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Explore the historical events that shaped our world on March 4th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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King Charles I grants a Royal Charter to the Massachusetts Bay Company, on March 4, 1629, officially establishing the New England colony, a year before the main body of settlers departed for New England in 1630.
This charter formally incorporated the company, granted land, and established the structure for a self governing colony, crucial for early Puritan autonomy.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal Charter.
King Charles II of England grants a royal land charter on March 4,1681, to Quaker leader William Penn for over 45,000 square miles of land in North America as a settlement for a £16,000 debt owed to Penn's late father.
The charter made Penn the proprietor of the territory, giving him authority to govern and establish laws. It granted land west of New Jersey, north of Maryland, and south of New York, making Penn one of the world's largest private landowners. More
The first session of the U.S. Congress is held in New York City March 4, 1789, marking the official start of the Federal Government under the Constitution and replacing the interim general government.
Vermont is admitted to the United States Union as the 14th State.
George Washington’s is inaugurated for his second term in office, on March 4, 1793, in the Senate Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia, PA. then the nation's capital, in a simple and brief ceremony featuring the shortest inaugural address in U.S. history at only 135 words.
John Adams was inaugurated as the second President of the United States on March 4, 1797, in the House of Representatives Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia, PA. George Washington attended the ceremony, providing a significant symbol of peaceful, democratic transition.
Thomas Jefferson is inaugurated as the third President of the United States.
James Monroe is inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States.
Former U.S. President John Quincy Adams takes his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 4, 1831,representing southeastern Massachusetts for the 22nd Congress, becoming the only former president to do so. More
Martin Van Buren is inaugurated as the eighth President of the United States on March 4, 1837. He was the first president born in the U.S. after the Declaration of Independence, rather than as a British subject.
Only 67 days into his term, on May 10, 1837 the nation was hit by the Panic of 1837, triggering a severe financial crisis that made him a on time president
William Henry Harrison is inaugurated as the ninth President of the United States on March 4, 1841. He died one month later on April 4, 1841, making his presidency the shortest one on record.
He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causing a brief constitutional crisis, since presidential succession was not then fully defined in the U.S. Constitution.He was succeeded by his Vice president, William John Tyler who was sworn in on April 6, 1841 becoming the 10th President of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States at the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The inauguration occurred amidst growing tensions and the secession of several Southern states, making it a particularly significant and challenging event. Inaugural Address
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States.
Ulysses S. Grant takes office as the 18th President of the United State for his first term on March 4,1869, succeeding Andrew Johnson.
He took office focusing on Reconstruction, protecting civil rights for freed slaves, and stabilizing the economy following the Civil War. In his inaugural address, Grant defined his priorities to be; the need to pay off war debt, restore financial stability by returning to a gold standard, and protect the rights of "the original occupants of the land" (Native Americans).Andrew Johnson did not attend the ceremony, marking the third time in history an outgoing president boycotted his successor's inauguration.
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Ballet premieres on March 4, 1877, at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, featuring choreography by Julius Reisinger. Originally, the production was not well received bordering in failure. It achieved an iconic revival in 1895.
James A. Garfield is inaugurated as the 20th President of the United States on March 4, 1881.
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Grover Cleveland is inaugurated as the 22nd President of the United States on Wednesday, March 4, 1885, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. marking the start of his first four-year term as president.
William McKinley is inaugurated as the 25th President of the United States on March 4, 1897.McKinley emphasized the need for tariff reform and financial stability following the economic distress of the Panic of 1893. The Spanish American War took place during his term in office.
President William McKinley signs a bill authorizing the U.S. flag to have 45 stars for Utah's admission to the Union.
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Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated as the 28th President of the United States on March 4, 1913. The Federal Reserve Act, the Child Labor Reform Act, and legislation supporting unions were passed during his term. However, he also allowed Jim Crow laws to be put into place in Washington D.C., segregating the Treasury and Postal Service departments.
Wilson was elected to a second term in office in 1916, running on the slogan “He Kept us Out of War”. However, the United States of America declared war on Germany in April 1917 and entered WWI.
The first major, documented cases of the1918 influenza pandemic (often called the "Spanish Flu") occurred on March 4, 1918, at Camp Funston, Fort Riley in Kansas. Within days, over 1,100 soldiers were hospitalized and went on to spread rapidly through U.S. military bases and then to Europe, causing 50–100 million deaths worldwide (Roughly 675,000 in the U.S.)
The total worldwide number of infections is estimated to have been 500 million people. (one-third of the world's population at the time). The "Spanish Flu" name is a misnomer. Major WW I powers like the U.S., UK, France, and Germany suppressed news of the illness to maintain morale. However, Spain was a neutral country and its press reported freely on the outbreak, leading to the false perception that the disease originated there
The USS Cyclops (AC-4) was a massive U.S. Navy collier (coal ship) which was last seen on March 4, 1918, departing Barbados for Baltimore on a trip originating in Brazil.
It was carrying 309 people including officers crew and passengers and a heavy cargo of Manganese ore, which was heavier and denser than coal. The ship was never seen again and its wreck has never been found. It remains the largest non-combat loss of life in U.S. Navy history.
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Warren G. Harding is inaugurated as the 29th President of the United States on March 4, 1921. He focused on reducing taxes and promoting business growth, limiting government involvement in the economy. Harding died in office on August 2, 1923 and was succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge.
His administration was marred by the "Teapot Dome scandal" a major government corruption scandal where President Harding's Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall secretly leased government oil reserves (like Wyoming's Teapot Dome) to private oil companies taking bribes from Oil men Harry Sinclair and Edward Doheny in exchange for these deals. He became the first cabinet member to go to prison for such crimes.
Herbert Hoover is inaugurated as the 31st President of the United States on March 4, 1929. He presided during the Great depression/ His policies to combat it were broadly seen as too conservative and inadequate. and overly conservative. He lost his reelection bid to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.
Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States, on March 4, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression and delivers his famous "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" speech.
The BBC airs the first episode of "The Office," a British mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
