TODAY IN HISTORY: MARCH 4

 

March 4

 

March 4th is a significant date that holds historical importance and various events that have shaped the world we live in today. From political milestones to scientific breakthroughs, March 4th remains a day worth discussing.

One of the most notable events in history that occurred on March 4th is the inauguration of the President of the United States. Until 1933, this date marked the official start of a new presidential term. Many presidents were sworn into office on this day, including Thomas Jefferson in 1801 and Abraham Lincoln in 1861. The significance of this date lies in the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next, a hallmark of American democracy.

March 4th is also associated with political developments and decisions that have shaped the world. One such event occurred in 1789 when the first United States Congress met and declared the new Constitution in effect. This historic gathering paved the way for the establishment of a strong democratic system in the United States.

Scientific breakthroughs have also taken place on March 4th, demonstrating advancements in various fields. In 1877, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his invention, the telephone. This revolutionary invention forever changed the way people communicate, leading to the modern-day telecommunications systems we rely on.

March 4th has also witnessed significant accomplishments in the field of literature. In 1790, Samuel T. Coleridge, the renowned English poet, published his longest narrative poem, \Christabel.\ This work is considered a masterpiece of Romantic literature and continues to be studied and appreciated by literature enthusiasts worldwide.

In the realm of music, March 4th holds several noteworthy events. In 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, also known as the \Choral Symphony,\ premiered in Vienna, Austria. This symphony is celebrated for its groundbreaking use of voices in addition to the traditional instruments, and its iconic \Ode to Joy\ movement remains a powerful expression of humanism and unity.

March 4th has also witnessed momentous milestones in the world of sports. In 1939, the first NBA (National Basketball Association) game was played. This marked the beginning of a new era in professional basketball and laid the foundation for the growth and popularity of the sport worldwide.

The realm of cinema has also seen significant developments on March 4th. In 1927, the first feature-length talking motion picture, \The Jazz Singer,\ was released. This technological advancement paved the way for sound to become an integral part of the cinematic experience.

March 4th also holds historical importance in terms of peace and disarmament. In 1999, the United Nations Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines was opened for signature. This convention aimed to eradicate the use of landmines, which have had devastating effects on civilian populations during armed conflicts.

In addition to these specific events, March 4th has witnessed many other significant occurrences throughout history. It serves as a reminder of the progress humanity has made in different fields and the challenges that have been overcome. Whether in politics, science, literature, music, or sports, this date showcases the innovation and perseverance of individuals and societies.

Overall, March 4th holds a special place in history, with a rich tapestry of events that have shaped the world we live in. From political inaugurations to scientific breakthroughs, this date serves as a reminder of the progress humanity has made throughout time. It is a day worth acknowledging and celebrating the achievements that have paved the way for our present and future.

Here are more events from this day:

AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth).

306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia.

852 – Croatian Knez Trpimir I issues a statute, a document with the first known written mention of the Croats name in Croatian sources.

938 – Translation of the relics of martyr Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, Prince of the Czechs.

1152 – Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of Germany.

1238 – The Battle of the Sit River begins two centuries of Mongol horde domination of Russia.

1351 – Ramathibodi becomes King of Siam.

1386 – Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila) is crowned King of Poland.

1461 – Wars of the Roses in England: Lancastrian King Henry VI is deposed by his House of York cousin, who then becomes King Edward IV.

1493 – Explorer Christopher Columbus arrives back in Lisbon, Portugal, aboard his ship Niña from his voyage to what are now The Bahamas and other islands in the Caribbean.

1519 – Hernán Cortés arrives in Mexico in search of the Aztec civilization and its wealth.

1628 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal charter.

1665 – English King Charles II declares war on the Netherlands marking the start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

1675 – John Flamsteed is appointed the first Astronomer Royal of England.

1681 – Charles II grants a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania.

1769 – Mozart departed Italy after the last of his three tours there.

1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army fortifies Dorchester Heights with cannon, leading the British troops to abandon the Siege of Boston.

1789 – In New York City, the first Congress of the United States meets, putting the United States Constitution into effect.

1790 – France is divided into 83 départements, cutting across the former provinces in an attempt to dislodge regional loyalties based on ownership of land by the nobility.

1791 – Vermont is admitted to the United States as the fourteenth state.

1794 – The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed by the U.S. Congress.

1797 – John Adams is inaugurated as the 2nd President of the United States of America, becoming the first President to begin his presidency on March 4.

1804 – Castle Hill Rebellion: Irish convicts rebel against British colonial authority in the Colony of New South Wales.

1813 – Cyril VI of Constantinople is elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

1814 – Americans defeat British forces at the Battle of Longwoods between London, Ontario and Thamesville, near present-day Wardsville, Ontario.

1837 – The city of Chicago is incorporated.

