Jefferson Davis Elected Confederate President
On November 6, 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederate States of America. By then, Southern states had seceded, formed the Confederacy, and the Civil War was underway.
This Day in History
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Birth of Silver Screen Cowboy Roy Rogers
On November 5, 1911, Leonard Franklin Slye was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. The boy who learned to yodel from old recordings would grow up to become Roy Rogers, the “King of the Cowboys,” and one of Hollywood’s best-known singing stars.
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Death of Cy Young
On November 4, 1955, baseball legend Cy Young died in Newcomerstown, Ohio. He left behind records that still define a pitcher’s workload and a career that spanned baseball’s early major-league era.
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Rare Double Transfer Souvenir Sheet
On November 3, 1994, the USPS issued a souvenir sheet honoring the 100th anniversary of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing producing US postage stamps. A relatively small number of sheets were discovered with a rare double transfer.
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Birth of James K. Polk
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.
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Opening of Mackinac Bridge
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.
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Battle of Britain Ends
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.
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Carolina and Charleston
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.
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John Glenn Returns to Space
On October 29, 1998, John Glenn returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. At the age of 77, he was the oldest person to go into space.
