Start of the Distinguished Americans Series
On August 24, 2000, the USPS issued the first stamp in the Distinguished Americans Series. Over the course of more than two decades, the series has honored 20 Americans from all walks of life.
Famous Americans
Birth of Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, on August 20, 1833. America’s 23rd president, he was also a Civil War veteran and lawyer.
Happy Birthday Orville Wright
Aviator and inventor Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio. He and his brother would go on to become aviation pioneers.
Birth of Gerty Cori
Biochemist Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori was born on August 15, 1896, in Prague, Austro-Hungarian Empire. She was the first woman to earn a Nobel Prize In Physiology or Medicine.
Death of Edith Wharton
Noted author Edith Wharton died on August 11, 1937. Best known for her novel The Age of Innocence, she was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Birth of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was born on August 8, 1896, in Washington, DC. She’s best-known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Yearling, which was later made into a movie.
Happy Birthday Nathanael Greene
Revolutionary War commander Nathanael Greene was born on August 7, 1742, in Potowomut (Warwick), Rhode Island. One of the Continental Army’s most dependable officers, his leadership was instrumental to the Southern Theater of the American Revolution.
Happy Birthday Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball was born on August 6, 1911, in Jamestown, New York. One of TV’s most beloved stars, she’s been called “The First Lady of Television” and “The Queen of Comedy.”
Birth of Ernie Pyle
Journalist and war correspondent Ernest Taylor Pyle was born on August 3, 1900, in Dana, Indiana. America’s most widely read war correspondent, he earned a Pulitzer Prize for Journalism and was one of a few civilians to be awarded the Purple Heart.