ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1647, a woman was kicked out of the Maryland assembly after she tried to vote there. Her name was Margaret Rodham Brent.

In 1916, actress Mary Pickford was awarded Hollywood's first million dollar contract for two years. She was known as "America's Sweetheart."

• These days, that wouldn't even get you a middle reliever for your baseball team.
• Of course, these days, that's what a towel boy for the Lakers gets.
• These days, you get that much for riding backwards on a horse in an Old Spice commercial.
• That was an amazingly large amount of money. And remember, back then, she didn't even have to talk!
• Today, that's a rookie's salary in the NFL.

On this date in 1930, radar was used to detect planes for the first time. Up until then, all the air traffic controllers could do was yell, "Look out!" Uh, when they were awake.

In 1947, pilot Ken Arnold reported seeing a "flying saucer" over Mount Rainier in Washington state. It was the first U.F.O. sighting, and as such, the whole UFO craze began.

• Today, we'd say it was probably a Geico plane flying over.
• Before that time, U.F.O. had a dirty meaning. Why you f' O.?
• That was when the term was coined. The words said previously to that, we cannot repeat.
• Have you ever seen a UFO? Other than the one that brought you here?

On this date in 1963, the home video recorder was demonstrated for the first time at the BBC Studios in London, England. In several years, millions of people had devices in their homes flashing, "12, 12, 12..."

In 1986, Congress voted to begin Daylight Savings time on the first Sunday in April. So, blame them.