History for March 3

History for March 3 - On-This-Day.com

Matthew Ridgway 1895

• 1845 - Florida became the 27th U.S. state.
• 1849 - The Gold Coinage Act was passed by the U.S. Congress. It allowed the minting of gold coins.
• 1857 - Britain and France declared war on China.
• 1878 - Russia and the Ottomans signed the treaty of San Stenafano. The treaty granted independence to Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and the autonomy of Bulgaria.
• 1903 - The U.S. imposed a $2 head tax on immigrants.
• 1931 - The "Star Spangled Banner," written by Francis Scott Key, was adopted as the American national anthem. The song was originally a poem known as "Defense of Fort McHenry."
• 1952 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld New York's Feinberg Law that banned Communist teachers in the U.S.
• 1991 - Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers. The scene was captured on amateur video. (California)