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This Day in American History

Real dates, real founding documents, real battles. A growing daily archive — new dates added every week. Want the whole habit, plus a daily poll and your own Freedom Score? Take the 60-second assessment.

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January

January 1the Emancipation Proclamation takes effect January 2Georgia ratifies the Constitution January 3Alaska becomes the 49th state January 4Utah becomes the 45th state January 5the first woman governor takes office January 6FDR's "Four Freedoms" speech January 7America holds its first presidential election January 8the Battle of New Orleans January 9the first balloon flight in America January 10Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense January 11Alexander Hamilton is born January 12the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate January 13the first elected Black governor takes office January 14Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris January 15Martin Luther King Jr. is born January 16Prohibition is ratified January 17Benjamin Franklin is born January 18the Paris Peace Conference opens January 19Howard Hughes sets a transcontinental air record January 20JFK's "ask not" inaugural January 21Carter pardons Vietnam draft evaders January 22the Anzio landing January 23Congress sets a uniform Election Day January 24gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill January 25the first transcontinental phone call January 26Franklin argues for the turkey over the eagle January 27the National Geographic Society is founded January 28the Challenger disaster January 29Poe's "The Raven" is published January 30Franklin D. Roosevelt is born January 31Explorer 1, America's first satellite

February

February 1the Greensboro sit-ins begin February 2the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo February 3the 15th Amendment is ratified February 4Rosa Parks is born February 5FDR unveils his "court-packing" plan February 6Ronald Reagan is born February 7Laura Ingalls Wilder is born February 8the Boy Scouts of America is founded February 9the House decides a presidential election February 10the Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War February 11Thomas Edison is born February 12Abraham Lincoln is born February 13the first magazine in America February 14Arizona becomes the 48th state February 15the USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor February 16Stephen Decatur's daring raid at Tripoli February 17the House elects Thomas Jefferson February 18Pluto is discovered February 19Executive Order 9066 February 20John Glenn orbits the Earth February 21Nixon arrives in China February 22George Washington is born February 23the flag is raised on Iwo Jima February 24the first presidential impeachment February 25the first Black U.S. senator is seated February 26Grand Canyon National Park is established February 27the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two terms February 28the Republican Party is founded

March

March 1Yellowstone becomes the first national park March 2Texas declares independence March 3"The Star-Spangled Banner" becomes the national anthem March 4the Constitution takes effect March 5the Boston Massacre March 6the fall of the Alamo March 7"Bloody Sunday" in Selma March 8the first U.S. combat troops land in Vietnam March 9the first battle of the ironclads March 10the first telephone call March 11the Lend-Lease Act March 12FDR's first Fireside Chat March 13Harvard College is named March 14Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin March 15Andrew Jackson is born March 16James Madison is born March 17the British evacuate Boston March 18Grover Cleveland is born March 19the Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles March 20Uncle Tom's Cabin is published March 21Alcatraz closes March 22the Stamp Act March 23"Give me liberty, or give me death!"March 24the Quartering Act March 25the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire March 26the Egypt-Israel peace treaty is signed March 27Congress establishes the permanent U.S. Navy March 28the Three Mile Island accident March 29the last U.S. combat troops leave Vietnam March 30Reagan survives an assassination attempt March 31LBJ declines to run again

April

April 1Apple Computer is founded April 2the Coinage Act creates the U.S. dollar April 3the Pony Express begins April 4NATO is founded April 5Helen Keller learns her first word April 6America enters World War I April 7the Battle of Shiloh April 8Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's home run record April 9Lee surrenders at Appomattox April 10the first U.S. patent law April 11Truman fires General MacArthur April 12the Civil War begins at Fort Sumter April 13Thomas Jefferson is born April 14Lincoln is assassinated April 15Jackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier April 16"Letter from Birmingham Jail"April 17Benjamin Franklin dies April 18Paul Revere's midnight ride April 19the shot heard round the world April 20Fenway Park opens April 21the Battle of San Jacinto April 22the Oklahoma Land Rush April 23the first public school in America April 24the Library of Congress is founded April 25the Hubble Space Telescope is deployed April 26English colonists reach Virginia April 27Ulysses S. Grant is born April 28James Monroe is born April 29American troops liberate Dachau April 30Washington's first inauguration

