This Day In History

On November 8, 1900, future novelist Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Decades later, she would capture the world’s imagination with her sweeping Civil War epic Gone With the Wind.

On November 7, 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt made history as the first—and only—US president elected to a fourth term. His remarkable political career reshaped both the country’s government and its role in the world.

Baseball pitcher Walter “The Big Train” Johnson was born on November 6, 1887, in Humboldt, Kansas. Today, he is remembered not only as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history but also as a model of sportsmanship and character—an enduring symbol of the game’s early golden age.    

On November 5, 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) was founded in New York City. It became the first national engineering society in the United States and remains one of the world’s most respected professional engineering organizations today.

After more than two months at sea, Christopher Columbus reached what he believed was the edge of East Asia on October 12, 1492. In reality, he had arrived in the islands of the Caribbean, but at the time he thought he had discovered a new route to the riches of India and China. The voyage marked the beginning of sustained European exploration and colonization in the Americas, changing the course of world history.

On October 7, 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union and United Kingdom. Though it didn’t ban nuclear weapons entirely, the treaty forbid testing in the atmosphere, in space, and underwater.

After more than a decade of brutal fighting and over 20,000 casualties, Mexico officially gained its independence from Spain on September 27, 1821. This moment marked the end of three centuries of Spanish rule. The road to independence, however, was long, complicated, and filled with both triumphs and setbacks.

On September 8, 1954, eight nations signed the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, creating the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). The treaty’s main purpose was to create a collective defense system, so that if one member was attacked, the others would come to its aid.

On November 9, 1964, the US Post Office issued its first se-tenant, which was also America’s third Christmas issue. Today, the USPS issues at least one se-tenant every year.

On November 9, 1998, the USPS issued an H-rate Uncle Sam’s Hat stamp to satisfy the First-Class Rate. An unissued Uncle Sam’s Hat stamp with a yellow background was later discovered in used condition, despite never being officially issued!

On November 9, 1918, Moina Michael penned her poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith,” and resolved to wear a red poppy every day in remembrance of the fallen.  She became known as the “Poppy Lady.”

Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731, in Baltimore County, Maryland.