March 28 in History: Three Mile Island Accident, “Ed Sullivan Show” Ends, and “Futurama” Debuts

Discover what happened on March 28 in history, along with notable events that shaped technology, entertainment, and global headlines.

What Happened on March 28 in History?

Important events on this day include the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the final episode of The Ed Sullivan Show, and the debut of Futurama.

MARCH 28 – TODAY IN HISTORY:

1797 – Nathaniel Briggs patented a washing machine.

1865 – Outdoor advertising legislation was enacted in New York, NY. The law banned “painting on stones, rocks and trees”.

1885 – The Salvation Army was officially organized in the United States.

1898 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a child born in the United States to Chinese immigrants was a U.S. citizen. This meant that they could not be deported under the Chinese Exclusion Act.

1904 – The Great Flood of 1904 — The Grand River spilled over the low lying areas of the city of Grand Rapids, MI. 2,500 houses were flooded. Half of the entire west side of the city was flooded.

1908 – Automobile owners lobbied Congress, supporting a bill that called for vehicle licensing and federal registration.

1917 – During World War I, the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was founded.

1921 – President Warren Harding named William Howard Taft as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court.

1922 – Bradley A. Fiske patented a microfilm reading device.

1938 – In Italy, psychiatrists demonstrated the use of electric-shock therapy for treatment of certain mental illnesses.

1947 – The American Helicopter Society revealed a flying device that could be strapped to a person’s body.

1962 – The U.S. Air Force announced research into the use of lasers to intercept missiles and satellites.

1963 – Sonny Werblin announced that the New York Titans of the American Football League was changing its name to the New York Jets. (NFL)

1967 – Raymond Burr starred in a TV movie “Ironside.” The movie was later turned into a television series.

1971 – The final episode of TV’s “The Ed Sullivan Show” aired.

1973 – Wilt Chamberlain retired from professional basketball after playing 1,045 games over 14 years.

1974 – A streaker ran onto the set of “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson”.

1979 – A coolant leak at the Three Mile Island’s Unit 2 nuclear reactor outside Harrisburg, PA, led to the core overheating and a partial meltdown. The clean-up lasted until 1993.

1979 – Margaret Thatcher became the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

1981 – Blondie’s single “Rapture” hits #1 in Billboard.

1983 – Fred Jipp was sentenced to 28 years in prison in Phoenix, AZ, for fraud and bigamy. Over 30 years, he allegedly has married 104 women in 28 countries.

1984 – In the middle of the night, Robert Irsay moved the Baltimore Colts football team to Indianapolis.

1986 – More than 6,000 radio stations all played the song “We Are the World” at 10:15 am EST.

1990 – Olympic runner Jesse Owens was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George H.W. Bush.

1994 – Two thousand Pearl Jam fans, without tickets, pushed through fences to get into the band’s show in Miami, FL, causing riot police to move in. There were five injuries and four arrests.

1999 – The animated TV series “Futurama” debuted.

2001 – Sean “Puffy Daddy” Combs announced that he’d like to be known as “P. Diddy.”

2006 – Destiny’s Child received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2010 – China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. signed a deal to buy Ford Motor Co.’s Volvo car unit.

2017 – The world’s largest dinosaur footprint was found in Kimberly, Western Australia. The footprint was 5-1/2 feet long.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MARCH 28:

Jerome Isaac Friedman – 96 years old (1930) – Physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Frank Murkowski – 93 years old (1933) – Soldier, banker, and politician, 8th Governor of Alaska

Michael Plumb – 86 years old (1940) – Equestrian

Samuel Ramey – 84 years old (1942) – Opera singer

Rick Barry – 82 years old (1944) – Basketball player

Henry Paulson – 80 years old (1946) – Banker and politician, 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury

Janice Lynde – 78 years old (1948) – Actress

Dianne Wiest – 78 years old (1948) – Actress

Donald Brown – 72 years old (1954) – Pianist and educator

Reba McEntire – 71 years old (1955) – Singer-songwriter and actress

Byron Scott – 65 years old (1961) – Basketball player and coach

Brett Ratner – 57 years old (1969) – Director and producer

Vince Vaughn – 56 years old (1970) – Actor

Jennifer Weiner – 56 years old (1970) – Journalist and author

Keith Tkachuk – 54 years old (1972) – Ice hockey player

Kate Gosselin – 51 years old (1975) – Television personality

Luke Walton – 46 years old (1980) – Basketball player

Edwar Ramírez – 45 years old (1981) – Baseball player

Julia Stiles – 45 years old (1981) – Actress

Josh Bray – 41 years old (1985) – Politician

Mustafa Ali – 40 years old (1986) – Wrestler

Bowe Bergdahl – 40 years old (1986) – Sergeant

Lady Gaga – 40 years old (1986) – Singer-songwriter and actress

J-Kwon – 40 years old (1986) – Rapper

Jonathan Van Ness – 39 years old (1987) – Hairdresser and television personality

Geno Atkins – 38 years old (1988) – Football player

Ryan Kalish – 38 years old (1988) – Baseball player

Delroy Edwards – 36 years old (1990) – Musician

Laura Harrier – 36 years old (1990) – Actress and model

Derek Carr – 35 years old (1991) – Football player

Jordan McRae – 35 years old (1991) – Basketball player

Christian Walker – 35 years old (1991) – Baseball player

Will Smith – 31 years old (1995) – Baseball player

Max Strus – 30 years old (1996) – Basketball player

DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MARCH 28:

For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.