May

May 1the Empire State Building opens May 2Osama bin Laden is killed May 3the Birmingham "Children's Crusade"May 4the Kent State shootings May 5Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space May 6the Hindenburg disaster May 7Germany surrenders, ending WWII in Europe May 8Harry Truman is born May 9"Join, or Die"May 10the transcontinental railroad is completed May 11Deep Blue beats the world chess champion May 12Charleston falls to the British May 13the U.S. declares war on Mexico May 14Lewis and Clark set out May 15the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps is created May 16the first Academy Awards May 17Brown v. Board of Education May 18Mount St. Helens erupts May 19the New England Confederation is formed May 20the Homestead Act May 21Lindbergh completes the first solo transatlantic flight May 22the great wagon migration west begins May 23Bonnie and Clyde are killed May 24the Brooklyn Bridge opens May 25the Constitutional Convention begins May 26John Wayne is born May 27the Golden Gate Bridge opens May 28Washington's first battle May 29John F. Kennedy is born May 30the first Decoration Day May 31the Johnstown Flood

June

June 1Kentucky becomes the 15th state June 2the Indian Citizenship Act June 3the first American spacewalk June 4the 19th Amendment passes Congress June 5Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated June 6D-Day June 7the motion for independence June 8Madison introduces the Bill of Rights June 9the burning of the Gaspee June 10Franklin's kite experiment June 11the Committee of Five is appointed June 12"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"June 13Miranda v. Arizona June 14the U.S. Army is founded (and the flag, two years later)June 15the Magna Carta June 16Lincoln's "House Divided" speech June 17the Battle of Bunker Hill June 18the War of 1812 begins June 19Juneteenth June 20the Great Seal of the United States is adopted June 21the Constitution is ratified June 22the GI Bill is signed June 23Title IX is signed June 24the Berlin Blockade begins June 25Custer's Last Stand at Little Bighorn June 26the first American troops land in France June 27Truman commits U.S. forces to Korea June 28the spark that ignites World War I June 29the Interstate Highway Act June 30the Pure Food and Drug Act

July

July 1the Battle of Gettysburg begins July 2the Civil Rights Act is signed July 3Washington takes command of the Continental Army July 4the Declaration of Independence is adopted July 5"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?"July 6the first Major League Baseball All-Star Game July 7the United States annexes Hawaii July 8the Declaration gets its first public reading July 9Washington's troops hear the Declaration July 10Wyoming joins the Union July 11the Hamilton–Burr duel July 12the Medal of Honor is born July 13the Northwest Ordinance July 14the Sedition Act becomes law July 15Georgia rejoins the Union July 16Congress establishes Washington, D.C.July 17Disneyland opens its gates July 18the 54th Massachusetts storms Fort Wagner July 19the Seneca Falls Convention opens July 20Apollo 11 lands on the Moon July 21the First Battle of Bull Run July 22the Roanoke colonists arrive July 23the ice cream cone goes mainstream July 24pioneers reach the Salt Lake Valley July 25Wyoming Territory is created July 26the Continental Congress creates the Post Office July 27the Korean War armistice is signed July 28the 14th Amendment is ratified July 29NASA is created July 30America's first elected assembly convenes July 31the first U.S. patent is issued

August

August 1Colorado joins the Union August 2most delegates actually sign the Declaration August 3USS Nautilus crosses the North Pole submerged August 4the Revenue Cutter Service is founded August 5the first federal income tax is enacted August 6the Voting Rights Act is signed August 7Washington creates the Purple Heart August 8a president announces his resignation August 9Gerald Ford is sworn in without an election August 10Missouri becomes the 24th state August 11the first prisoners arrive at Alcatraz August 12Edison completes the phonograph August 13East Germany begins building the Berlin Wall August 14Social Security is signed into law August 15the Panama Canal opens August 16the Battle of Bennington August 17Fulton's steamboat changes everything August 18the 19th Amendment is ratified August 19"Old Ironsides" earns her name August 20the Civil War is formally declared over August 21Hawaii makes it fifty August 22a president rides in an automobile August 23the State of Franklin declares itself August 24the British burn Washington August 25the National Park Service is born August 26the Amistad reaches American waters August 27the Battle of Brooklyn August 28the March on Washington August 29Hurricane Katrina makes landfall August 30the Washington–Moscow hotline goes live August 31FDR signs the Neutrality Act

