The childhood sweetheart and wife of Martin Van Buren, Hannah Hoes who was born on March 8, 1783 in Kinderhook, New York. She passed away at the age of 35, eighteen years before Van Buren became President.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On March 8, 1855 John Augustus Roebling traveled over his Niagara Suspension Bridge in a trial train crossing made by a 23 ton engine.

During the crossing the heavy train created only a minor 1 inch depression over an area of 100 feet on the bridge’s deck.

At that moment the bridge became the world’s first operational railway suspension bridge.

Image of a train crossing The Niagara Suspension Bridge five years later in 1860 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Source: https://archive.org/details/paperspracticali00roeb/page/n12/mode/1up

Born March 8, 1841 Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was a lawyer and judge for 66 years. Prior to attending law school Holmes served as a Union officer in some of the Civil War’s largest battles and was wounded three times, rising to the rank of colonel. He rests in Arlington National Cemetery.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright.

American actress and dancer
Cyd Charisse was born on March 8, 1922 in Amarillo, Texas.

While she was often paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in classic musical films, she didn’t make her Broadway debut until 1991.

Image of Cyd in 1949 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Richmond Village in Scituate, Rhode Island seen in a photo postcard sent on March 8, 1906.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

While providing humanitarian aid in France, female relief workers and students from Smith College, Northampton, Mass., joined soldiers for a ride on a tank belonging to the 331st Infantry.

March 8, 1919

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The sinking of the USS Cumberland by the CSS Virginia ironclad (after she was rebuilt from the USS Merrimack) off Newport News, Virginia on March 8, 1862.

Lithograph via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Portrait of Secretary of War Simon Cameron, officer of the United States government ⠀
⠀
Simon lost his brother James who was a Union officer who was killed during the First Battle of Bull Run at the age of 61 in 1861. ⠀
⠀
Simon Cameron was born on March 8, 1799 in Maytown, Pennsylvania.

U.S. Marines landing in Da Nang, Vietnam on March 8, 1965.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

One of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history occurred when a series of explosions took place at the Castle Gate coal mine in Utah on March 8, 1924.
Debris could be found a mile from the mine.

More than 171 died in the tragedy.

Image of the mine from 1946 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

American telescope maker Alvan Clark was born on March 8, 1804 in Ashfield, Massachusetts.

When his company was in operation he and his sons were creating the largest telescope lenses in the world at that time.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Alan Hale Jr. who played the role of The Skipper in Gilligan’s Island was born on March 8, 1921 in Los Angeles, California.

During WWII Alan served as a seaman in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

“Led championship team; The basketball team representing the 6888th Central Postal Directory, only African American WAC [Women’s Army Corps] unit to serve overseas, won the WAC Theater Basketball Championship of the ETO while stationed in Rouen, France; The last contingent of the 6888th returned to the States on Friday, March 8; with it left to right: Staff Sergeant Doris L. Paige, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, the team’s coach; First Lieutenant Mercedes Jordan, New York City, the unit’s Special Service Officer; and Technician Fifth Grade Gertrude Cruse, Cincinnati, Ohio, who captained the championship team; In addition to the trophy pictured above which was awarded the team, individual members were presented with self-winding wrist watches.”

1946

via NYPL Digital Collections, no known restrictions

“We Can Do It”
poster from 1943

Happy International Women’s Day!

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain