This Day In History

James Knox Polk was born on a North Carolina farm on November 2, 1795. By 1849, he had led the country through war with Mexico and expanded its territory to the Pacific, but his presidency left a bitter question unresolved: whether slavery would spread into the new lands.

On November 1, 1957, the Mackinac Bridge opened, giving Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas a direct road connection. It was then the world’s longest suspension bridge between cable anchorages, replacing a busy ferry route with a five-mile crossing.

On October 31, 1940, the Battle of Britain came to an end. For nearly four months, RAF pilots and ground crews had fought to prevent Germany from gaining the air superiority needed to invade.

On October 30, 1629, the Carolina Province was named, and plans were made for early settlement. That settlement would be delayed for many years, but the name was retained.

On October 30, 1629, the Carolina Province was named, and plans were made for early settlement. That settlement would be delayed for many years, but the name was retained.

On October 26, 1881, the Earp brothers took on the Clanton-McLaury Gang at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. The shootout became one of the most famous events in the Old West.

On October 22, 1996, the USPS issued its first Hanukkah stamp. The joint issue with Israel also launched the Holiday Celebrations Series, which broadened the Postal Service’s holiday stamp program beyond Christmas.

On October 18, 1937, the US Post Office issued the first stamp in a new series honoring the overseas territories of the United States. These stamps chronicled decades of US territorial expansion.

On November 3, 1879, Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson was born in Manitoba, Canada. Over the course of his life, he became one of the most influential and controversial figures in Arctic exploration—celebrated for his discoveries and criticized for the tragic misfortunes that accompanied some of his expeditions.

Stephen Fuller Austin was born on November 3, 1793, in Wythe County (present-day Austinville), Virginia.  Known as the “Father of Texas,” he led the first successful American settlement there.

Though the District of Columbia has served as our nation’s capital since 1791, its residents didn’t get to vote in their first presidential election until November 3, 1964.

On November 3, 1900, the first modern auto show opened in New York City. Today, the New York Auto Show is held in April and usually has more than one million visitors.