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.”
This Day in History
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.”
Birth of Bradbury Thompson
Award-winning graphic designer J. Bradbury Thompson was born on March 25, 1911, in Topeka, Kansas. Thompson designed more than 100 US postage stamps and influenced countless others, making him one of the most prolific US stamp designers in history.
Birth of John Wesley Powell
Soldier, geologist, and explorer John Wesley Powell was born on March 24, 1834, in Mount Morris, New York. A Civil War veteran, Powell explored and produced some of the first accurate maps of the West and later was director of the US Geological Survey.
Patrick Henry Delivers Famous Speech
On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry addressed the Second Virginia Convention to convince them to raise a militia. During his rousing speech, he delivered one of his most famous statements…
The Grand Coulee Dam
On March 22, 1941, the Grand Coulee Dam first began producing power. The dam was a project that was years in the making and was completed in time to play its own part in the war effort.