Martin Van Buren, our 8th President, is born in Kinderhook, New York to Dutch parents. Van Buren was the first president born an American citizen, and served as Vice President, Secretary of State (both under President Jackson), and United States Senator from New York before being elected President in 1836.
Utah becomes the 36th state to ratify the Twenty-First Amendment, enacting the end of Prohibition into law. The amendment, the first to be passed by 75% of state ratifying conventions, repealed the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the manufacturing, transporting, and selling of alcohol in the United States.
President Polk announces California gold discovery
In a speech to Congress, President James K. Polk announces the substantial gold discovery in California. Within the next 12 months thousands moved to California in search of endless fortune; San Francisco quickly became one of the largest cities in the United States, and railroad companies began planning routes to link the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
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