Birth of Raoul Wallenberg
Humanitarian and diplomat Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg was born on August 4, 1912, in Lidingö Municipality, Sweden. Working with the War Refugee Board, he helped over 20,000 Jewish people escape Nazi-occupied Hungary.
International History
Fulbright Scholarships
On August 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed legislation establishing the Fulbright Program. An international exchange program, the Fulbright Scholarship is considered one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world.
Opening of the 1976 Summer Olympics
On July 17, 1976, Queen Elizabeth II presided over the opening ceremonies of the Games of the XXI Olympiad in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. These were the first and only Summer Olympics held in Canada.
Beginning of the French Revolution
On July 14, 1789, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille in Paris, marking the start of the decade-long French Revolution. The end of the revolution would mark the start a constitutional monarchy.
Emancipation Day in the US Virgin Islands
On July 3, 1848, Governor Peter von Scholten abolished slavery in the Danish West Indies (now the US Virgin Islands). Though it would be several years before slavery was truly ended in the islands, this date is celebrated as Emancipation Day, an official holiday, in the US Virgin Islands.
U.S. Troops Committed to Korean War
On June 27, 1950, President Harry Truman announced that America would send troops to aid South Korea. It marked the start of US involvement in a conflict that to date hasn’t formally ended because no peace treaty has been signed.
The Berlin Airlift
On June 26, 1948, the first supply-filled planes departed bases in England and Western Germany as part of the Berlin Airlift.
Canada’s First Airmail Flight
On June 24, 1918, Captain Brian Peck made the first airmail flight in Canada. It would be another decade before the service became official and Canada would issue its first Airmail stamps.
Start of Overrun Countries Series
On June 22, 1943, the first stamp in the Overrun Countries Series, US #909, was issued. These stamps were created to send a message of hope to war-torn residents of the overrun countries.