“Arbor Day is not like other holidays. Each of those reposes on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future.” These are the words of J. Sterling Morton, the originator of the Arbor Day idea. He was among the many pioneers moving into the Nebraska Territory in 1854. With the decided lack of trees on the Nebraskan plains, Morton made it his cause to plant trees, not just for beautification but also to preserve the soil. He encouraged civic organizations to join in the effort, proclaiming the first Arbor Day in 1872. By 1885, Arbor Day was officially observed by the entire state and then by other states and schools nationwide. Today the most common date for the state observances is the last Friday in April, although many states celebrate it whenever conditions there are best for planting trees. Several U.S. presidents have proclaimed a national Arbor Day. Read more about Arbor Day.
Daily Calendar for Friday, April 30, 2027
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Friday, April 30, 2027
Born
- David Thompson (explorer) –
- John Crowe Ransom (poet) –
- Simon Kuznets (economist) –
- Edith Margaret Fowke (folklorist) –
- Cloris Leachman (actress) –
- Jill Clayburgh (actress) –
- Annie Dillard (author) –
- Perry King (actor) –
- Isiah Thomas (basketball player) –
- Kirsten Dunst (actress) –
Died
- Sarah Josepha Hale (first woman magazine editor in the United States, poet) –
- Casey Jones (railroad engineer, died at the throttle, slowing down his crashing Cannonball trying to save passengers’ lives) –
- Adolf Hitler (committed suicide) –
- Agnes Moorehead (actress) –
- Muddy Waters (musician) –
- Tom Poston (actor) –
- Ling Ling (Japan’s oldest giant panda) –
Events
- Marguerite Bourgeoys opened the first school in Montreal, Quebec –
- George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president –
- The United States Department of the Navy was established –
- The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the country –
- Louisiana was admitted to the Union as the 18th state –
- U.S. patent #2,000,000 issued –
- Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first president to appear on television –
- USS Peto first sub to be launched sideways, Manitowoc, Wisconsin –
- Law passed to have name of Boulder Dam restored to Hoover Dam –
- The discovery of Element 101, mendelevium, was announced by scientists at University of California, Berkeley. –
- Monica Seles was stabbed by a deranged fan of Steffi Graf –
- Jeff Feagles of the New York Giants announced his retirement. He played a league record of 352 consecutive games. –
Weather
- A tornado in Minnesota killed 16 and injured 100 –
- For the first time in its record-keeping history, Oklahoma City passed the month of April without a single thunderstorm –
- Significant flash flooding occurred in coastal Alabama and the Florida panhandle. – , –