Daily Calendar for March 30th, 2020

The Old Farmer's Almanac daily calendar gives you quick reference for the significant events on any day throughout the year.

Seward's Day (Alaska)

On March 30, 1867, thanks to Secretary of State William H. Seward, the United States bought the Alaska territory from Russia. Though it was known at the time as “Seward’s Folly,” the purchase was a real bargain—the entire state of Alaska cost $7,200,000, or about two cents per acre. Seward’s Day commemorates the signing of the treaty and is observed in Alaska on the last Monday in March.

Every Year

• Doctor's Day

1130s

• Born 1135: Moses Maimonides (rabbi)

1790s

• 1791: President Washington proclaimed boundary of new capital city on Potomac River

1820s

• Born 1820: Anna Sewell (author)

1840s

• 1842: Dr. Crawford Long of Jefferson, GA, placed an ether-soaked towel over the face of James Venable and removed a tumor from his neck. This was the first recorded use of anesthesia

1850s

• Born 1853: Vincent van Gogh (artist)

• 1858: H. L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, patented the first pencil with eraser

1860s

• 1867: America bought Alaska from Russia due to pressure from Secretary of State William Seward ("Seward's Folly"). The price was $7.2 million, or slightly more than $0.02 an acre

• 1868: Impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson began

1870s

• 1870: Texas readmitted to the Union

1880s

• Born 1880: Sean O'Casey (playwright)

• Born 1883: Jo Davidson (sculptor)

1900s

• 1909: Queensboro Bridge, the first double-decker, opened in New York City

1930s

• Born 1937: Warren Beatty (actor)

1940s

• Born 1945: Eric Clapton (musician)

1950s

• 1954: Official opening of Canada's first subway (Toronto)

• 1956: Woody Guthrie's song This Land is Your Land copyrighted

1960s

• 1964: Jeopardy! game show made its television debut

• Born 1964: Tracy Chapman (musician)

• Born 1968: Celine Dion (singer)

1970s

• Born 1970: Secretariat (racehorse)

• 1972: Canadian navy stopped issuing rum rations

• Born 1979: Norah Jones (singer)

1980s

• 1981: President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded outside a Washington, D.C., hotel

• Born 1983: Scott Moffatt (musician, of The Moffatts)

• Born 1984: Anna Nalick (musician)

• 1987: An anonymous buyer paid over $39 million for Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers

2000s

• 2000: Possible UFO seen, Little Fox Lake, Yukon Territory

• Died 2002: Queen Mother Elizabeth (Britain's beloved "Queen Mum")

• Died 2004: Timi Yuro (singer)

• 2007: Superathletes Kirill Shimko and Pavel Soroka pulled five railway cars more than 20 feet