Eldred Gregory Peck was born on April 5, 1916, in San Diego, California. Appearing in over 60 films and numerous stage productions, he became one of Hollywood’s most beloved and respected actors, voted the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood.
Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Poet, actor, author, teacher, and activist, Angelou became an influential voice of the 20th century.
John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790, in Charles City County, Virginia. He was the first vice president to take the nation’s highest office following the death of a sitting president, setting the standard for Presidential succession.
American lithographer Nathaniel Currier was born on March 27, 1813, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He founded the Currier & Ives printing firm, which produced over 7,500 different images of sentimental scenes, sports, humor, and national events.
Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams III was born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi. One of the most successful playwrights of the 20th century, several of his works were adapted into films.
Mary Flannery O’Connor was born on March 25, 1925, in Savannah, Georgia. In a career cut short by disease, she produced two novels and more than 30 short stories that have led some to consider her one of the greatest short story writers of the 20th century.
Andrew William Mellon was born on March 24, 1855, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As one of America’s longest-serving secretaries of state, he helped cut taxes and reduce the national debt following World War I.
Botanist John Bartram was born on March 23, 1699, in Darby, Pennsylvania Colony. Called the “greatest natural botanist in the world,” he started one of the first botanic gardens in the United States.
On March 22, 1941, James Stewart was inducted into the US Army, making him the first major US movie star to don a military uniform during World War II.