March 5, 1770 - Five Americans were killed by British troops in a confrontation outside the Custom House in Boston, Massachusetts. Known today as the Boston Massacre, this tragedy sparked a rebellion among several British-American colonies and was a pivotal event leading to the Revolutionary War. The events that lead to the massacre began two years earlier when British troops were sent to Boston to enforce the controversial Townshend Acts, a series of laws that, among other things, gave the British parliament the right to tax the colonies. The Acts were particularly unpopular in Boston and there were frequent clashes between the civilians and the troops. On the evening March 5, 1770 an argument between two soldiers and a civilian soon attracted a large, unruly mob to the Custom House. As the two soldiers quickly became outnumbered, their commanding officer, Captain Preston, and nine additional soldiers came to their aid. The troops formed a defensive semi-circle while Captain Preston tried to appease the mob. When the civilians began to pelt the troops with snowballs and rocks, confusion ensued and someone yelled, "Fire!" The troops, believing it to be an order from Captain Preston, despite the fact that he was standing between them and the mob, opened fire. In the following months Captain Preston and eight of the soldiers were put on trial for murder. Despite his opposition to the British Townshend Acts, future President John Adams acted as defense attorney for the soldiers, arguing that the troops were merely defending themselves from a "motley rabble." Adams managed to get acquittals for all but two soldiers, who were convicted of manslaughter but were spared the death penalty.

March 6, 1994 - In the landmark decision of Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a parody of an original work is not a copyright infringement under the doctrine of fair use. The case pitted the successors of 50's rock legend, Roy Orbison, against the controversial rap band 2 Live Crew. The subject matter involved Orbison's hit song "Oh Pretty Woman," which 2 Live Crew had parodied in a song titled "Pretty Woman." The court outlined several factors in determining whether a derivative work constituted copyright infringement. It ultimately held that while the 2 Live Crew version copied the opening bass riff and first line of lyrics from Orbison's song it then departed significantly into music and lyrics that mocked the message of Orbison's original work. Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman" can be heard here. If you want to listen to 2 Live Crew's crude version you're on your own. 

March 9, 1959 - The Barbie doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York. Created by Ruth Handler, the wife of Mattel co-founder Elliot Handler, the Barbie doll was one of the first adult-bodied dolls, an idea that was initially unpopular at Mattel. However, after Ruth discovered a German doll called Bild Lilli while on a trip to Europe in 1956, the engineers at Mattel began working on a model. The doll was named after the Handlers' daughter Barbara. The first Barbie wore a black-and-white-striped swimsuit, topknot ponytail and was available either as a blonde or brunette. Approximately 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold that first year. Today it is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries.

" The part I took in Defense of Captain Preston and the soldiers, procured me anxiety, and obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested actions of my whole life, and one of the best pieces of service I ever rendered my country. Judgment of death against those soldiers would have been as foul a stain upon this country as the executions of the Quakers or witches, anciently. As the evidence was, the verdict of the jury was exactly right."

Side Note

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