California Admitted to the Union
On September 9, 1850, California became America’s 31st state. The discovery of gold there two years earlier created a population boom that led to the need for a state government.
Military
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Birth of Claire Chennault
Claire Lee Chennault was born on September 6, 1890, in Commerce, Texas. He formed and led the Flying Tigers during World War II.
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Roosevelt Orchestrates End of War
On September 5, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt mediated the Treaty of Portsmouth, ending the Russo-Japanese War. It earned him a Nobel Prize and began a long-standing tree-giving tradition between the US and Japan.
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Siege of Fort Harrison Begins
On September 4, 1812, the Siege of Fort Harrison began. It would end 11 days later in the first American land victory of the War of 1812.
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2nd Battle of Bull of Run
On August 28, 1862, Union and Confederate forces met a second time at Bull Run (also known as Manassas Junction) in a bloody three-day battle.
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The First Geneva Convention
On August 22, 1864, twelve nations signed the first Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field. This convention and subsequent treaties and protocols established the legal standard for humanitarian treatment in times of war.
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Birth of Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, on August 20, 1833. America’s 23rd president, he was also a Civil War veteran and lawyer.
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Happy Birthday Nathanael Greene
Revolutionary War commander Nathanael Greene was born on August 7, 1742, in Potowomut (Warwick), Rhode Island. One of the Continental Army’s most dependable officers, his leadership was instrumental to the Southern Theater of the American Revolution.
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Battle of Mobile Bay Begins
On August 5, 1864, Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval attack that led to a Union victory at Mobile Bay, Alabama. Though the important city of Mobile remained part of the Confederacy, Mobile Bay was in Union hands and closed to blockade-runners.
