Late in the afternoon of March 5, 1770, British sentries guarding the Boston Customs House shot into a crowd killing four civilians. African American sailor Crispus Attucks was the first to fall. The only victim of the Boston Massacre whose name became widely known, Attucks was memorialized as the first hero of the American Revolution. In the 19th century, he served as an important symbol of the patriotism and military valor of African Americans.
Lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, who wrote the words to the Academy Award-winning song "Over the Rainbow," died March 5, 1981. He had begun songwriting after his electric appliance business failed at the start of the Great Depression. Blacklisted in Hollywood following World War II because of his political views, Harburg turned to Broadway, where he co-wrote the libretto and was lyricist for "Finian's Rainbow."
