National Medal of Honor Day on March 25th recognizes all Medal
of Honor recipients. On March 25, 1863, Secretary of War, Edwin
Stanton presented the first Medals of Honor (Army) to six members
of “Andrews Raiders” for their volunteering and participation
during an American Civil War raid in April of 1862.

On May 3, 1783, General George Washington (above) awarded the
Badge of Military Merit to two brave Connecticut soldiers at the Continental Army headquarters in Newburgh, New York.

On this day in 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington,
the commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the “Badge for
Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of
silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched
across the face in silver (above). 

The badge was to be presented to soldiers for “any singularly meritorious
action” and permitted its wearer to pass guards and sentinels without
challenge. The honoree’s name and regiment were also to be inscribed in
a “Book of Merit.”

Washington’s “Purple Heart” was awarded to only three known soldiers
during the Revolutionary War: Elijah Churchill, William Brown and Daniel
Bissell, Jr. The “Book of Merit” was lost, and the decoration was largely
forgotten until 1927, when General Charles P. Summerall, the U.S. Army
chief of staff, sent an unsuccessful draft bill to Congress to “revive the
Badge of Military Merit.”

In 1931, Summerall’s successor, General Douglas MacArthur, took up the
cause, hoping to reinstate the medal in time for the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. On February 22, 1932, Washington’s 200th birthday,
the U.S. War Department announced the creation of the “Order of the
Purple Heart” (below).

DIANE KEPLEY

On this day in 1957, nine black students attempt to attend
Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The situation
turned potentially violent and President Eisenhower sent in
the national Guard to escort the students to school.

The Ford Motor Company began selling the Edsel on this day in
1957. The car was so unpopular that it was taken off the market
only two years.

Los Angeles, CA, was founded by Spanish settlers on this day in
1781. The original name was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina
de Los Angeles de Porciuncula," which translates as "The Town of
the Queen of Angels."

Statue depicting Governor Felipe de Neve, in Los Angeles Plaza.

On this day in 1888, George Eastman registered the name "Kodak"
and patented his roll-film camera (below). The camera took 100 exposures per roll.

The original Kodak camera, introduced by George Eastman.

George Eastman (July 12, 1854 – March 14, 1932)

On this day in 1972, swimmer Mark Spitz captured his seventh
Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter medley relay event at
Munich, Germany. Spitz was the first Olympian to win seven
gold medals.

Mark Andrew Spitz turned 67 on February 10.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is 36 today.

Beyoncé is a  former member of the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child who
also became a widely successful solo artist. She has won a total of 22
Grammy Awards for songs such as "Single Ladies," "Drunk in Love"
and "Crazy in Love."  She won her first school talent show with her
rendition of "Imagine" by John Lennon.

The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, on Saturday, April 18, 1942,
was an air raid by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other
locations on the island of Honshu during World War II, the first air strike to strike
the Japanese Home Islands. It demonstrated that Japan itself was vulnerable to
American air attack, served as retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941, and provided an important boost to
American morale. The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James
"Jimmy" Doolittle (below) of the United States Army Air Forces.

Mission commander Jimmy Doolittle (left front) with members
of his Tokyo Raiders. 

Jimmy Doolittle in his North American B-25B

On May 19, 1942, President Roosevelt bestows Congressional
Medal of Honor on Brigadier General James Doolittle for the
successful raid on Tokyo.

James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle
(December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993)