Valdez Disaster…..
March 24, 1989…..
An Exxon tanker spills 10.8 million gallons of oil off the coast of Alaska. It was the largest oil spill in U.S. history up to that time.
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk……
March 25, 1983…..
Michael Jackson performs the Moonwalk dance move before a live audience during the song Billie Jean for the TV show Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. The show would air on May 16th.
Polio Vaccine…..
March 26, 1953…..
Dr. Jonas Salk announces he has discovered and successfully tested a polio vaccine on 90 adults and children. It was the first successful vaccine for the dreaded disease. Before the vaccine, there were about 15,000 cases of paralysis and 1,900 deaths annually from polio in the U.S. Salk chose to not patent the vaccine in order to maximize its distribution. When asked who owned the patent, Salk replied, “Well, the people I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?” It is estimated the patent would have been worth billions had it been patented.