What Happened on March 20?

On March 20, America's very first aircraft carrier joined the Navy, and a brave musher named Libby Riddles became the first woman to win Alaska's toughest sled race!

• 1852 — Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin

  Stowe's novel about enslaved families torn apart became the best-selling book of its century and pushed millions of readers to confront slavery. Read the full story →

• 1922 — USS Langley commissioned — the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier

  A collier ship with a wooden flight deck built on top became CV-1, launching American naval aviation from flat tops at sea. Read the full story →

• 1985 — Libby Riddles wins Iditarod — first female champion

  Riddles gambled by mushing into a blizzard where male rivals waited out the storm — and crossed the finish line first in Alaska's 1,100-mile sled dog race. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Fred Rogers (1928–2003) · Lois Lowry (1937) · B.F. Skinner (1904–1990) · Holly Hunter (1958)

Days & observances

UN French Language Day