Famous Americans

Novelist Thomas Clayton Wolfe was born on October 3, 1900, in Asheville, North Carolina. He’s considered North Carolina’s most famous writer and was a major influence on several writers of the next generation.

On September 30, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt presided over the dedication ceremony of the Boulder Dam. Later renamed the Hoover Dam, it’s one of the highest concrete dams in the world.

On September 28, 1891, author Herman Melville died in his New York City home. While it was a moderate success during his lifetime, Melvile’s novel Moby-Dick is now considered a masterpiece of American literature.

On September 26, 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon took part in America’s first televised debate, which revealed just how important this growing medium would be on future politics.

On September 25, 1909, the Hudson-Fulton Celebration opened in New York and New Jersey. The celebration marked the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River as well as the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s first successful commercial paddle steamship.

America’s longest-serving chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, was born on September 24, 1755, in Germantown, Virginia. 

Sculptor Louise Nevelson was born Leah Berliawsky on September 23, 1899, in Pereiaslav, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire. She was a prolific artist who specialized in using found materials and public art commissions.

On September 22, 1981, the USPS inaugurated its Sports Series (sometimes called the American Sports Personalities Series), honoring some of America’s most notable athletes. 

Inventor Jan Matzeliger was born on September 15, 1852, in Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana (present-day Surinam).  He invented a device that is considered “the most important invention for New England” and the “greatest step forward in the shoe industry.”