The Peace Rose
On April 29, 1945, the Peace rose was made available for sale in the US. The Peace rose helped popularize gardening and provided a huge boost to the rose industry.
International History
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Happy Birthday Shirley Temple
Beloved child star and diplomat Shirley Temple was born on April 23, 1928, in Santa Monica, California. Temple starred in over 40 films by the time she was 12, and went on to become the first female ambassador to Czechoslovakia.
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US-Netherlands Relations
On April 19, 1782, John Adams secured recognition from the Dutch Republic of the United States as an independent government. This marked the start of one of America’s longest unbroken peaceful relationships with another nation.
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Founding of the Pan American Union
On April 14, 1890, the United States and several Latin American countries created the Pan American Union to address matters of common interest. This day has since come to be known as the “Day of the Americas” and “Pan American Day.”
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Ponce de Leon Claims Florida
On April 3, 1513, Juan Ponce de León landed on the Florida coast and claimed the area for Spain. He named it La Florida, or “Feast of Flowers,” a reference to the Easter celebration in Spain.
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Wilson Asks Congress to Declare War
President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress on April 2, 1917, asking to declare war and join World War I. Despite Wilson’s desire to remain neutral, Germany had attacked several ships carrying US citizens, with no promise of stopping.
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First National Daylight Saving Time in the U.S.
On March 31, 1918, daylight saving time went into effect for the first time in the United States. It was originally instituted as a wartime measure, but was later adopted permanently.
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Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge
On March 18, 1855, the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge officially opened. A joint project between the US and Canada, the bridge opened a new transportation route and marked the start of more than a century of friendship between our two nations.
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Olympic Stamps Removed from Sale
On March 11, 1980, the USPS removed all the stamps it had issued for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Moscow from sale as part of an American boycott of the games. According the USPS, this was the first time they removed stamps from sale for political reasons since the Civil War.
