By This Month in History
- In 1762, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held. In tribute to the man – who was kidnapped and taken to Ireland. He became a slave but eventually escaped. Yet, remarkably returned to the country to serve in ministry.
- Yellowstone, the first national park, was established in 1872.
- Communication received a major upgrade with the patent of the telephone. Achieved by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
- In 1877, U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Frederick Douglass as U.S. Marshal.
- In 1903, the Wright Brothers filed a patent for their flying machine.
- Cherry Blossoms were sent to Washington, D.C. as a gift from Japan. The trees were first planted in 1912. Today, they remain a major tourist attraction.
- In 1931, the Star Spangled Banner became the official national anthem of the United States.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. led demonstrators from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama – paving the way for the Right to Vote Act of 1965.
