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 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 28, 1797, Mary Lyon was born in Buckland, Massachusetts. From a modest New England farm, she would go on to found one of the first institutions in the United States devoted to the higher education of women.
Acclaimed author John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. From that small farming town would come a writer whose novels captured the struggles of migrant workers, ranch hands, and families uprooted by the Great Depression.
Soldier and showman William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody, was born on February 26, 1846, in LeClaire, Iowa. “Buffalo Bill” was one of the most famous figures of the Old West, gaining increased prominence and popularity for his Wild West shows.
On February 17, 1801, the young United States faced a constitutional crisis that tested whether its new government could transfer power peacefully. That day, after weeks of deadlock, the House of Representatives finally chose a president, proving that the nation’s system—though imperfect—could still function under pressure.
Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820, in Adams, Massachusetts. Born into a Quaker family that believed deeply in equality and moral responsibility, she would grow into one of the most persistent and recognizable leaders of the fight for women’s voting rights in the United States.
Jerome David Kern was born on January 27, 1885, in New York City, New York. A prolific composer, he wrote over 1,000 songs for more than 100 stage productions and films, most famously Show Boat.
On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy took the oath of office on a cold Washington day, while the nation witnessed something entirely new at a presidential inauguration. Standing beside the youthful new president was Robert Frost, America’s most famous living poet, marking the first time poetry became part of the inaugural ceremony.