March 10
- 1876: The First Telephone Call. In Boston, Alexander Graham Bell successfully transmitted the first intelligible speech over a wire, famously saying to his assistant, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”
- 1848: End of the Mexican-American War. The U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war and ceded vast territories (including present-day California and Texas) to the United States.
March 11
- 1918: First Cases of the Spanish Flu. The first confirmed American cases of the devastating 1918 influenza pandemic were reported among soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas.
- 1941: The Lend-Lease Act. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act, a pivotal move that allowed the U.S. to supply the Allies with war materials before officially entering World War II.
March 12
- 1912: Founding of the Girl Scouts. Juliette Gordon Low organized the very first Girl Scouts troop in Savannah, Georgia, aiming to provide girls with opportunities for physical, mental, and spiritual development.
- 1933: FDR’s First “Fireside Chat.” Just eight days after his inauguration, President Roosevelt gave his first national radio address to explain the banking crisis, pioneering a new era of direct communication with the public.
March 13
- 1852: Uncle Sam’s Debut. The iconic symbol of the United States, “Uncle Sam,” made his first appearance as a cartoon character in a New York newspaper, eventually becoming a centerpiece of national recruitment.
- 1969: Apollo 9 Returns to Earth. The mission successfully concluded after testing the Lunar Module in Earth’s orbit, proving the craft was ready to carry astronauts to the lunar surface.
March 14
- 1794: Eli Whitney Patents the Cotton Gin. This invention revolutionized the American southern economy but also entrenched the institution of slavery, fundamentally shaping the course of U.S. history.
- 1903: First National Wildlife Refuge. President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island in Florida as the nation’s first federal bird reservation, marking a major milestone for American conservation.
March 15
- 1820: Maine Becomes a State. As part of the Missouri Compromise, Maine was admitted as the 23rd U.S. state, entering the Union as a free state to balance the entry of Missouri as a slave state.
- 1965: “We Shall Overcome.” In an address to Congress regarding the Selma crisis, President Lyndon B. Johnson adopted the anthem of the civil rights movement, urging the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
March 16
- 1802: Founding of West Point. President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, the first military school in the nation.
- 1926: First Liquid-Fueled Rocket. Robert Goddard successfully launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts, laying the foundation for modern space exploration.
