March 27, 1912 –
Washington DC is in the middle of it’s annual celebration of National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorating the gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington on this date.
The gift of 3,020 trees to the United States government were planted along Washington’s Potomac River.
In a ceremony on this date, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted two Yoshina cherry trees on the northern bank of the Potomac Tidal Basin, near the Jefferson Memorial.
The gift nearly set off an international incident when the first set of trees sent by the Japanese government, in 1910, were discovered to be infested with harmful insects and disease. All of the trees had to be destroyed. After much apologizing on both sides, the Japanese government sent the new gift of the current trees. The seawall surrounding the tidal basin needs to be repaired and at least 150 of the trees will have to be removed to complete the restoration. New trees will be replanted once the repairs are completed in 2027.
The Haus of Dcaligari 