First International Polar Year
On August 1, 1882, the first International Polar Year (IPY) began.
Exploration
U.S. Lands First Men On The Moon
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.
First Americans Sight Antarctica
On November 17, 1820, Nathaniel Palmer and his crew became the first Americans to see Antarctica.
First U.S. Hologram Postal Stationary
On December 3, 1989, the USPS issued its first postal item to be produced with a hologram – a 25¢ stamped envelope picturing a space shuttle docking at a space station.
Birth of Meriwether Lewis
Explorer, soldier, and politician Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, in Ivy, Albemarle County, Virginia.
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.