This day in history

On this day in 1963, the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech took place on the National Mall in Washington D.C. The gathering served as a response to racial discrimination and recent violent attacks on civil rights leaders. The March came about as a combination of two planned […]

On August 28, 1831, First Lady Lucy Hayes was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. Lucy was an extremely popular First Lady and was admired for her care for veterans, orphans, and the poor. Though she’s well-known for her nickname “Lemonade Lucy” 🍋🍋🍋 (a reference to the no-alcohol policy of the Hayes White House), Hayes was much […]

On this day in 1632, English philosopher John Locke was born in Wrington, England. His ideas of liberalism, natural law, and positive government were influential on the American founders and their formulations of proper government and its purpose. Thomas Jefferson likely referred to Locke while writing the Declaration of Independence. 📝📝📝 Did you know? We […]

August 30 is National Beach Day! 🏖🏊‍♂️🍹 America’s first public beach wasn’t established until 1896. Revere Beach, in Massachusetts near Boston, is still open to the public today and is honored as a National Historic Landmark. Did you know? The most popular beaches in America include Huntington Beach (in southern California), Panama City Beach (in […]

On September 1, 1878, teenaged Emma Nutt became the world’s first female telephone operator as she began work at Boston’s Edwin Holmes Telephone Dispatch Company. ☎🎙🎧 Hired by Alexander Graham Bell himself, Nutt didn’t just break norms, but ushered in an entirely new era. By the end of the 1880s, nearly every telephone operator was […]

On this day in 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At first, the Liberty Bell had little to do with American independence. The Pennsylvania Assembly commissioned the bell to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges (Pennsylvania’s original constitution). Did you know? The Liberty Bell has a long history […]

On this day in 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, formally ending the Revolutionary War. 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 Though we often remember the Battle of Yorktown (1781) as the effective end of the war in the colonies, it wasn’t for two more years that the war would be officially ended and the United States […]

On this day in 1888, George Eastman received a patent for the first roll-film camera – the Kodak. The camera made photography more accessible and was designed with the amateur in mind. The user simply armed the shutter and then pressed a button to release it, taking a picture. 📸 📸 📸 Once the user […]

On September 4, 1803, First Lady Sarah Polk was born near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Well-educated with a keen interest in politics, Polk proved an asset to her husband’s career and enjoyed discussing current affairs and acting as a sounding board for the president. Her interest in politics far outweighed her interest in domestic duties, in fact, […]

On this day in 1774, the First Continental Congress assembled in Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia to address growing tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain. The Congress, consisting of representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies, hoped to rectify British actions against Massachusetts, particularly the British blockade of Boston after the Boston Tea Party […]

Happy Labor Day from JMC! Today marks 140 years since the first Labor Day took place on September 5, 1882 in New York City. The Central Labor Union of New York organized a parade of thousands of union members from all trades that culminated in a picnic for the members and their families. 🍗🍉👒This form […]

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11742 On September 6, 1757, Revolutionary War hero Gilbert du Motier, better-known as the Marquis de Lafayette, was born in Chavaniac-Lafayette, France. Though Lafayette was not American, he sincerely believed in the American cause and tirelessly advocated for the fledgling country to the French government, which was key in helping the U.S. win the war. […]

On this day in 1791, Washington, D.C., was named after President George Washington by the city’s federal commissioners. The president himself chose the site of the future city, settling on 100 square miles of land on the banks of the Potomac River ceded from Virginia and Maryland. Did you know? Though the city was named […]

On September 9, 1850, California was admitted to the Union as our 31st state. It is the largest state by population and the third largest state by area. Did you know? California is home to both the highest point in the continental U.S. (Mount Whitney) as well as the lowest point in the U.S. (Death […]

On this day in 2001, 9/11, the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, took place as terrorists hijacked four planes. Two of these planes were crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and a third into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Passengers on the fourth plane, Flight 93, […]

On this day in 1913, American Olympic athlete Jesse Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama. He is best known for his victories at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won 4 gold medals 🏅🏅🏅🏅 in track and field, much to the disappointment of the Nazi competition, who hoped to showcase their “master race”. Merely a […]

On September 13, 1788, Congress chose New York City as the first federal capital of the United States. Prior to government under the new Constitution, capitals had changed frequently, with congress meeting in locales such as Princeton, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. New York City was chosen after much heated debate, and only as a temporary capital […]

On this day in 1814, the Battle of Fort McHenry occurred during the War of 1812. The American victory at the battle inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our national anthem. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Scott, a lawyer, and amateur poet were inspired by the flag flying over Fort McHenry after an all-night […]

