Birth of Meriwether Lewis
Explorer, soldier, and politician Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, in Ivy, Albemarle County, Virginia.
Exploration
Spanish Found First Mission in California
On July 16, 1769, Franciscan friar Junipero Serra founded California’s first Catholic mission.
First U.S. Space Shuttle Docking to Mir
On June 29, 1995, the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis docked the Russian space station Mir for the first time. The mission, STS-71, was the third in the U.S./Russian Shuttle-Mir program. It began on June 27, 1995, when the Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the 100th U.S. human space launch from Cape Canaveral.
Lewis and Clark’s Journey Begins
On May 21, 1804, Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery departed St. Charles on the Missouri River to begin their exploration of the American West.
Yellowstone Becomes First National Park
On March 1, 1872, president Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation establishing Yellowstone National Park, the first such park in the world.
Mississippi Becomes 20th State
On December 10, 1817, Mississippi was admitted to the Union as the 20th state.
Balboa Discovers Pacific Ocean
On September 25, 1513, explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa became the first European to lay eyes on the Pacific Ocean.
James Cook Establishes New South Wales
On August 21, 1770, James Cook landed on the eastern coast of Australia and named the land New South Wales.
Kentucky Becomes 15th State
On June 1, 1792, Kentucky was admitted as America’s 15th state.