On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom by the Emancipation Proclamation (issued two years prior). The day the last American slaves were freed has become a federal holiday observed across the country.
On June 17, 1775, American colonists inflicted heavy British casualties in their loss at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Showing that the inexperienced colonial militias could stand up against the well-trained British, It raised morale and increased support for independence.
On June 15, 1864, Arlington National Cemetery was officially established. It has since become the final resting place for over 420,000 military servicemen and women.
On June 10, 1889, the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) was founded in New Orleans.
On June 4, 1944, Allied troops entered Rome, Italy, freeing it from German control. The city’s liberation came after months of hard fighting over mountains, across rivers, and in bad weather, against strong German defenses.
On May 24, 1940, Igor Sikorsky successfully flew the first single-rotor helicopter. Sikorsky developed the world’s first mass-produced helicopter and one of the first American helicopters used in World War II.
On May 15, 1918, America’s airmail service began when two Curtiss Jennys departed New York and Washington, DC. In the months that followed, pioneering aviators expanded airmail service over the treacherous Allegheny Mountains to Chicago and eventually the west coast.
On May 6, 1863, the Battle of Chancellorsville ended in a Confederate victory. The Battle of Chancellorsville is known as Lee’s “perfect battle” and for the death of Stonewall Jackson.
On April 21, 1836, Texan soldiers led a swift attack on an unsuspecting Mexican force at the Battle of San Jacinto. It was the final, decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.