September 14, 1752 was the first day that the Gregorian calendar came into use in Great Britain and its empire, including the American colonies. Daylight savings time pales in comparison to this event - 11 whole days were lost, as British citizens went to bed on September 2nd, waking up on the 14th. ⏰📅⏳ Did […]

On this day in 1857, 27th president William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His presidency was marked by the rise of progressivism in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Though he did not go far enough for many progressives, Taft’s administration initiated 80 antitrust suits. More “trust-busting” occurred under Taft than it did […]

Happy Constitution Day! On this day in 1787, members of the Constitutional Convention signed the final draft of the Constitution. Over the next months, it would undergo the ratification process (requiring approval from at least 9 states). 📜📜📜 Did you know? Although Independence Day and Presidents’ Day were marked as such for many years, it […]

On this day in 1870, the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park was observed by the Washburn-Doane-Langford expedition and received its name. The geyser particularly stood out for its regular timing – the men noted that these eruptions of boiling hot water lasted for roughly 15-20 minutes. Did you know? Despite their awe for […]

On September 19, 1982, emoticons were used for the first time by Dr. Scott Fahlman of Carnegie Mellon University. What were they? :-) and :-( Emoticons eventually developed into emojis, a closely related cousin of the emoticon, now also frequently used via email, text message, and other written communications. 😊❤️👍😂 As email and texting have […]

On this day in 1973, tennis players Billie Jean King (29) and Bobby Riggs (55) faced off in the “Battle of the Sexes.” Riggs had claimed that he could trounce any woman in a tennis match – King proved him wrong, winning the match. The “battle” helped legitimize and promote women’s professional sports and female […]

On September 21, 1788, First Lady Margaret Taylor was born in Calvert County, Maryland. Though steeled by life as both a frontier and military wife, Margaret was an inactive first lady due to poor health and personal preference. Instead, her daughter, Mary Elizabeth Bliss fulfilled the social duties of the role. Did you know? Margaret […]

On September 22, 1692, the last executions of the Salem Witch Trials took place as eight people (7 women and 1 man) were hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. Did you know? By this point in the trials, public faith in the court was waning, and it was dissolved by the governor in October 1692. […]

On this day in 1896, American author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He’s particularly associated with the Roaring ‘20s and his best-known work, The Great Gatsby (1925), which explores materialism, identity, and habits of Jazz Age members of “the Lost Generation.” 🎉 🥂 🍾 🎊 Did you know? The Great Gatsby […]

On September 24, 1906, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming was established as a national monument. An eye-catching geologic protrusion near the Black Hills, its formation dates back to the Triassic Period, 225-195 million years ago (!) ⛰⛰⛰ The monument is considered sacred by local Native American tribes, who have passed down its legends from generation to […]

On this day in 1690, the first American newspaper was published in Boston, Massachusetts, Publick Occurences Both Foreign and Domestick. Prior to this, only single-paged newspapers (called broadsides) had been published in the colonies. The first (and only) issue reported on smallpox, a deadly fire, French-English relations, and Native Americans in the region. 📰 📰 […]

  On September 26, 1774, American folk legend Johnny Appleseed was born in Leominster, Massachusetts as John Chapman. Chapman was instrumental in easing settlers’ movement west. Contrary to popular belief, his apple seeds and orchards didn’t provide fruit so much as alcoholic cider, an essential drink at the 19th century American’s table. 🍎🍺🍏🍺🍎🍺 Did you […]

On this day in 1722, revolutionary patriot Samuel Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Adams was a particularly vocal supporter of American independence, boycotting British goods and serving as an important leader in the radical Sons of Liberty. He also wrote persuasive political pieces denouncing British taxes and later served in the new country’s Continental […]

On September 30, 1868, the first volume of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women was published. The novel, centering on a family of four girls whose father was away in the Civil War, was hugely popular from the start. 154 years later, it’s still a children’s classic, beloved for its themes of perseverance and family. 👩‍🦰👩‍🦰👩👧 […]

On this day in 1908, Ford’s Model T went on sale for the first time. One of the first mass-production vehicles, the Model T is generally considered the first affordable automobile made for use by the general populace. Though modern cars existed long before the Model T, they were not particularly accessible to ordinary people. […]

On October 1, 1832, First Lady Caroline Harrison was born in Oxford, Ohio. As First Lady, Harrison’s philanthropic efforts focused on women’s causes – she notably raised funds for Johns Hopkins medical school on the condition that it admit women. Caroline also had a love for history, music, dancing, and the arts. A music teacher, […]

October is National Seafood Month! The American seafood industry has been honored by Congress with this distinction for the past 30 years. It has operated for much longer of course, with both Native Americans and early settlers taking advantage of abundant fishing along the East Coast. 🦀🐟🦪🍤 Did you know? Though we view lobster as a […]