This Day In History

On May 27, 2006, the USPS issued a colorful stamp sheet honoring 40 American natural and man-made superlatives. Called Wonders of America: Land of Superlatives, the pane celebrated record-setting places, plants, animals, and structures from across the country.

Asa “Al” Jolson said he did not know his true birthday, but he later chose May 26, 1886, as the date he would use. From a poor immigrant childhood, he rose to become one of America’s biggest entertainers and the star of the film that helped bring sound to the movies.

On May 25, 1977, the first Star Wars film was released. Since then, Star Wars has grown into one of the most successful franchises in entertainment history, earning more than $10 billion at the global box office and expanding into television, books, games, toys, and theme-park attractions.

On May 24, 1978, the USPS issued the first stamp in the Performing Arts Series, honoring Jimmie Rodgers. Issued from 1978 to 1991, the 12-stamp Performing Arts Series honored singers, composers, actors, comedians, dancers, and other entertainers whose careers spanned nearly a century of American stage, screen, and musical history.

On May 17, 2010, the USPS issued the first stamp in the Butterfly Series.  The stamps were created for use on envelopes that couldn’t be sorted on the USPS’s automated equipment, otherwise known as “nonmachinable.”  They’re often used for greeting cards. 

On April 16, 2015, National Orchid Day was created to celebrate one of the most diverse and fascinating families of flowering plants. The date honors orchids not only for their beauty, but also for the personal story behind the day’s founding.

On March 31, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), putting thousands of unemployed young men to work almost immediately. The program became one of the earliest and most visible efforts of the New Deal, addressing both economic hardship and environmental need with practical, measurable results.

On February 25, 1928, Bryce Canyon officially became Bryce Canyon National Park, securing permanent federal protection for one of America’s most unusual landscapes. What began as a remote stretch of pink cliffs and strange rock spires in southern Utah had become important enough to earn the highest level of preservation in the National Park System.

On May 28, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge officially opened to traffic. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its opening and was dubbed a “Wonder of the World” structure.

On May 28, 2016, the doors opened on America’s 11th International Stamp Exhibition, World Stamp Show 2016. It marked the show’s return to New York after 60 years.

Jim Thorpe said he was born on May 28, 1888, in Indian Territory. A world renowned athlete, he helped popularize football in the United States and was the first athlete to win both the decathlon and the pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics.

On May 28, 1843, author and lexicographer Noah Webster died in New Haven, Connecticut.  Webster developed several important textbooks as well as the dictionary that standardized the American spelling of many words.