Mar
March 2025
Apr
On This Day 5 mins Read

March 30: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Did you know that on this day, March 30, 1870, the US adopted the 15th amendment, guaranteeing citizens the right to vote?

Fact Checked Human Written Verified Sources Regularly Updated

March 30th celebrates Pencil Day and Take A Walk In The Park Day.

We made it to day 89 of the year, and there are 276 days remaining until the end of 2025.

March isn’t quite over yet, but fear not as you are about to read about some of the most interesting events that happened on this day throughout history.

Did you know that on this day, March 30, 1870, the US adopted the 15th amendment, guaranteeing citizens the right to vote? This news was met with widespread celebrations.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about March 30th in history!

Historical Events

What memorable events happened on March 30 in history? Keep reading to find out!

North Carolina repealed its controversial bathroom law that restricted transgender use.

OTD in 2017: North Carolina repealed its controversial bathroom law that restricted transgender use.

An orbital-class rocket was successfully reused for the first time.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 was used to carry a satellite into near-Earth orbit. What was particularly astounding about this otherwise routine flight was that it re-used the first-stage booster from a previous Falcon 9 flight. The booster is the most expensive part of a Falcon 9, so being able to reuse this was a huge milestone in the history of spaceflight.

Swimmer Michael Phelps smashed the world record for the 200-meter butterfly swim at just 15 years old.

He swam an impressive 1:54.58 and held the record for 18 years.

Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting “Sunflowers” was sold for an incredible $39.7 million, the most ever paid for a painting.

OTD in 1987: Vincent van Gogh's famous painting "Sunflowers" was sold for an incredible $39.7 million

A police detective offered to split a lottery ticket with his regular waitress at a pizzeria in Yonkers, NY. She ended up with a $3 million tip!

Robert Cunningham initially made the offer as a joke, but the waitress played along, and they each picked three numbers. The following weekend Cunningham entered with the winning ticket of a $6 million jackpot.

Someone tried to shoot President Ronald Reagan.

John Hinckley Jr. wounded the president and three others. His belief was that killing the president would impress actress Jodie Foster.

Starbucks first opened its doors in Seattle, Washington, USA.

OTD in 1971: Starbucks first opened its doors in Seattle

Starbucks was founded by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl, and it initially only sold high-quality coffee beans and not drinks.

The Dalai Lama received political asylum in India after fleeing from China.

Riots broke out in Iceland when the Icelandic parliament decided to join NATO.

OTD in 1949: Riots broke out in Iceland when the Icelandic parliament decided to join NATO.

What initially started as a peaceful protest quickly turned violent, and the Icelandic police were forced to use tear gas to disperse the unruly mob. Iceland proceeded to join NATO anyway, an act that brought Iceland into the Cold War.

The Heinkel He 100 fighter set a world airspeed record of 463 mph (745 km/h).

The He 100 was a German pre-World War II fighter aircraft design from Heinkel.

The US adopted the 15th Amendment, guaranteeing citizens the right to vote.

The amendment reads: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

The United States bought Alaska from the Russian Empire.

OTD in 1867: The United States bought Alaska from the Russian Empire.

Dubbed "Stewart's Folly" by the press, the US paid $7.2 million, which worked out at about 2 cents per acre of land!

Hyman Lipman patented the pencil with an eraser on top.

His patent included a metal ferrule to keep the eraser in place.

Ether was used as an anesthetic for the first time, by American surgeon Crawford Long, in Athens, Georgia.

German mathematician Carl Friedrich constructed the first heptadecagon using a ruler and a compass.

Famous Births

Is today your birthday? If so, you share this special day with Vincent van Gogh! Check out more famous people born on this day below.

1968

Céline Dion

Canadian Singer

Age

57 years old

Born IN

Quebec, Canada

1991

NF

American Rapper

Age

34 years old

Born IN

Michigan, USA

1853

Vincent van Gogh

Dutch Painter

Died On

Jul 29, 1890 (Age 37)

Born IN

Zundert, Netherlands

1950

Robbie Coltrane

Scottish Actor

Died On

Oct 14, 2022 (Age 72)

Born IN

Scotland, UK

1979

Norah Jones

American Singer

Age

46 years old

Born IN

New York, USA

Birthday & Zodiac

If you were born on March 30th, your zodiac sign is Aries.

Aries is the first sign in the zodiac and is represented by the ram. Much like the ram, Arians often dive headfirst into whatever they feel passionate about.

All those born in the month of March have the Aquamarine birthstone. The Aquamarine gem symbolizes rebirth and purity. Its name comes from a Latin word that means “seawater.”

The daffodil, March’s primary birth flower, symbolizes renewal and bright possibilities, reflecting the uplifting spirit of those born this month. The jonquil, the secondary birth flower, stands for love and affection.

If you were born on this day, it’s likely that you were conceived on July 7 in the previous year.

A baby conceived on this day will likely be due around December 21, 2025.

Famous Deaths

Unfortunately, March 30th has also been a day where we've had to say some goodbyes over the years…

1938 — 2020

Bill Withers

American Singer Bill Withers was born on July 4, 1938. He died on this day in 2020, at age 81 in California, USA.

1988 — 2022

Tom Parker

English Singer Tom Parker was born on August 4, 1988. He died on this day in 2022, at age 33 in England, UK.

Quotes

Below are the most famous quotes people have said or written on Mar 30th throughout history.

1953

“The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.”

Albert Einstein

(German Physicist)

1939

“Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.”

Alfred Hitchcock

(English Filmmaker)

1901

“Honesty is the best policy – when there is money in it.”

Mark Twain

(American Writer)

Special Holidays

Looking for a reason to celebrate? Well, here's a few! These unique holidays are sure to bring some enjoyment to your day.

United States

National Pencil Day

Sure, pens are cool and all, but pencils are truly where it’s at. There are pencils of every color of the rainbow and lead pencils in every shade imaginable. You can even make watercolors with some types of pencils! So pick up your favorite pencil today and get drawing!

United States

National Take A Walk In The Park Day

There are few better things for your mental health than getting outside and enjoying some fresh air. Take A Walk In The Park Day is the perfect day to take a break from it all, and unwind for a while. So head to the greenest space near you and take a stroll; you might find you enjoy it!

Fact Of The Day

Days Until

Your countdown to 2025's upcoming special days!

  • April Fool's Day

    2 days

  • Earth Day

    23 days

  • Cinco de Mayo

    36 days

  • Halloween

    215 days

  • Christmas Day

    270 days

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About The Author

Luke Ward
Owner

Luke Ward is the owner of FactstoryHub. He has over 14 years of experience in researching, informative writing, fact-checking, SEO & web design. In his spare time, he loves to explore the world, drink coffee & attend trivia nights.

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