John Fleming (born 1834)

In 1834, in the year that John Fleming was born, on August 14th, the Poor Law Amendment Act was enacted in the United Kingdom. The Act stated that no able-bodied British man could receive assistance unless he entered a workhouse (a kind of poorhouse). The Act was intended to curb the cost of relief for the poor since workhouses were designed to be unpleasant. Many workhouses used the men as free labor and employed them in such tasks as breaking stones, crushing bones to produce fertilizer, or picking oakum - tarred fiber used between planks on ships -using a large metal nail known as a spike.

In 1849, on March 4th, a Sunday, Zachary Taylor became the 12th US President. However, he refused to be sworn in on a Sunday - the Sabbath - so he was inaugurated the following Monday.

In 1884, on May 1st, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions - a US association - first resolved that "eight hours shall constitute a legal day's labour from and after May 1, 1886, and that we recommend to labour organisations throughout this jurisdiction that they so direct their laws as to conform to this resolution by the time named." Previously, workdays would consist of 10 to 16 hours a day - 6 days a week. It would take years before the 8 hour workday became common practice - and longer before it became a law.

In 1959, on January 3rd, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States and the first state not a part of the contiguous United States. The flag was changed to display 49 stars.

In 1991, on November 7th, legendary basketball player Magic Johnson announced that he had HIV. In 1991, the public was confused about the difference between HIV and AIDS (HIV is a virus that can lead to AIDS) and there was little treatment for either. Most thought that Johnson would die within a year or so. Also, the transmission of AIDS wasn't understood so he had to retire from basketball. Magic Johnson is still alive and well.