This Day In History

Acclaimed author John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. From that small farming town would come a writer whose novels captured the struggles of migrant workers, ranch hands, and families uprooted by the Great Depression.

Soldier and showman William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody, was born on February 26, 1846, in LeClaire, Iowa. “Buffalo Bill” was one of the most famous figures of the Old West, gaining increased prominence and popularity for his Wild West shows.

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 February 24, 1960, the US Navy submarine USS Triton slipped beneath the surface to begin the first fully submerged circumnavigation of the globe. The daring departure marked the start of a 60-day underwater journey that would prove just how far nuclear submarine technology had advanced during the tense years of the Cold War.

On February 22, 1855, Governor James Pollock put his signature on a document that changed Pennsylvania’s future. It created The Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania — the seed of what would eventually become Penn State — and set in motion a struggle to fulfill the promise of the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862.

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.

Social worker Jane Addams was born on September 6, 1860, in Cedarville, Illinois. She was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and is often considered the founder of the profession of social work in America. 

Puppeteer James Maury Henson was born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi. He’s best known as the creator of the Muppets as well as several beloved residents of Sesame Street.

American scientist Linus Pauling was born on February 28, 1901, in Portland, Oregon. He’s the only person to win two unshared Nobel Prizes, and one of just two people to have the prizes in different fields.

The earliest known use of a US perforated postage stamp was on February 28, 1857. Perforations were introduced to make separating stamps quicker and easier.

One of America’s oldest railroads, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was first established on February 28, 1827. The railroad was at the forefront of transportation history for decades – pioneer the use of steam engines to electric and beyond.

On February 28, 1973, the USPS issued the first of seven stamps in its new American Arts Series. The stamps in the series honored artists from several different genres, including painting, music writing, and filmmaking.