Discover what happened on March 30 in history, along with notable events that shaped politics, television, and American expansion.
What Happened on March 30 in History?
Important events on this day include the U.S. purchase of Alaska, the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, and the debut of Jeopardy.
MARCH 30 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1842 – Dr. Crawford W. Long performed the first operation while his patient was anesthetized with ether.
1858 – Hyman L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, PA, patented a pencil with an attached eraser.
1867 – The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million (about 2 cents per acre).
1870 – The 15th amendment, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race, was passed by Congress.
1870 – Texas was readmitted to the Union following Reconstruction.
1880 – The Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company was incorporated in Grand Rapids, MI.
1909 – The Queensboro Bridge in New York, NY, opened linking Manhattan and Queens. It was the first double decker bridge.
1909 – In Oklahoma, Seminole Indians revolted against meager pay for government jobs.
1939 – The comic book “Detective Comics #27” appeared on newsstands. The comic introduced Batman.
1950 – The invention of the phototransistor was announced.
1950 – The last Marx Brothers movie, “Love Happy”, was released.
1964 – The television game show “Jeopardy” debuted on NBC. It was originally hosted by Art Fleming. It has become the longest running game show.
1964 – John Glenn withdrew from the Ohio race for the Senate because of injuries suffered in a fall.
1964 – Michigan’s first kidney transplant took place at the University of Michigan. Then 15 year old Janice Ottenbacher received a kidney from her identical twin sister Joan. They both survived and went on to become nurses.
1970 – The television soap opera “Another World – Somerset” debuted on NBC.
1977 – The U.S. Air Force announced it would be closing Kincheloe Air Force Base near Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Personnel and equipment would be transferred to other bases.
1978 – U2, a group of four schoolboys from Dublin, won a talent contest sponsored by the Guinness brewery.
1981 – President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest and wounded outside a Washington, DC hotel by John W. Hinckley Jr. Two police officers and Press Secretary James Brady were also wounded.
1982 – The Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-3) completed its third and longest test flight after 8 days in space and landed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
1987 – Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” was bought for $39.85 million.
1988 – The movie “Beetlejuice”, directed by Tim Burton, opened in theaters.
1993 – In the “Peanuts” comic strip, Charlie Brown hit his first home run.
1998 – Rolls-Royce was purchased by BMW in a $570 million deal.
1999 – An Oregon jury ordered Philip Morris to pay $81 million to the family of a lung cancer victim.
2001 – The movie “Spy Kids” debuted in theaters.
2004 – Michael Jackson’s teenage accuser testified to the grand jury that was investigating the child molestation case against Jackson.
2009 – The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the new World Trade Center building would be officially known by its legal name of “One World Trade Center”.
2014 – The movie “Frozen” became the highest-earning animated film in history.
2017 – SpaceX conducted the world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket.
2020 – The International Olympic Committee announced the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games due to the COVID pandemic.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MARCH 30:
John Astin – 96 years old (1930) – Actor
Gordon Mumma – 91 years old (1935) – Composer
Warren Beatty – 89 years old (1937) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Jerry Lucas – 86 years old (1940) – Basketball player and educator
Bob Smith – 85 years old (1941) – Soldier and politician
Mark Wylea Erwin – 82 years old (1944) – Businessman and diplomat
Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin – 79 years old (1947) – Activist, writer, and black anarchist
Jim "Dandy" Mangrum – 78 years old (1948) – Rock singer
Janet Browne – 76 years old (1950) – English-American historian and academic
Grady Little – 76 years old (1950) – Baseball player, coach, and manager
Paul Reiser – 70 years old (1956) – Actor and comedian
Joey Sindelar – 68 years old (1958) – Golfer
Mark Begich – 64 years old (1962) – Politician
MC Hammer – 64 years old (1962) – Rapper and actor
Tracy Chapman – 62 years old (1964) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Mari Holden – 55 years old (1971) – Cyclist
Mark Consuelos – 55 years old (1971) – Actor and television personality
Mili Avital – 54 years old (1972) – Israeli-American actress
Kareem Streete-Thompson – 53 years old (1973) – Caymanian-American long jumper
Ty Conklin – 50 years old (1976) – Ice hockey player
Norah Jones – 47 years old (1979) – Singer-songwriter and pianist
Jammal Brown – 45 years old (1981) – Football player
Jason Dohring – 44 years old (1982) – Actor
Trent Barreta – 39 years old (1987) – Wrestler
Richard Sherman – 38 years old (1988) – Football player
Chris Sale – 37 years old (1989) – Baseball player
Thomas Rhett – 36 years old (1990) – Country music singer and songwriter
NF – 35 years old (1991) – Rapper
Alex Bregman – 32 years old (1994) – Baseball player
Zay Jones – 31 years old (1995) – Football player
Ryan Noda – 30 years old (1996) – Baseball player
Colton Herta – 26 years old (2000) – Race car driver
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MARCH 30:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
