20 th March

1751 King George III succeeded to the throne of England.

1852 Uncle Tom s Cabin was published in book form. (See June 14th entry.)

1928 Mr. Rogers was born.

It has been a long time since the disposition of a king has determined history. The last king whose disposition affected us here in America was George III of England. He succeeded to the throne on this day in 1751. King George thought he could push the colonists around and he found Prime Ministers who agreed with him. If he had not acted as he did we might all be British today. Like the late New York mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, it may be said of King George that when he made a mistake it was a beaut.

It’s Fred Rogers’ birthday. As Mister Rogers, he has taught generations of children the basics of life from social interaction and vocabulary to how to tie your shoes and play cat’s cradle. Mister Rogers’ PBC television show first aired in the early 1960s and continues to be broadcast daily.