On This Day: March 4

Updated March 3, 2012, 1:28 pm

On March 4, 1933, the start of President Roosevelt’s first administration brought with it the first woman to serve in the Cabinet: Labor Secretary Frances Perkins.
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On March 4, 1888, Knute Rockne, who changed the strategy of football as coach at Notre Dame, was born. Following his death on March 31, 1931, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1681 England’s King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn for an area of land that later became Pennsylvania.

1789 The Constitution went into effect as the first Congress met in New York City.

1791 Vermont became the 14th state.

1837 The Illinois state legislature granted a city charter to Chicago.

1913 Woodrow Wilson was sworn as the 28th president of the United States.

1917 Republican Jeanette Rankin of Montana took her seat as the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd president, pledging to lead the country out of the Great Depression.

1933 Frances Perkins became the first woman to serve in the Cabinet when she took over as secretary of labor.

1952 Actors Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in North Hollywood, Calif.

1987 President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation on the Iran-Contra affair, acknowledging his overtures to Iran had “deteriorated” into an arms-for-hostages deal.

1989 Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc. announced plans to merge.

1997 President Bill Clinton barred spending federal money on human cloning.

1999 Retired Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun died at age 90.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Texas Gov. Rick Perry turns 62 years old today.

AP Photo/Alice Keeney

Chaz Bono, son of Sonny and Cher (“Dancing With the Stars”) turns 43 years old today.

AP Photo/Matt Sayles

1938 Paula Prentiss, Actress, turns 74

1944 Bobby Womack, R&B singer, turns 68

1948 Chris Squire, Rock musician (Yes), turns 64

1953 Emilio Estefan, Musician (Miami Sound Machine), turns 59

1954 Catherine O’Hara, Actress, turns 58

1958 Patricia Heaton, Actress (“The Middle,” “Everybody Loves Raymond”), turns 54

1961 Steven Weber, Actor, turns 51

1965 Stacy Edwards, Actress (“Chicago Hope”), turns 47

1982 Landon Donovan, Soccer player, turns 30

1985 Whitney Port, TV personality (“The Hills”), turns 27

1990 Andrea Bowen, Actress (“Desperate Housewives”), turns 22

Historic Birthdays

Knute Rockne 3/4/1888 – 3/31/1931 American football coach at Notre Dame.Go to obituary »

66 Henry the Navigator 3/4/1394 – 11/13/1460
Portuguese sponsor of voyages of exploration

63 Antonio Vivaldi 3/4/1678 – 7/28/1741
Italian composer and violinist

67 Sir Henry Raeburn 3/4/1756 – 7/8/1823
Scottish portrait painter

46 Aleksandr Popov 3/4/1859 – 12/31/1905
Russian physicist and electrical engineer

76 David Watson Taylor 3/4/1864 – 7/28/1940
American marine architect

86 Enrique Larreta 3/4/1875 – 7/7/1961
Argentine novelist

67 Richard Tolman 3/4/1881 – 9/5/1948
American physical chemist and physicist

49 Pearl Fay White 3/4/1889 – 8/4/1938
American film star

90 Charles Goren 3/4/1901 – 4/3/1991
American contract bridge authority

64 George Gamow 3/4/1904 – 8/19/1968
Russian-bn. American nuclear physicist and cosmologist

1681	England’s King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn for an area of land that later became Pennsylvania.
1789	The Constitution went into effect as the first Congress met in New York City.
1791	Vermont became the 14th state.
1837	The Illinois state legislature granted a city charter to Chicago.
1913	Woodrow Wilson was sworn as the 28th president of the United States.
1917	Republican Jeanette Rankin of Montana took her seat as the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
1933	Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd president, pledging to lead the country out of the Great Depression.
1933	Frances Perkins became the first woman to serve in the Cabinet when she took over as secretary of labor.
1952	Actors Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in North Hollywood, Calif.
1987	President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation on the Iran-Contra affair, acknowledging his overtures to Iran had “deteriorated” into an arms-for-hostages deal.
1989	Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc. announced plans to merge.
1997	President Bill Clinton barred spending federal money on human cloning.
1999	Retired Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun died at age 90.

1938	Paula Prentiss, Actress, turns 74
1944	Bobby Womack, R&B singer, turns 68
1948	Chris Squire, Rock musician (Yes), turns 64
1953	Emilio Estefan, Musician (Miami Sound Machine), turns 59
1954	Catherine O’Hara, Actress, turns 58
1958	Patricia Heaton, Actress (“The Middle,” “Everybody Loves Raymond”), turns 54
1961	Steven Weber, Actor, turns 51
1965	Stacy Edwards, Actress (“Chicago Hope”), turns 47
1982	Landon Donovan, Soccer player, turns 30
1985	Whitney Port, TV personality (“The Hills”), turns 27
1990	Andrea Bowen, Actress (“Desperate Housewives”), turns 22

66	Henry the Navigator 3/4/1394 – 11/13/1460 Portuguese sponsor of voyages of exploration
63	Antonio Vivaldi 3/4/1678 – 7/28/1741 Italian composer and violinist
67	Sir Henry Raeburn 3/4/1756 – 7/8/1823 Scottish portrait painter
46	Aleksandr Popov 3/4/1859 – 12/31/1905 Russian physicist and electrical engineer
76	David Watson Taylor 3/4/1864 – 7/28/1940 American marine architect
86	Enrique Larreta 3/4/1875 – 7/7/1961 Argentine novelist
67	Richard Tolman 3/4/1881 – 9/5/1948 American physical chemist and physicist
49	Pearl Fay White 3/4/1889 – 8/4/1938 American film star
90	Charles Goren 3/4/1901 – 4/3/1991 American contract bridge authority
64	George Gamow 3/4/1904 – 8/19/1968 Russian-bn. American nuclear physicist and cosmologist