This Day in History
March 9th, 1864 — Ulysses S. Grant Named Commanding General
American History Civil War Military Leaders USA President
On March 9th, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as Commanding General of the U.S. Army, placing him in charge of all Union forces during the Civil War. His aggressive strategy and coordinated campaigns across multiple fronts would ultimately weaken the Confederacy and help lead the Union to victory.
March 9, 1765 — Jean Calas Exonerated After Voltaire’s Campaign
In 1765, French authorities cleared Jean Calas, a Protestant merchant wrongly tortured and executed for allegedly murdering his son. After investigating the case, Voltaire launched a powerful campaign exposing religious prejudice and judicial injustice. The exoneration became a landmark victory for Enlightenment ideals of reason, tolerance, and justice.
March 8, 1884 — Susan B. Anthony Demands Women’s Suffrage Before Congress
On March 8, 1884, Susan B. Anthony addressed the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, urging a constitutional amendment to grant women the right to vote. Her testimony highlighted the injustice of taxation without representation and strengthened the growing suffrage movement that would ultimately lead to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.
March 7, 1876 — Bell Patents the Telephone
Inventors Science Scientific Discovery
On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received the U.S. patent for the telephone, marking a turning point in communication history. His invention made it possible to transmit the human voice electrically, transforming how people connect across distances and laying the foundation for the global telecommunications networks used today.
March 7, 161 — Marcus Aurelius Becomes Roman Emperor
Medieval Thinkers Philosophers Political Leaders Stoics
On March 7, 161 CE, Emperor Antoninus Pius died, ushering in an unprecedented political shift in Rome. Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus became the empire’s first official co-emperors, sharing power over a vast realm. Their joint rule marked a new governing approach during a pivotal transition in Roman imperial history.