The Flag Act of 1818
On April 4, 1818, President James Monroe signed a flag act that changed the way the US flag was updated when new states joined the Union. This act has affected every US flag issued since…
This Day in History
American Diabetes Association
On April 2, 1940, the Committee for the Establishment of a National Diabetes Association was formed, paving the way for the creation of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Today it’s one of the top non-profit charity organizations in the country.
U.S. Air Force Academy Established
On April 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower created the Air Force Academy to train officers. During its more than 60 year history, the academy has had over 52,000 graduates move on to become US Air Force officers.
Bellevue Hospital
On March 31, 1736, a six-bed almshouse (home for the poor) was founded in New York City with construction starting only a year earlier. That almshouse would eventually become Bellevue Hospital, which is often cited as the oldest public hospital in the US.
Death of James Cagney
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.”
Founding of Independence, Missouri
On March 29, 1867, Independence, Missouri, was founded. Known as the “Queen City of the Trails,” it became the starting point for several trails that carried thousands of settlers to the West.
Birth of Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael, is believed to have been born on either March 28 or April 6, 1483, in Urbino, Duchy of Urbino. Raphael produced a large number of paintings during his short life and is considered one of the great masters of his time.
First U.S. Steam Fire Engine
On March 27, 1841, the first steam-powered fire engine was tested in New York City. Though that first engine was only in use for a short time, it marked the start of a new era in firefighting…
Birth of Robert Frost
Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, California. He’s the only poet to have won four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and has been called one of America’s “public literary figures, almost an artistic institution.”