First National Daylight Saving Time in the U.S.
On March 31, 1918, daylight saving time went into effect for the first time in the United States. It was originally instituted as a wartime measure, but was later adopted permanently.
Government
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Birth of John Tyler
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.
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Birth of Andrew Mellon
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.
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Birth of William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. Known as “The Great Commoner,” Jennings ran for president three times, but is remembered for his impassioned speeches on a variety of topics, including anti-trust, anti-imperialism, prohibition, populism, and trust-busting.
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Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge
On March 18, 1855, the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge officially opened. A joint project between the US and Canada, the bridge opened a new transportation route and marked the start of more than a century of friendship between our two nations.
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Happy Birthday, James Madison
James Madison was born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia. One of America’s Founding Fathers and the fourth US president, Madison is considered the “Father of the US Constitution” and led America through the War of 1812.
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Truman Doctrine
On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman introduced his Truman Doctrine, a foreign policy aimed at reducing Soviet expansion during the Cold War.
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Olympic Stamps Removed from Sale
On March 11, 1980, the USPS removed all the stamps it had issued for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Moscow from sale as part of an American boycott of the games. According the USPS, this was the first time they removed stamps from sale for political reasons since the Civil War.
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Birth of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was born on March 8, 1841, in Boston, Massachusetts. Known as “The Great Dissenter,” he is one of the best-known American judges, serving on the Supreme Court for 30 years.
