The United States took a bold step toward growing and protecting the world’s largest park system when President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the National Park Service Organic Act on this day in history, August 25, 1916. The act most notably created the National Park Service, “a new federal bureau in the Department of the...
Aviation trailblazer Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the U.S. nonstop on this day in history, Aug. 24, 1932. Earhart piloted her Lockheed Vega 5B from Los Angeles to Newark in a record 19 hours and 5 minutes. The 3,986-kilometer (2,477-mile) flight set an official U.S. record for women’s distance and...
The bank robbery and hostage situation that led to the coining of the term “Stockholm syndrome” began on this day in history, Aug. 23, 1973. On that date, Jan-Erik Olsson, an escaped prisoner who was sentenced to three years in prison for grand larceny, burst into Sveriges Kreditbanken, located in Stockholm‘s Norrmalmstorg square, armed with...
The British army and navy, in a stunning display of global force projection and military logistics, invaded Brooklyn by sea and launched the defeat of George Washington’s army in New York City on this day in history, August 22, 1776. “A naval spectacle of more than 90 vessels filled the Narrows [of New York Harbor],”...
President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation declaring Hawaii the 50th state on this day in history, Aug. 21, 1959. “All 49 states will join in welcoming the new one – Hawaii – to this union,” said Eisenhower in extemporaneous remarks made after signing the proclamation. He noted the “truly historic” nature of the time, as...
On this day in history, Aug. 20, 2017, 91-year-old Jerry Lewis died of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of the most well-known American comedians of the 1950s, ’60s and well beyond, Lewis was born as either Jerome or Joseph Levitch in Newark, New Jersey in 1926, according to various sources....
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which secured for women the right to vote, was ratified on this day in history, August 18, 1920. It is considered one of the great landmarks in the fight for gender equality. The amendment was often called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, in reference to the renowned suffragist...
The political fable, “Animal Farm,” written by visionary George Orwell, was published on this day in history, Aug. 17, 1945. The plot of “Animal Farm” is based on the story of the Russian Revolution and its betrayal by Joseph Stalin and is deemed an allegory, according to Britannica. The novella tells the story of a...
It’s the day the legends died. Three giants of American pop culture — queen of soul Aretha Franklin, sultan of swat Babe Ruth and king of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis Presley — each were summoned to the royal court of immortality on this day in history, August 16: Franklin in 2018, Ruth in 1948 and...
Two icons of the Depression-era United States were killed in a plane crash in the northern reaches of Alaska while seeking a mail route to Russia on this day in history, August 15, 1935. “Cowboy philosopher” Will Rogers was a vaudeville performer, newspaper columnist, Hollywood leading man and one of most famous Americans of his...
