Creation of the Peace Corps
On March 1, 1961, the Peace Corps was established by President John F. Kennedy. The corps consists of young volunteers who help people of other nations improve their quality of life and take charge of their own futures.
Government
Happy Leap Day!
It’s an event that only happens once every four years. The first modern Leap Day was instituted on February 29, 1752, but it’s a tradition that dates back to Ancient Rome.
Happy Birthday George Washington
Our first president, George Washington, was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia Colony. Since America’s first postage stamps were issued in 1847, he’s appeared on more than 300 US stamps – more than any other individual!
Birth of Barbara Jordan
Barbara Charline Jordan was born on February 21, 1936, in Houston, Texas. She was the first African-American woman elected to the Texas Legislature and the first African American woman from a southern state to serve in the US Congress.
First Contract Airmail Flight
On February 15, 1926, the first contract airmail flight was made between Michigan and Ohio. Three stamps were issued for this service during its first two years.
Creation of the U.S. Weather Bureau
On February 9, 1870, Ulysses S. Grant created the US Weather Bureau. Still in operation today as the National Weather Service, it provides weather forecasts and warnings for hazardous weather.
Happy Birthday Lucky Lindy!
Aviation pioneer Charles Augustus Lindbergh was born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, Michigan. He was the first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean and helped to promote and expand aviation and airmail.
Birth of Horace Greeley
Newspaper publisher Horace Greeley was born on February 3, 1811, in Amherst, New Hampshire. His newspapers championed a number of causes, including abolition, temperance, railroads, and westward expansion.
First National Marine Sanctuary
On January 30, 1975, the USS Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was established off the coast of North Carolina. It was America’s first national marine sanctuary created under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, passed three years earlier.