Death of President Eisenhower
After suffering a series of heart attacks, former president Dwight D. Eisenhower died of heart failure on March 28, 1969. He commanded the Allied Expeditionary Force in WWII and served as our 34th president.
This Day in History
Creation of Permanent U.S. Navy
On March 27, 1794, Congress passed the Naval Act, creating America’s permanent naval force. Since then, it has become one of the largest and most powerful navies in the world.
Battle of Glorieta Pass
On March 26, 1862, Confederate forces launched the Battle of Glorieta Pass, aimed at breaking Union control of the West along the base of the Rocky Mountains. It has been called the “Gettysburg of the West” because it was a turning point in the Civil War.
Happy Medal of Honor Day!
Medal of Honor Day has been celebrated on this day since 1991 to commemorate the awarding of the first six Medals of Honor for the Great Locomotive Chase. Those medals were awarded on March 25, 1863, for their daring actions of April 12, 1862.
Birth of Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley was born on March 24, 1733, in Birstall, West Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom. A noted scientist, he’s remembered for his work with electricity, oxygen, and carbonation.
Teddy Roosevelt Departs for African Safari
On March 23, 1909, former president Teddy Roosevelt set sail from New York City for a joint expedition with the Smithsonian Institution. He embarked on an African safari to collect more than 23,000 natural history specimens for the museum.
Birth of Robert Millikan
Physicist Robert Andrews Millikan was born on March 22, 1868, in Morrison, Illinois. He won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on the photoelectric effect.
Funeral of Pocahontas
On March 21, 1617, the funeral of Pocahontas was held at Saint George’s, Gravesend, Kent, England. While some stories of her life have been exaggerated, she did befriend John Smith and help bring peace between their people.
Birth of George C. Bingham
Artist and politician George Caleb Bingham was born on March 20, 1811, in Augusta County, Virginia.