William Buckland, Carnegie's Donation and Jack Kerouac

The geologist and palaeontologist William Buckland was born on March the 12th 1784. He was the first to identify and later produce the first full account of a fossil dinosaur, naming it Megalosaurus.

On March the 12th 1789 the first United States Post Office was established.

The  chemist William Henry Perkin was born on this day in 1838. He discovered the first aniline dye, mauveine.

The celebrated dancer Vaslav Nijinsky was born on this day in 1890.

Coca Cola was first sold in bottles on March the 12th 1894 in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

On this day in 1901 Andrew Carnegie donated 5.2 million dollars to the city of New York to fund the building of sixty-five libraries.

March the 12th 1912 saw the founding of the US Girl Scouts ( then Girl Guides ) in Savannah, Georgia.

Jack Kerouac was born on this day in 1922.

The playwright Edward Albee shares this birthday - he was born in 1928.

On this day in 1994 the Church of England ordained thirty two female priests in Bristol Cathedral.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Alphege.

The beautiful Watteau drawings are on display at The Royal Academy