This Month In History: March
By Nicholas Isaacs
The month of March has played host to many historical events that have changed our world. Here are a few of these events. On March 1st, 1781, Congress passed the Articles of Confederation, which was basically a temporary Constitution, as the laws that the people of the U.S. should follow. Then, 180 years later, on the same day, President John F. Kennedy created the Peace Corps, an organization that sent volunteers to developing countries to help with everyday needs, such as healthcare, education, and more.
On the 4th of March, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first of four Inaugural Addresses in which he famously stated “All we have to fear is, fear itself!” On March 5th, 1770, a group of British soldiers who were being harassed by colonists opened fire and killed 5 people, and injured 6. On March 6th, 1836, Texas rebels were defeated in the Battle of the Alamo, in which all nearly more than 100 defenders were killed by Mexican troops led by General Santa Anna. On the 9th of March, 1864, Ulysses S. Grant was named Lieutenant General of all Union forces during the Civil War.
On March 10th, 1862, the first issue of U.S. government money made out of paper started as $5, $10, and $20 bills went through circulation. Eighteen years later on the same day, the Salvation Army was founded in the U.S., created in England by William Booth, and today operates in over 90 countries. On March 15th, 44 B.C., Emperor Julius Caesar of Rome was assassinated in the Senate Chambers by opposing senators. On March 16th, 1968, Democrat Robert Kennedy announced his run for president of the United States.
On the 23rd of March, 1775, Patrick Henry stated the famous quote “Give me liberty, or give me death!”, therefore igniting the revolution. On March 24th, 1989, one of the largest oil spills in history occurred when the tanker Exxon Valdez went aground on the coast of Alaska, and while trying to safely transfer all of the oil out of the ship, it accidentally released over 11 million gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean affecting wildlife in a radius of over 45 miles. On March 25th, 1809, the British Parliament abolished the slave trade after a long campaign by Quakers and others to stop it. On the 26th of March, 1979, the Camp David Accord with President Jimmy Carter ended over 30 years of fighting between Israel and Egypt, when Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a treaty of peace.
On March 30th, 1981, recently elected President Ronald Reagan was shot under his left arm after making a speech in a hotel. And, on March 31st, 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he would not seek re-election after everything that was going on in Vietnam.
Now we move on to 10 well known birthdays. Glenn Miller, a famous musician of the 1940’s, was born on March 1st, 1904. Alexander Graham Bell, the famous inventor of the telephone, was born on March 3rd, 1847. Michaelangelo (not the turtle), the famous Renaissance artist, was born on March 6th, 1475. Amerigo Vespucci , the man who technically was the actual one to discover America, was born on March 9th, 1451. Albert Einstein, the famous scientist who also created the famous equation E=mc2, was born on March 14th, 1879.
Andrew Jackson, our 7th president and famous American war hero, was born on March 15th, 1767. James Madison, our 4th president and president during the War of 1812. Grover Cleveland, our 22nd and 24th president and the only president to serve 2 nonconsecutive terms, was born on March 18th, 1837. Johann Sebastian Bach, the famous orchestra conductor of the early and mid-1700’s, was born on March 21st, 1685. Harry Houdini, the world famous escape artist, was born on March 24th, 1874. John Tyler, our 10th president and the first to one to have become president because of the death of another, was born. Vincent Van Gogh, the famous artist who painted Starry Night, was born on March 30th, 1853.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of This Month In History and can’t wait for the next installment! Bye!