1848 – Carlo Alberto di Savoia signs the Statuto Albertino that will later represent the first constitution of the Regno d'Italia.

1849 – President-elect of the United States Zachary Taylor and Vice President-elect Millard Fillmore did not take their respective oaths of office (they did so the following day), leading to the erroneous theory that outgoing President pro tempore of the United States Senate David Rice Atchison had assumed the role of acting president for one day.

1861 – The first national flag of the Confederate States of America (the "Stars and Bars") is adopted.

1865 – The third and final national flag of the Confederate States of America is adopted by the Confederate Congress.

1878 – Pope Leo XIII reestablishes the Catholic Church in Scotland, recreating sees and naming bishops for the first time since 1603.

1882 – Britain's first electric trams run in east London.

1890 – The longest bridge in Great Britain, the Forth Bridge in Scotland, measuring 8,094 feet (2,467 m) long, is opened by the Duke of Rothesay, later King Edward VII.

1899 – Cyclone Mahina sweeps in north of Cooktown, Queensland, with a 12 metres (39 ft) wave that reaches up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) inland, killing over 300.

1901 – McKinley inaugurated president for second time; Theodore Roosevelt is vice president.

1908 – The Collinwood school fire, Collinwood near Cleveland, Ohio, kills 174 people.

1909 – U.S. President William Taft used what became known as a Saxbe fix, a mechanism to avoid the restriction of the U.S. Constitution's Ineligibility Clause, to appoint Philander C. Knox as U.S. Secretary of State.

1913 – First Balkan War: The Greek army engages the Turks at Bizani, resulting in victory two days later.

1913 – The United States Department of Labor is formed.

1917 – Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first female member of the United States House of Representatives.

1933 – Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the United States. He was the last president to be inaugurated on March 4.

1933 – Frances Perkins becomes United States Secretary of Labor, the first female member of the United States Cabinet.

1933 – The Parliament of Austria is suspended because of a quibble over procedure – Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss initiates an authoritarian rule by decree.

1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom launches Operation Claymore on the Lofoten Islands; the first large scale British Commando raid.

1943 – World War II: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea in the south-west Pacific comes to an end.

1943 – World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, begins. It ends on 6 March with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion and the liberation of the town of Grevena.

1944 – World War II: After the success of Big Week, the USAAF begins a daylight bombing campaign of Berlin.

1955 – An order to protect the endangered Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) was legalized.

1957 – The S&P 500 stock market index is introduced, replacing the S&P 90.

1960 – The French freighter La Coubre explodes in Havana, Cuba, killing 100.

1962 – A Caledonian Airways Douglas DC-7 crashes shortly after takeoff from Cameroon, killing 111 – the worst crash of a DC-7.

1966 – A Canadian Pacific Air Lines DC-8-43 explodes on landing at Tokyo International Airport, killing 64 people.

1966 – In an interview in the London Evening Standard, The Beatles' John Lennon declares that the band is "more popular than Jesus now".

1970 – French submarine Eurydice explodes underwater, resulting in the loss of the entire 57-man crew.

1976 – The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland from London by the British parliament.

1977 – The 1977 Vrancea earthquake in eastern and southern Europe kills more than 1,500, mostly in Bucharest, Romania.

1980 – Nationalist leader Robert Mugabe wins a sweeping election victory to become Zimbabwe's first black prime minister.

1985 – The Food and Drug Administration approves a blood test for HIV infection, used since then for screening all blood donations in the United States.

1986 – The Soviet Vega 1 begins returning images of Halley's Comet and the first images of its nucleus.

1990 – American basketball player Hank Gathers dies after collapsing during the semifinals of a West Coast Conference tournament game.

1990 – Lennox Sebe, President for life of the South African Bantustan of Ciskei, is ousted from power in a bloodless military coup led by Brigadier Oupa Gqozo.

1994 – Space Shuttle program: the Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-62.

1996 – A derailed train in Weyauwega, Wisconsin (USA) causes the emergency evacuation of 2,300 people for 16 days.

1998 – Gay rights: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex.

2001 – BBC bombing: A massive car bomb explodes in front of the BBC Television Centre in London, seriously injuring one person; the attack was attributed to the Real IRA.

2002 – Afghanistan: Seven American Special Operations Forces soldiers and 200 Al-Qaeda Fighters are killed as American forces attempt to infiltrate the Shah-i-Kot Valley on a low-flying helicopter reconnaissance mission.

2009 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002.

2012 – A series of explosions is reported at a munitions dump in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, killing at least 250 people.

2015 – At least 34 miners die in a suspected gas explosion at the Zasyadko coal mine in the rebel-held Donetsk region of Ukraine.

2018 – Former MI6 spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, causing a diplomatic uproar that results in mass-expulsions of diplomats from all countries involved.

2020 – Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to walk on the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.