On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered his eloquent Gettysburg Address. Delivered at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, it went on to become one of the most famous speeches in US history.
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis was born on November 13, 1856, in Louisville, Kentucky. As a lawyer and supreme court justice, he helped establish new precedents in the right to privacy and the use of expert testimony in court cases – both of which have had lasting effects.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (November 11, 1918), the world’s warring nations agreed to cease fighting, bringing about the end of the Great War.
On November 8, 1861, the Trent Affair began an international incident that nearly sparked a war between the US and Great Britain during the Civil War.
On November 5, 1781, John Hanson was elected president of the Continental Congress. He was the first president to serve a full one-year term under the Articles of Confederation – a which has led some to call him the first president of the United States.
Stephen Fuller Austin was born on November 3, 1793, in Wythe County (present-day Austinville), Virginia. Known as the “Father of Texas,” he led the first successful American settlement there.
On October 29, 1929, the worst stock market crash in history occurred, marking the start of the decade-long Great Depression. FDR’s New Deal and Works Progress Administration helped the US recover.
On October 26, 1940, the P-51 Mustang completed its first flight. It went on to take down more enemy planes than any other fighter in Europe and was the United Nations’ main fighter plane during the Korean War.
On October 22, 1992, the USPS issued its first stamps that incorporated microprinting in the design. These were also the first stamps to have microprinted text. Today, most US stamps include microprinting as a security feature.