On November 12, 1954, Ellis Island’s immigration station closed after more than six decades of operation. At its peak, thousands passed through in a day; in its final years, the island was used largely for detention and deportation.
On November 10, 1978, Theodore Roosevelt National Park was established on North Dakota. Roosevelt’s time in the Badlands inspired his conservation efforts as president, establishing over 200 protected areas.
On November 7, 1921, President Warren G. Harding ordered 2,200 Marines to guard the mail in the wake of a series of daring mail robberies.
On November 6, 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederate States of America. By then, Southern states had seceded, formed the Confederacy, and the Civil War was underway.
On October 27, 1964, Ronald Reagan took a campaign speech for Barry Goldwater to a national television audience. His address introduced many Americans to Reagan as a political speaker and helped bring him wider attention.
On October 20, 1964, Herbert Hoover, America’s 31st president, died at age 90. Before the Great Depression defined his presidency, he had built a career as a mining engineer and organized relief efforts for people in several countries.
On October 12, 1901, the Executive Mansion, the president’s official residence and workplace, was renamed the White House.
Supreme Court Justice Harlan Fiske Stone was born on October 11, 1872, in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. He served on the court for over 20 years, including over four years as chief justice.
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born on October 4, 1822, in Delaware, Ohio. He would become president after the nation’s most disputed election of the 19th century, then serve a single term shaped by Reconstruction’s end, civil-service reform, and difficult questions about money, immigration, and racial equality.