Gwendolyn L. Ifill was born on September 29, 1955, in Jamaica, Queens. The first African American woman to host a national political show and moderate a vice presidential debate, she was widely known and respected for her integrity and ability to remain unbiased.
Frances Elizabeth Caroline Willard was born on September 28, 1839, in Churchville, New York. She was a leading figure in the temperance and women’s suffrage movements in the late 1800s, though she wouldn’t live to see the passage of the 18th and 19th Amendments that achieved her goals.
Journalist Walter Lippmann was born on September 23, 1889, in New York City, New York. He’s been called the “most influential journalist” of the 20th century and the Father of Modern Journalism.
On September 20, 1947, former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia died. Voted the best former mayor in America, he fought corruption and revitalized the city.
On September 18, 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the US Capitol building in Washington, DC.
On August 29, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Naval Appropriations Act of 1916, establishing the Marine Corps Reserve.
America’s 36th President, Lyndon Baines Johnson, was born on August 27, 1908, in Stonewall, Texas. President Johnson promoted a “Great Society” and signed many initiatives into law aimed at civil rights, public broadcasting, health, education, the arts, and public services.
Decades after the first national park was created, the National Park Service (NPS) was officially established on August 25, 1916. The service has grown to include over 400 areas, covering over 84 million acres.
On August 24, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty came into force, officially establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The purpose of NATO was to maintain a unified military force to defend against Soviet invasion.