What Happened on March 14?

March 14 is Pi Day — 3.14, the never-ending number! It's also Albert Einstein's birthday, the day Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, and when the very first Gold Record was awarded!

• 1794 — Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin

  Whitney's simple machine cleaned cotton seeds fifty times faster than hands — revolutionizing American industry while, tragically, helping expand slavery across the South. Read the full story →

• 1879 — Albert Einstein is born in Ulm, Germany

  The physicist whose wild hair matched his wild ideas was born — and his theories of relativity rewrote humanity's understanding of space, time, and gravity. Read the full story →

• 1958 — First official Gold Record awarded to Perry Como

  The Recording Industry Association gave its very first certified Gold Record to crooner Perry Como for 'Catch a Falling Star' — launching music's most famous prize. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Michael Caine (1933) · Quincy Jones (1933–2024) · Billy Crystal (1948) · Simone Biles (1997)

Days & observances

National Pi Day