What Happened on March 4?

March 4 is when Vermont became a state, when America's brand-new Constitution government got to work in 1789, and composer Antonio Vivaldi's birthday!

• 1789 — Government under the U.S. Constitution officially begins

  The dates written into the Constitution arrived: senators, representatives, and the brand-new federal government were scheduled to spring to life on March 4, 1789. Read the full story →

• 1791 — Vermont admitted as the 14th state

  After 14 years as an independent republic — with its own coins, constitution, and even a governor — Vermont joined the Union as the first state added after the original thirteen. Read the full story →

• 1933 — FDR inaugurated: 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself'

  At the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt took the oath on March 4 — the last presidential inauguration ever held on that date — and told Americans the biggest enemy was despair. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) · Miriam Makeba (1932–2008) · Knute Rockne (1888–1931) · Patricia Heaton (1958)

Days & observances

National Grammar Day · World Obesity Day