David “Davy” Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 in Greene County, North Carolina (though it is now part of Tennessee). Dubbed the King of the Wild Frontier, Crockett was a folk hero, politician, frontiersman and soldier.
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. Originally written by Francis Bellamy in 1884, the pledge been altered some over the years, but has remained unchanged since 1954.
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 December 18, 1777, the United States celebrated its first national Thanksgiving. The celebration was in reaction to the recent victory at the Battle of Saratoga.
On July 11, 1996, the USPS issued a set of four stamps honoring American Folk Heroes.
On January 15, 1902, one of the first clubs to resemble the 4-H club was founded in Ohio.
On November 18, 1865, Mark Twain published an early version of “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” in The New York Saturday Press, bringing him his first significant fame.
On October 21, 1941, Wonder Woman was introduced in All Star Comics #8.