175 years ago, on March 4, 1829, Gen. Andrew Jackson was inaugurated as the 7th U.S. President. After 40 years of leadership by four Virginians, plus the Adams family from Massachusetts, Jackson opened the president's home to "the people," meaning that there was a great deal of vandalism and damage, as thousands of muddy boots trampled through the White House.
150 years ago, on March 7, 1854, Charles Miller patented the first U.S. sewing machine that could stitch button holes. On the political scene, the Republican Party was formally organized in Ripon, Wis., March 20, 1854, by former members of the Whig Party.
125 years ago, on March 14, 1879, Albert Einstein was born, in Ulm, Germany.
100 years ago, three American weavers of dreams were born:
- March 1: Glenn Miller was born, just one day after fellow bandleader, Jimmy Dorsey, was born.
- March 2: Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), Pulitzer Prize-winning author, The Cat in the Hat.
- March 26: Joseph Campbell, mythical studies scholar and author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
75 years ago, cars were in the news. On March 5, 1929, a fire swept through the Los Angeles Automobile Show. Over 320 new cars were lost in the flames. On the next day, David Buick, namesake of GM's Buick line, died in Detroit at 74. By 1929, the Buick Motor Company had sold two million cars, but David Buick died penniless. And on March 18, GM announced its plans to acquire Opel, a German-based carmaker.
50 years ago, on March 1, 1954, four members of an extremist Puerto Rican nationalist group, protesting Congress's authority over Puerto Rico, fired over 30 gunshots on the floor of the House of Representatives from a visitors' gallery, injuring five U.S. members of Congress. And on March 29, 1954, RCA manufactured their first color television set.
25 years ago, on March 28, 1979, an accident at Three Mile Island, near Middleton, Pa., left no human casualties.
