January 3: The March of Dimes Foundation was founded (1938)

The March of Dimes Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality, was founded by then-US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to fight polio in 1938. The organization was originally named as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and the current name has been officially used since 2007 while the name has been used for the foundation's fundraisers since 1930s. The organization provided enormous support for the goal of eliminating polio including the approval of the Salk vaccine and the goal was significantly achieved. In 1958, the organization changed its mission to the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality and has kept working for the mission.