30 th March

1840 Beau Brummell died in poverty.

1858 The eraser-topped lead pencil was patented.

1867 Secretary of State William H. Seward completed the negotiations for the U. S. purchase of the Alaskan territory. (Seward’s Day and Alaska Day)

One of the wisest or luckiest decisions ever made was sealed on this day. In 1867, U. S. Secretary of State William H. Seward completed negotiations for America’s purchase of the Alaskan territory from Russia. The price was $7,200,000. Critics at the time called the deal Seward’s Folly. We can only hope that we may commit similar follies in our own time.

A word to people who have trouble looking neat or fashionable. There is hope, ladies and gentlemen, that sartorial splendor and good fortune do not necessarily go hand in hand. On this day in 1840, Beau Brummell—whose name is synonymous with stylish elegance—died penniless in France.

What was the world’s greatest invention? Some will say the wheel; some will nominate electricity. A lesser known contender is H. L. Lipman’s invention which was patented on this date in 1858. This Philadelphia resident patented the concept of attaching an eraser to the end of a lead pencil. Any man who gives the world a chance to eradicate a mistake deserves to be recognized as a public benefactor.