History of March 2

The history of March 2 throughout the centuries has been intriguing. With various innovations and discoveries, it led to a more efficient way of work. However, all of these changes were not just about inventions and discoveries. Some historical milestones happened in the area of education as well. Thus, here is a look at the milestones of March 2:

1865- Publishing of the British newspaper “Morning Chronicle”

This newspaper came to be published under different owners until 1862 when it got suspended. However, from 1789 to 1865 the publishing took place under the name of “Morning Chronicle”. Often known to be a notable newspaper because it printed Henry Mayhew’s articles. Charles Dickens too reported for the newspaper in 1834. He even began to publish a few of his short stories under a penname. William Woodfall, James Perry, and John Black were the editors of the Morning Chronicle. 

1867- US Congress creates the Department of Education

The US Congress created the Department of Education in March 1867. The primary purpose behind this was to collect relevant information on schooling and teaching methods. To establish a proper school system in the United States. Zalmon Richards is generally considered responsible for the creation of this office for Congress. Subsequently, in 1869, it turned into the Office of Education. Thus, it came within the Department of the Interior. The Office of Education is also known as the Bureau of Education.

1868- Opening of the University of Illinois

Significant progress happened in the history of education. On March 2, 1868, the opening of the University of Illinois took place. It is the second oldest public university in the state. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was one of the thirty-seven land grant institutions. The establishment of the university happened after the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act. This act granted land to each US state to establish a public university. Thus, the Illinois University is the flagship campus belong to the University of Illinois system. 

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1949- The first automatic street light

Another major development happened on March 2, 1949, with the installation of the world’s first automatic street light. It was put up in New Milford, Connecticut. Before this, electric street lights were first installed in Indiana. The invention of Thomas Brush’s electric-powered streetlight known as “Brush lights” made this possible. Initially, the design resembles the shape of the moon and was similar to the illumination. Hence, streetlights were also an attempt to keep public places safe during the dark.

1949- Peggy Fleming won her third consecutive medal in the World Ladies Figure Skating Championship

On March 2, Peggy Fleming won her third consecutive medal in World Ladies Figure Skating Championship. This took place in Geneva, Switzerland. Peggy Gale Fleming is a former American skater. She is also the only American to win a gold medal in 1968, Winter Olympics held in Grenoble, France. Peggy Fleming has been a commentator of figure skating. However, she retired in 1969 but continued as a commentator. In 1993, Fleming was the third most popular athlete based on rank. This was according to the national sports study of the Associated Press.

1981- Discovery of an asteroid, 5020 Asimov. Named after Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov was a writer as well as a professor of biochemistry. Mostly known for his works in the areas of science fiction, edited over 500 books. Asimov was one of the most well-known writers of science fiction. Hence, quite a several things were named after Asimov to honor him. This included asteroid 5020 Asimov, a crater on Mars as well as four literary awards. He made immense contributions to science. Among his well-known work are the “Foundation” series and “Galactic Empire.”

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2016- British revealed the oldest known land fossil, Tortotubus

One of the most important milestones was the discovery of the oldest fossil Tortotubus. 440 million years old, were examples of the oldest land-dwelling species found on the planet. On March 2, 2016, the scientists of Cambridge University discovered the land fossils of Tortotubus in Geneva, Switzerland. Thus, Tortotubus was a terrestrial fungus. Subsequently, they belong to the sub-kingdom of Dikarya. 

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