Today is National Purple Heart Day! On this day in 1782, George Washington ordered the creation of the Badge of Military Merit, the direct predecessor to the Purple Heart. It is the oldest American military award still presented to service members. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Washington was motivated to honor the bravery of common soldiers – […]

August 7 is National Lighthouse Day! On that day in 1789, Congress approved a law enacting federal support for the establishment of lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers. ⛵️🛥🛳 There are roughly 700 lighthouses in the United States. The first one in the country was established on Little Brewster Island near Boston in 1716. The […]

Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear! On this day in 1944, Smokey Bear’s creation was authorized by the U.S. Forest Service as a public educator in preventing wildfires. Since then, Smokey has been spreading awareness about the danger of wildfires and educating the public on prevention. The Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention ad campaign is the longest-running public […]

August 9 is National Book Lovers Day! Several of the founding fathers liked to read, but only one devised a contraption to read multiple books at once. Thomas Jefferson’s revolving bookstand had room for five books or letters and could be spun around to the reading that most struck one’s fancy. 📚📖📚 The Library, Felix […]

On this day in 1874, 31st president Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa. His presidency, running from 1929-to 1933, is best-remembered for taking place during the start of the Great Depression. Hoover favored relief at the local and state levels, instead of direct federal involvement. His Depression policies were unpopular, and his presidential […]

On August 10, 1821, Missouri was admitted to the Union as our 24th state. Missouri is home to the tallest manmade monument in the United States. What is it? The Gateway Arch in St. Louis! The arch marks the city’s role as a gateway to the western United States. Missouri was also home to the […]

On this day in 1860, American sharpshooter and showwoman Annie Oakley were born in Darke County, Ohio. She began her shooting career at the age of 8 in order to help support her large family. She not only put food on the table but was able to pay off the family’s mortgage by selling her […]

Bowling dates back to the ancient world – a set of pins and a ball were found in an ancient Egyptian tomb! – but has proven to be massively popular in the United States. Did you know? Dutchmen in New York (once New Amsterdam) enjoyed bowling in the colonial era and the oldest park in […]