1886: Robert F. Flemming, Jr. patents a guitar.
In 1821: Thomas L. Jennings - Mr. Jennings was the first African-American to have patented an invention. In 821, Mr. Jennings was issued a patent for a dry-cleaning process known as "dry scouring." An activist for the rights of African Americans, he served as Assistant Secretary of the first annual Convention of the People of Color in June 1831 in Philadelphia.
Alexander, Roberta (1949): Roberta Alexander is an internationally famous American opera soprano. After performing in numerous operas in the United States and Europe, she established herself as one of the leading American sopranos in the latter quarter of the twentieth century, both on the operatic stage and as an orchestral.
Carole Gist: Carole Gist crowned first black Miss USA.
1865: Congress chartered Freedmen's Savings and Trust (Congress chartered Freedmens Savings and Trust Bank with business confined to Blacks.)
On this day in:
1634 March 3 or 4: Samuel Cole supposedly opened the first tavern in Boston, Massachusetts.
1709 Andreas Sigismund Marggraf was born. A German chemist, in 1747 he extracted sugar from the sugar beet and determined it was identical to cane sugar. It wasn't until 1802 that the first beet sugar refinery would be built.
1831 George M. Pullman was born (died Oct 19, 1897). American engineer and industrialist. He designed and manufactured the Pullman sleeping car for railroads.
1845 Florida becomes the 27th state.
1847 Alexander Graham Bell was born (died Aug 2, 1922). Scottish-American inventor of the telephone.
1849 Congress creates the Minnesota Territory.
1855 Congress authorized $30,000 to purchase dromedaries (camels) for the military to use in the Southwest.
1879 Elmer McCollum was born. He was a chemist who discovered vitamins A, B and D.
1879 Congress establishes United States Geological Survey for the "classification of the public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain".
1881 Congress passes a new Trademark Act, targeting trademarks used in interstate commerce.
1887 The U.S. Congress passes the Fisheries Retaliation Act, banning Canadian vessels from US waters; stopped imports of Canadian fish.
1901 The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) was chartered by the U.S. Congress (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST).
1903 The Manitoba Grain Growers' Association is founded.
1923 The first issue of ‘Time’ the weekly newsmagazine was published.
1931 Cab Calloway recorded 'Minnie the Moocher' which became the bandleader's theme song.
1937 The first annual meeting of the General Wildlife Foundation, becoming the National Wildlife Federation in 1938.
1939 The college fad of swallowing Live Goldfish supposedly began on the campus of Harvard University today.
1945 The Andrews Sisters recording of 'Rum and Coca Cola' hit #1 on the popular music charts.
1971 Tyler Florence (Kevin Tyler Florence) was born. American celebrity chef, cookbook author and cooking show host. (Food 911; Tyler's Ultimate; The Great Food Truck Race; etc)
1977 Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr. was born. American baker, reality television personality, cookbook author and restaurateur. [carlosbakery.com]