History March 7th – 13th: Historical Quotes for Each Day

There is always much to learn from quotes and their historical significance. Read on for a collection of quotes and general history from March 7th – 13th.

March 7, 1965

“Selma was the turning point.”

– John Lewis

The first Selma to Montgomery march attempt was held on March 7, 1965, to protest the denial of African Americans’ constitutional right to vote. Unfortunately, the march didn’t make it far as they were stopped by state troopers and a county posse just outside Selma, Alabama after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The marchers were told to turn back and violence erupted when the troopers began shoving the crowd. The event became known as “Bloody Sunday” with 17 marchers hospitalized and 50 treated for lesser injuries. After receiving federal protection, the Selma to Montgomery march was eventually completed peacefully on March 25^th. These events led to many famous speeches by civil rights activists and the passage of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965.

March 8, 1971

“Both men left the ring changed men that night. For Frazier, his greatness was gone, that unquantifiable combination of youth, ability and desire. For Ali, the public hatred he had so carefully nursed to his advantage came to a head and burst that night and has never been the same. To his supporters he became a cultural hero. His detractors finally gave him grudging respect. At least they had seen him beaten and seen that smug look wiped off his face.”

– Wilfrid Sheed

The “Fight of the Century” between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali took place on March 8, 1971. Often considered the biggest boxing match in history, the fight took on a larger cultural significance due to Ali’s position as a symbol of the left-wing anti-establishment movement and Frazier being supported by the conservative pro-war movement. It was also the first heavyweight title bout between two undefeated boxers. Frazier won in 15 rounds via unanimous decision. However, Ali would go on to win both rematch fights in 1974 and 1975.

March 9, 1953

“The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic.”

– Joseph Stalin

On March 9, 1953, Joseph Stalin’s funeral was held in Moscow after four days of national mourning. Stalin, the second leader of the Soviet Union, had died on the 5th after suffering a stroke at the age of 74. The funeral was held in Red Square where Stalin’s body was embalmed and interred in Lenin’s Mausoleum until 1961. During the funeral, so many people attempted to see his casket that more than 100 people were crushed and trampled to death in the crowd. With no successor in place, Stalin’s death led to a power struggle and many changes within the Soviet Union.

March 10, 1876

“Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

– Alexander Graham Bell, first telephone call

The first telephone call was made on March 10, 1876, by Alexander Graham Bell to his assistant Thomas Watson. Bell had been awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone just three days earlier and was eager to prove the concept! Months later, on October 9^th, the first two-way conversation by telephone was held. These developments led to the founding of the Bell Telephone Company in 1877 which later became the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). Funnily, Bell himself considered his invention a distraction and refused to have a telephone in his study.

March 11, 1708

“The Queen will consider it.”

– Queen Anne

Queen Anne withheld royal assent from the Scottish Militia Bill on March 11, 1708. This was the last time the royal veto was used and came on the advice of her ministers based on news that the French were sailing toward Scotland for an invasion and fears that the Scots might be disloyal. Although there was support for the veto in this case, royal assent had generally come to be viewed as a mere formality once a bill passed both Houses of Parliament or a general election even in those days.

March 12, 1894

“Wherever you go, there are three icons that everyone knows: Jesus Christ, Pele, and Coca-Cola.”

– Pele

Coca-Cola was first bottled in Vicksburg, Mississippi, at the Biedenharn Candy Company on March 12, 1894. Prior to this, Coke had been predominantly sold by the glass at drugstore soda fountains since its introduction on May 8, 1886. Bottling contracts were quickly drafted as Coca-Cola’s distribution expanded. The loosely termed contract specified a price but had no fixed duration, keeping the price of Coca-Cola at a constant 5¢ each from 1886 to 1959. Today, Coca-Cola is officially sold in every country except Cuba and North Korea.

March 13, 1943

“I was now resolved to do everything in my power to defeat the system.”

– Oskar Schindler

The Kraków Ghetto was liquidated by the Nazis on March 13, 1943. With advanced warning from his Wehrmacht contacts, Oskar Schindler kept his workers at his factory overnight to keep them from harm. Up until this point, Schindler had mostly been focused on the financial benefits for himself but after witnessing the ghetto’s liquidation began helping his Jewish workers regardless of cost. Ultimately, he saved 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust, known as Schindlerjuden or “Schindler Jews”, as depicted in the film adaptation Schindler’s List.

In case you missed last week’s quotes, see History February 28th – March 6th.

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