1781
Activism
Rebecca Gratz was born
Rebecca Gratz was born on March 4, 1781, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
View detailsThis Day
04March
31 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1793
Politics
Continues role through start of Washington’s second term
Martha Washington continued her First Lady duties into George Washington’s second term, starting March 4, 1793.
View details1797
Politics
Beginning of term as First Lady
Abigail Adams became First Lady when John Adams was inaugurated as President.
View details1797
Politics
End of service as First Lady and return to private life
Martha Washington’s service as First Lady ended on March 4, 1797, upon return to Mount Vernon.
View details1809
Politics
Organizes first inauguration‑day inaugural ball in Washington City
Hosts first inauguration-day ball in Washington.
View details1809
Politics
Dolley Madison becomes presidential spouse at Madison’s inauguration
James Madison inaugurated as president; Dolley becomes First Lady.
View details1815
Activism
Birth of Myrtilla Miner
Myrtilla Miner was born in Brookfield, New York, on March 4, 1815, to a farming family of modest means.
View details1912
Activism
Arrest and imprisonment for suffrage activism
Smyth arrested and imprisoned for suffrage activism in London.
View details1913
Medicine
Death of Phoebe Yates Levy Pember in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dies of breast cancer on March 4, 1913, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is later buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia.
View details1914
Literature
Birth of Barbara Newhall Follett
Barbara Newhall Follett was born in Hanover, New Hampshire.
View details1917
Politics
Rankin's Congressional Term Begins
Rankin's first term in Congress began on this date.
View details1917
Activism
First Picket to Chain Herself to White House Fence Gates in Suffrage Protest
Mabel Vernon chained herself to the White House fence during a National Woman's Party demonstration on President Wilson's second inauguration day, dramatizing the suffrage demand.
View details1918
Science
Born in Joseph, Oregon
Margaret Evelyn Osborne was born on March 4, 1918, in Joseph, Oregon, later becoming one of America's greatest tennis champions.
View details1924
Arts
Death of Fanny Eaton in London
Fanny Eaton died on 4 March 1924 in London, sources differing on whether in Acton or Hammersmith, at the age of 88.
View details1927
Arts
First Black woman in a major film: 'La Sirène des Tropiques'
Josephine Baker starred in 'La Sirène des Tropiques,' becoming the first Black woman in a major film.
View details1931
Politics
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Alice Mitchell Rivlin was born on March 4, 1931, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
View details1932
Arts
Birth of Miriam Makeba
Zenzile Miriam Makeba was born on 1932-03-04 in Prospect Township.
View details1933
Politics
First woman appointed to a U.S. presidential Cabinet as Secretary of Labor
Sworn in as U.S. Secretary of Labor under FDR, Perkins became the first woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet in American history.
View details1933
Politics
Becomes First Lady of the United States
Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as President; Eleanor Roosevelt becomes First Lady, a role she would transform through unprecedented engagement.
View details1943
Activism
Death of Nina Boyle
Nina Boyle died on March 4, 1943, leaving a lasting impact on women's rights.
View details1948
Activism
Death of Elsa Brändström
Elsa Brändström passed away in Cambridge, Massachusetts, leaving a legacy of humanitarian work.
View details1958
Medicine
Promotion to Colonel
On March 4, 1958, Ruby Bradley was promoted to colonel in the U.S. Army.
View details1959
Activism
Death of Maria Baers
Maria Baers died on 4 March 1959, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Belgian Christian social and women's movements.
View details1971
Activism
Birth in La Esperanza, Honduras
Birth of Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores in La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras.
View details1989
Arts
Only female artist to solely write, produce, and perform two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits
"Lost in Your Eyes" hit No. 1 on March 4, 1989, making Gibson the only female artist to solely write, produce and perform two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles.
View details1994
Medicine
Posthumous appreciation of Mary Lasker in The Cancer Letter
The Cancer Letter published an appreciation of Mary Lasker after her death, highlighting her transformative role in health advocacy.
View details2003
Science
Death of Lin Lanying
Lin Lanying, pioneering materials scientist and 'Mother of Chinese Semiconductors,' died on March 4, 2003.
View details2005
2013
Activism
TED2013 talk on world peace
Jody Williams delivered a TED talk at TED2013 on her vision for realistic peace strategies.
View details2016
Science
Article on Theano’s role in Pythagorean school
Publication of article on Theano’s leadership in the Pythagorean school after Pythagoras' death.
View details2023
Activism
Death of Judith Heumann
Judith Heumann died in Washington, D.C., at age 75, ending a decades-long career as the foremost pioneer of the disability rights movement.
View details