The fourth Sunday of Lent was traditionally a break from the austere rigors of the season, and on that day boys living away from home, such as apprentices or students, were allowed to return home to visit their mothers. It was customary for them to bring a simnel—a highly spiced fruitcake—as a present. The visit was termed “going a-mothering,” and on this occasion the mother bestowed a blessing upon her child.
Born
Moses Maimonides(rabbi)–
Anna Sewell(author)–
Vincent van Gogh(Dutch artist
)–
Sean O'Casey(playwright)–
Jo Davidson(sculptor)–
Warren Beatty(actor)–
Eric Clapton(musician)–
Tracy Chapman(musician)–
Celine Dion(singer)–
Secretariat(racehorse)–
Norah Jones(singer)–
Scott Moffatt(musician, of The Moffatts)–
Anna Nalick(musician)–
Died
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother(Britain’s beloved “Queen Mum” was the mother of Queen Elizabeth II)–
Timi Yuro(singer)–
Events
President Washington proclaimed boundary of new capital city on Potomac River –
Dr. Crawford Long of Jefferson, GA, placed an ether-soaked towel over the face of James Venable and removed a tumor from his neck. This was the first recorded use of anesthesia –
H. L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, patented the first pencil with eraser –
America bought Alaska from Russia due to pressure from Secretary of State William Seward (Seward’s Folly). The price was $7.2 million, or slightly more than $0.02 an acre –
Impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson began –
Texas readmitted to the Union –
Queensboro Bridge, the first double-decker, opened in New York City –
Official opening of Canada’s first subway (Toronto) –
Woody Guthrie’s song This Land is Your Land copyrighted –
Jeopardy! game show made its television debut –
The last rum ration was issued in the Royal Canadian Navy –
President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded outside a Washington, D.C., hotel –
An anonymous buyer paid over $39 million for Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers –
Possible UFO seen, Little Fox Lake, Yukon Territory –
Superathletes Kirill Shimko and Pavel Soroka pulled five railway cars more than 20 feet –
Weather
Hurricane-force winds uprooted trees and brought high tides to the coast and heavy snows inland from Pennsylvania to Maine –
In North Dakota, heavy rain and snowmelt around Fargo produced severe flooding –
A line of thunderstorms and tornadoes tore up homes and knocked down power lines in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska –
