This Day In History

On July 22, 1933, Wiley Post completed the first solo flight around the world, returning to New York after nearly eight days in the air and at remote stops. He also broke his own speed record while testing navigation equipment that pointed toward the future of long-distance aviation.

On July 21, 1861, Confederate forces won the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas. It was the first major land battle of the Civil War and the grisly fighting led both sides to realize that the war wouldn’t be won quickly. 

On July 20, 1969, the US effectively won the Space Race when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Eagle lunar module on the Moon’s surface.

On July 19, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill officially established the “V” for Victory campaign. The letter “V” became a rallying cry for people in occupied nations as well as Germans who opposed the Nazis.

On July 11, 1996, the USPS issued four stamps honoring larger-than-life American Folk Heroes. The colorful set celebrated a mighty baseball slugger, a giant lumberjack, a legendary steel driver, and the wildest cowboy in the West.

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. One of America’s founding documents, it explained why the 13 colonies were at war with Great Britain and that they declared themselves to be independent sovereign states no longer under British rule.

On June 22, 1942, Congress formally adopted the Pledge of Allegiance. However, the familiar words recited today would not take their final form until more than a decade later.

On June 19, 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation creating the National Archives. The archives houses billions of historic documents, photographs, maps, videos, and more.

On July 23, 1867, the United States opened its first post office in Alaska— months before the US formally took possession of the territory.  While Alaska’s official transfer was still being prepared, the US was already laying down its presence—and the post office was a powerful symbol of that.

Roger Sherman, the only man in US history to sign America’s four most important documents (the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution) died on July 23, 1793.

On July 23, 1966, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park was established in Vincennes, Indiana.  The park honors this Revolutionary War hero and his role in the expansion of the Northwest Territory.

On July 23, 1973, Eddie Rickenbacker died in Züruch, Switzerland. As a World War I flying ace, he shot down 22 enemy planes and four balloons.