Civil War

1989 $1 Great Americans: Johns Hopkins
May 19, 1795

Birth of Johns Hopkins 

Johns Hopkins was born on May 19, 1795, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. A successful businessman, he donated $7 million for the creation of schools and hospitals, the largest philanthropic gift in America up to that time.

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1909 2¢ Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition
May 16, 1801

Happy Birthday William H. Seward

William Henry Seward was born on May 16, 1801 in Florida, New York. Seward served as Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of state during the Civil War and later acquired Alaska for the United States.

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1881-82 6¢ Lincoln, brown red
May 7, 1861

Lincoln Made Honorary Citizen of San Marino

On May 7, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln accepted the “honor of citizenship” from San Marino. It was one of the earliest instances of US and San Marino relations, which wouldn’t be formally established for decades. 

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1995 32¢ Stonewall Jackson
May 2, 1863

Stonewall Jackson Mortally Wounded 

On May 2, 1863, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was mortally wounded at the battle of Chancellorsville. Regarded as a gifted tactical commander, his death was a major blow to the confederacy.

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1962 4¢ Civil War Centennial: Battle of Shiloh
April 7, 1862

Union Wins Battle of Shiloh 

On April 7, 1862, Ulysses S. Grant won the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee. The bloodiest battle in US history up to that point, one in four soldiers was killed, wounded, or captured.

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1946 3¢ US Armed Forces: Merchant Marine
March 15, 1938

Merchant Marines

On March 15, 1938, the Merchant Marine Cadet Corps was established.  Merchant Marines transport cargo and passengers in peacetime and are called upon in times of war to deliver troops and supplies wherever needed.

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1968 15¢ Prominent Americans: Oliver Wendell Holmes
March 8, 1841

Birth of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was born on March 8, 1841, in Boston, Massachusetts. Known as “The Great Dissenter,” he is one of the best-known American judges, serving on the Supreme Court for 30 years.

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1952 3¢ B. & O. Railroad
February 28, 1827

Incorporation of B&O Railroad

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.

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1961 4¢ Civil War Centennial: Firing on Fort Sumter
January 9, 1861

First Shots of the Civil War?

On January 9, 1861, Southern rebels fired on an American ship attempting to resupply Fort Sumter.  Some consider these to be the opening shots of the Civil War.

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