This day in history

On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was dedicated in New York City. The 1,250 foot building stood as the tallest in the world until the 1970s with the construction of the World Trade Center tower. Did you know? The very upper tower of the building was originally intended as a docking station for […]

On May 5, 1809, Mary Kies became the first woman to receive a U.S. patent for her new method of weaving straw hats using silk and thread. 👒👒👒 Did you know? First Lady Dolley Madison was so impressed with Kies’ innovation that she wrote to her with congratulations for boosting the female-dominated straw hat-making industry. […]

On this day in 1864, American journalist Nellie Bly was born in Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania. Bly (born Elizabeth Cochran) is famous for her daring approach to investigative journalism, and, in particular, for exposing the poor working and living conditions in urban areas.⁠ ⁠ In 1887, Bly went undercover, feigning insanity in order to be admitted […]

On this day in 1884, 33rd president Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri. Truman became president under trying circumstances. Upon the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, the former vice-president faced difficult choices relating to the first use of the atomic bomb, the subsequent end of World War II, and the […]

On May 9, 1800, American abolitionist John Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut. He’s best remembered for his forceful means of fighting slavery, in particular the raid he led on Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in 1859. The raid was meant to incite a nationwide slave rebellion and heightened already rising tensions over slavery between North […]

On this day in 1869, the first transcontinental railroad in the United States was completed in Promontory Point, Utah, where a golden spike was driven to connect the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways. This major step in infrastructure helped to connect the country and enabled faster and cheaper travel.⁠ 🚂🚃🚃⁠ ⁠ A ceremony, centered […]

On May 11, 1858, Minnesota was admitted into the United States as our 32nd state. Did you know? Minnesota was the first Union state to volunteer troops to fight in the Civil War. Roughly half of Minnesota’s eligible men fought in the war. Minnesota’s nickname, “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” is no exaggeration. In actuality, the […]

On this day in 1607, the first permanent English settlement in America – Jamestown, Virginia – was established under the orders of King James I. Early inhabitants struggled in Jamestown, facing disease, famine, and poor relations with Native Americans. Fatality rates were high – by January 1608, only 38 of the original 104 colonists remained. […]

On May 14, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition began as William Clark departed from Camp Dubois in Illinois to join Meriwether Lewis in St. Charles, Missouri. Over the course of the next two and a half years, the men and their expedition would explore the newly obtained Louisiana Purchase, traveling 8,000+ miles to and […]

On May 15, 1860, First Lady Ellen Wilson was born in Savannah, Georgia. First Lady to Woodrow Wilson, she took a particular interest in art and children’s issues. Before marrying, she attended the prestigious Art Students League. 🎨 🖌 Did you know? Wilson directed the addition of the famous Rose Garden to the White House […]

On May 17, 1792, the New York Stock Exchange was established as businessmen met under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street and signed a trading agreement to give preference to each other while buying and selling. 💸💸💸 Trading often took place outside (weather-permitting) as well as in nearby taverns and coffeehouses. 🌳☕️🌳 Did you know? […]

On this day in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was decided with the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruling that race-based segregation in public schools was unlawful and denied black children equal educational opportunities. The landmark case began as five separate cases drawn from Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and D.C. At the […]

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State, killing 57 people and causing $3 million in damages. It was the deadliest and most destructive volcano eruption in U.S. history, destroying 230 square miles of forest area within minutes. Did you know? Fluctuating between periods of calm and activity, Mount St. Helens erupted […]

On this day in 1780, residents of New England and New Jersey experienced what would later be called “New England’s Dark Day” or “Black Friday.” Starting roughly mid-morning, mysterious darkness fell over the sky from Maine south to New Jersey. Animals behaved as if it were nighttime and candles were required to see during the […]

On May 20, 1768, First Lady Dolley Madison was born in Guilford County, North Carolina. The wife of founding father James Madison, Dolley balanced his taciturn nature with her sociability, friendliness, and fun-loving tendencies. Their marriage is remembered as a particularly happy one despite their difference in natures and wide age gap of 17 years. […]

On this day in 1932, American aviator Amelia Earhart departed on her solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first woman (and second person, after Charles Lindbergh) to do so. Taking off from Canada at 7 pm, she arrived in Ireland roughly 15 hours later. Upon her return to the United States, she was […]

On May 22, 1902, Crater Lake National Park was established in Oregon. Aside from being jaw-droppingly beautiful, the lake is the deepest in the United States, reaching depths of 1,943 (the ninth deepest in the world). Did you know? Crater Lake was formed by the eruption and collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama 7,700 years […]

May 23 is World Wrestling Day! Several U.S. presidents didn’t just wrestle, but were good at it, including Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Zachary Taylor. Abraham Lincoln was renowned in his region for his wrestling skills, only losing one match in a dozen years. He is the only president to be conducted into the […]

  On this day in 1844, telegraph inventor Samuel Morse sent the first telegraph message from the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, MD. 🏛️➡️➡️➡️➡️🏘️ Though now obsolete, the telegraph made a lasting impact on nationwide (and eventually worldwide) communications and was indispensable for war correspondence during the Civil War. ⁠ ⁠ Did you […]

On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Delegates from nearly every state, including George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin, met to discuss the future of the United States and a revision of the Articles of Confederation. Over the next few months, the delegates would develop and vote on the U.S. […]

Around this time in 1888, American athlete Jim Thorpe was born near Prague, Oklahoma, a member of the Sac and Fox Nation. Competing in the 1912 Olympics, he was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. Thorpe was a multi-talented athlete - among other sports he was skilled in […]

On this day in 1937, Americans celebrated the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The iconic structure spans nearly two miles and was the longest suspension bridge in the world up until 1964. ⁠ ⁠ A long time coming, the bridge was originally proposed in the 1870s with construction not occurring […]

On this day in 1917, 35th President John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. His presidency was marked by Cold War tensions, the civil rights movement, and developments in the space race. ⁠ ⁠ Tragically, Kennedy’s term was cut short by assassination when he was fatally shot while on a presidential visit to Dallas, […]

On May 29, 1790, our 13th state, Rhode Island, was ratified into the United States. Though it was the first colony to renounce allegiance to Great Britain, it was the last of the Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution, and the only state to boycott the Constitutional Convention. Though it is tiny (the smallest state […]

On this day in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. The structure honors our 16th president and his actions to end slavery and preserve the Union. ⁠ ⁠ The 1922 dedication ceremony was attended by such prominent figures as Robert Lincoln (Lincoln’s only surviving son), past president William Howard Taft, and keynote […]

On May 31, 1819, American poet journalist, and essayist Walt Whitman was born in West Hills, New York. Whitman is considered one of our nation’s most important poets, producing enduring works on such topics as love, democracy, nature, and life and death. His best-known volumes are Leaves of Grass and Drum Taps, which drew heavily […]

On this day in 1886, President Grover Cleveland wed Frances Folsom at the White House. Although President Cleveland wasn’t the only president to marry while in office, he remains the only president to be married in the White House. 💕 👫🏛️ 💕⁠ ⁠ Did you know? The marriage was controversial not only because of a […]

On June 2, 1861, First Lady Helen “Nellie” Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Taft was enthusiastic about music and travel. She had a degree in music from the Cincinnati College of Music and founded the city’s orchestra association. 🎼🎺🎻 Even before her time as First Lady, she had close presidential ties. Taft’s parents were […]