September

September 1Germany invades Poland September 2V-J Day, Japan formally surrenders September 3the Treaty of Paris ends the Revolution September 4Los Angeles is founded September 5the First Continental Congress convenes September 6President McKinley is shot September 7the Panama Canal Treaties are signed September 8the Pledge of Allegiance is first published September 9Congress officially names the "United States"September 10Elias Howe patents an improved sewing machine September 11the September 11 attacks September 12"We choose to go to the Moon"September 13the bombardment of Fort McHenry begins September 14Key writes "The Star-Spangled Banner"September 15the Inchon landing September 16the Mayflower sets sail September 17the Constitution is signed September 18the U.S. Air Force is established September 19Washington's Farewell Address is published September 20the New York Stock Exchange shuts its doors September 21"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"September 22the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation September 23Benedict Arnold's plot is exposed September 24the Judiciary Act creates the federal courts September 25Congress sends the Bill of Rights to the states September 26the first televised presidential debate September 27the Warren Commission report September 28the Siege of Yorktown begins September 29Congress establishes the U.S. Army September 30USS Nautilus is commissioned

October

October 1the Ford Model T goes on sale October 2Thurgood Marshall joins the Supreme Court October 3Washington proclaims the first national Thanksgiving October 4Sputnik launches the Space Race October 5the first televised presidential address October 6The Jazz Singer ushers in the "talkies"October 7the Stamp Act Congress convenes October 8the Great Chicago Fire breaks out October 9Roger Williams is banished from Massachusetts October 10the U.S. Naval Academy opens October 11Eleanor Roosevelt is born October 12Columbus reaches the Americas October 13the U.S. Navy is founded October 14Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier October 15a girl's letter tells Lincoln to grow a beard October 16John Brown raids Harpers Ferry October 17the American victory at Saratoga October 18the U.S. formally takes possession of Alaska October 19Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown October 20the Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase October 21the USS Constitution is launched October 22JFK reveals the Cuban Missile Crisis October 23the Beirut barracks bombing October 24the first transcontinental telegraph is completed October 25U.S. forces land in Grenada October 26the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral October 27the first Federalist Paper is published October 28the Statue of Liberty is dedicated October 29Black Tuesday and the great stock market crash October 30John Adams is born October 31Nevada becomes a state

November

November 1John Adams becomes the first president in the White House November 2the first commercial radio broadcast November 3"Dewey Defeats Truman"November 4the Iran hostage crisis begins November 5Susan B. Anthony is arrested for voting November 6Abraham Lincoln is elected president November 7Jeannette Rankin is elected to Congress November 8Lincoln is reelected in the middle of the Civil War November 9the Berlin Wall falls November 10the U.S. Marine Corps is founded November 11the Armistice ends World War I November 12Ellis Island closes November 13the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated November 14Moby-Dick is published in America November 15Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation November 16Oklahoma becomes the 46th state November 17Congress meets in Washington, D.C. for the first time November 18American railroads adopt standard time November 19Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address November 20the Nuremberg trials begin November 21the Mayflower Compact is signed November 22President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas November 23the first issue of Life magazine November 24the D.B. Cooper skyjacking November 25the British evacuate New York City November 26the first national Thanksgiving is observed November 27the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade November 28America's first automobile race November 29Byrd flies over the South Pole November 30Mark Twain is born

December

December 1Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat December 2the Monroe Doctrine is declared December 3Illinois becomes the 21st state December 4Washington bids farewell to his officers December 5Prohibition ends December 6the 13th Amendment abolishes slavery December 7the attack on Pearl Harbor December 8America enters World War II December 9A Charlie Brown Christmas premieres December 10the Universal Declaration of Human Rights December 11Germany and Italy declare war on the United States December 12Pennsylvania ratifies the Constitution December 13the National Guard is born December 14George Washington dies December 15the Bill of Rights is ratified December 16the Boston Tea Party December 17the Wright brothers fly December 18the first voice broadcast from space December 19Washington's army enters Valley Forge December 20the U.S. Space Force is established December 21the Pilgrims land at Plymouth December 22"Nuts!" at Bastogne December 23Washington resigns his commission December 24Apollo 8 reads Genesis from lunar orbit December 25Washington crosses the Delaware December 26the Battle of Trenton December 27Radio City Music Hall opens December 28the Endangered Species Act is signed December 29Texas becomes a state December 30the Gadsden Purchase December 31"Watch Night" before Emancipation