Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
On December 2, 1980, President Jimmy Carter established Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Today the park is part of one of the world’s largest international protected areas.
Franklin Roosevelt
The American Forestry Association
The American Forestry Association was founded on September 10, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois. It’s one of America’s oldest national conservation organizations, with a mission of “Creating Healthy and Resilient Forests, from Cities to Wilderness, that Deliver Essential Benefits for Climate, People, Water and Wildlife.”
Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
On August 2, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 into law. The act required all producers, laboratories, dealers, importers, and doctors to register each year to legally buy and sell marijuana.
Birth of Mary McLeod Bethune
Educator and activist Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was born on July 10, 1875, in Mayesville, South Carolina. She founded a private school for African Americans and was a member of several African American women’s organizations, sometimes called the “Female Booker T. Washington.”
The Founding of the National Archives
On June 19, 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation creating the National Archives. The archives houses billions of historic documents, photographs, maps, videos, and more.
The Soil Conservation Service
On April 27, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Soil Conservation Act. The act established the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) to reduce and repair the damage caused by soil erosion. The SCS’s work was expanded and continues today as the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Birth of Oswald Garrison Villard
Journalist and civil rights activist Oswald Garrison Villard was born on March 13, 1872, in Wiesbaden, Germany. He was an editor of the New York Evening Post and a founding member of the NAACP.
The Pentagon
On January 15, 1943, construction on the Pentagon, the world’s largest office building, was completed.
Casablanca Conference
On January 14, 1943, Allied leaders met in Casablanca, Morocco, to discuss the next stage of World War II.