On This Day March 4th

 OTD

March 4th is the Sixty-fourth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 301 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

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

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

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.

1628 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony was granted a royal charter.

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

1837 – The city of Chicago is incorporated.

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

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

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.

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

 

Birthdays

1492 – Francesco de Layolle, Italian organist, and composer (d. 1540)

1678 – Antonio Vivaldi, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1741)

1760 – William Payne, English painter (d. 1830)

1745 – Casimir Pulaski, Polish-American general (d. 1779)

1891 – Dazzy Vance, American baseball player (d. 1961)

1932 – Ed Roth, American illustrator (d. 2001)

1932 – Frank Wells, American businessman (d. 1994)

1982 – Landon Donovan, American soccer player and coach

 

Holiday Spotlight

Old Inauguration Day

Old Inauguration Day commemorates the events that ushered in a newly constitution-defined inauguration date for the president-elect and senators in the United States. The holiday is called to allude to the changed date of inaugural ceremonies before introducing the “Twentieth Amendment” to the Constitution that moved the date from March 4 to January 20. Historically, several reasons exist for introducing the “Twentieth Amendment” to the Constitution.

First, it allows the president-elect enough time to move into the nation’s capital. But more so, the amendment was made to make sure the incoming Congress, rather than the outgoing one, would hold a contingent election if the Electoral College deadlocked regarding either the presidential or vice-presidential polls. The amendment to the Constitution moved the beginning and ending of the terms of the president and vice president from March 4 to January 20 and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3.

Its passage in 1933 also included provisions for what should be done without a president-elect. Nicknamed the “Lame Duck Amendment” due to the decline in power an outgoing official has during transition periods, the change the amendment introduced is one of a handful of times in the past when the inauguration of a new president changed throughout the country's history. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s election in 1937 marks the first inauguration ceremony held on January 20, recently included in the Constitution.

 

Others Include.

Benjamin Harrison Day

Brain Injury Awareness Day

Casimir Pulaski Day

Courageous Follower Day

Eight-Hour Day or Labor Day

Holy Experiment Day

Hug a GI Day

International GM's Day - (GM = Game Masters)

International Scrapbooking Industry Day

March Fourth Do Something Day

Marching Music Day

National Backcountry Ski Day

National Dance the Waltz Day

National Grammar Day

National Pound Cake Day

National Snack Day

National Sons Day

Toy Soldier Day

World Obesity Day