On March 7, 1903, Maud Lewis was born in South Ohio, Nova Scotia. Few could have guessed that this child, who would face lifelong physical pain and poverty, would become one of Canada’s most recognized folk artists.
On March 6, 1820, President James Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise into law. The measure aimed to calm rising tensions over slavery, but it also revealed how deeply divided the nation had already become.
Cattle rancher Charles Goodnight was born on March 5, 1836, in Macoupin County, Illinois. One of America’s most famous cattle barons, Goodnight helped blaze a major cattle trail and is sometimes referred to as the “Father of the Texas Panhandle.”
On March 4, 1791, Vermont was admitted to the Union. After years of land disputes, frontier battles, and even a period as an independent republic, the small mountain region officially became the 14th state of the United States.
On March 3, 1931, the United States officially adopted “The Star-Spangled Banner” as its national anthem. The decision came more than a century after the song was written, ending years of debate and finally giving the nation a single, official anthem.
On February 18, 1885, American readers finally got their hands on a novel that captured the raw voice and restless spirit of life along the river. The long-awaited US release of Huckleberry Finn introduced a bold storytelling style that reflected real speech, real conflict, and a complicated nation still wrestling with its past.
On February 5, 1953, Walt Disney released his 14th animated feature, Peter Pan. The film brought a beloved stage story to life in a way audiences had never seen before, using animation to turn fantasy into motion, color, and sound.
On February 3, 1990, the US Postal Service issued a small, colorful stamp that marked a quiet shift in how everyday American mail could look. That Beach Umbrella stamp became the first release in the short-lived but distinctive Mini-Scapes Series.
On February 2, 1914, a little-known British stage performer appeared on screen for the first time, launching one of the most influential careers in film history. That debut film marked the moment Charlie Chaplin stepped into motion pictures and began reshaping comedy, storytelling, and cinema itself.
On March 7, 1850, Massachusetts Senator Daniel Webster delivered one of his most famous speeches, the “Seventh of March” speech. It expressed his support for the Compromise of 1850 that would help avert a Civil War but proved disastrous for his Senate career.
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk was born on March 7, 1850, in Hodonín, Austrian Empire (present-day Czech Republic). He was the first president of Czechoslovakia and is considered its founding father.
On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received the patent for the telephone. Three days later, Bell transmitted the first recognizable words over a telephone line.
Luther A. Burbank was born on March 7, 1849, in Lancaster, Massachusetts. A largely self-trained horticulturalist, Burbank developed more than 800 strains and varieties of flowers, fruits, vegetables, grasses, and more. He’s been called the “high priest of horticulture” and the “plant wizard.”
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