger 9, the lunar probe, was launched on March 21, 1965. The probe took numerous images of the moon which were broadcast to millions of American viewers before it crashed into Alphonsus crater. The mission lasted about 2 & 1/2 days.

On March 21, 1956, James Wong Howe made history as the first Asian American to win an Academy Award. He earned the Oscar for Best Cinematography (Black & White category) for his masterful work on the 1955 film *The Rose Tattoo.*

Interestingly, the Academy continued awarding a separate Oscar for Black & White Cinematography for another 11 years, until 1967.

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