This Day In History

On March 29, 1974, Mariner 10 became the first space probe to fly by Mercury. It would eventually send back over 2,700 photos, capturing nearly half of the planet’s surface.

On March 28, 1876, a Boston inventor received a patent that would transform the way America handled its mail. The Leavitt canceling machine didn’t just speed up a mundane postal task — it helped launch the modern era of mail processing. And it arrived at exactly the right moment.

On March 27, 1884, the first long-distance telephone call between New York and Boston proved that voices could travel hundreds of miles over a wire. That single connection helped shift the telephone from a local novelty into a system capable of linking entire regions.

On March 26, 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk announced the first successful polio vaccine, offering hope against one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century. That moment now anchors National Science Appreciation Day, a modern observance that highlights how careful research and tested discoveries can change lives.

Dr. William Boyd Allison Davis, born on October 14, 1902, in Washington, DC, was a scholar who devoted his life to breaking down the barriers of race, class, and inequality in education. At a time when few African Americans were given a platform in the nation’s top universities, Davis used his voice and intellect to challenge the systems that defined how—and for whom—education worked in America. His pioneering research changed the way educators and policymakers viewed learning, fairness, and opportunity.

Doctor Paul Dudley White was born on June 6, 1886, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Often considered the founder of preventive cardiology, he helped to found the American Heart Association and later served as its president.

On August 3, 1859, twenty-six dentists met in Niagara Falls, New York at the first meeting of the American Dental Association (ADA).

Performer and philanthropist Danny Thomas was born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz on January 6, 1912, in Deerfield, Michigan.  In addition to his successful performing career, Thomas was the founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

On March 30, 1867, US Secretary of State William Seward purchased Alaska from Russia in what many at the time called “Seward’s Folly.”

On March 30, 1908, the US Post Office issued an imperforate 5¢ Lincoln stamp that nearly went unnoticed by collectors.  It was never intended for public sale and could have been lost to time if not for a group of quick-acting collectors.

On March 30, 1939, Detective Comics #27 was released, introducing the world to the caped crusader – Batman. Appearing in over 11,000 comics, films, and other media, Batman is consistently ranked as one of the greatest superheroes of all time.

Academy Award-winner James Cagney died on March 30, 1986.  He was once called “maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera.”