Government

On December 3, 1775, the Grand Union flag was reportedly flown for the first time. It was also the first time an American flag was raised over an American naval vessel.

On December 2, 1863, the Statue of Freedom was placed atop the US Capitol to a 35-gun salute. The ceremony was held in the midst of the Civil War – President Lincoln had insisted the Capitol be completed as a symbol of American unity.

On December 1, 1917, first War Savings Stamp available for immediate use, WS1, was issued. In less than two years, more than $1.1 billion in stamps was sold.

On November 27, 1945, Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE) was formed. Initially established to aid Europeans in the wake of WWII, it’s still in operation today, helping over 250 million people.

On November 13, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was officially dedicated in Washington, DC. It stands as a tribute to the thousands of Americans who gave their lives in the conflict.

Though the District of Columbia has served as our nation’s capital since 1791, its residents didn’t get to vote in their first presidential election until November 3, 1964.

On October 31, 1941, work on Mount Rushmore was completed 14 years after it began. The final monument was quite different than it was originally planned.

John Adams was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, on October 30, 1735. Adams was America’s first vice president and second president.

One of the world’s most famous stamp engravers, Czeslaw Slania was born on October 22, 1921, in Czeladź near Katowice, Poland. He engraved more than 1,000 stamps during his lifetime for more than two dozen countries.