On February 6, 1778, Delegates of King Louis XVI of France and the Second Continental Congress signed a Treaty of Alliance, promising military support to each other. French aid and manpower contributed to America’s ultimate victory in the Revolution.
James Albert Michener is believed to have been born on February 3, 1907, in New York City. He was a bestselling author of more than 40 books, selling an estimated 75 million copies worldwide.
The Battle of Kwajalein began on January 31, 1944. Part of the World War II Pacific Campaign, it was a hard-fought, but quick victory for the US, allowing commanders to launch the next battles sooner than expected.
The fourth USS Yorktown was launched on January 21, 1943. During its more than 25 years of service, the Yorktown participated World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
On January 17, 1781, the Continental Army fought the British near Cowpens, South Carolina. They used the only double envelopment of the war to claim an important victory in what’s considered the turning point in the battle for South Carolina.
Timothy H. O’Sullivan died from tuberculosis on January 14, 1882. He was a well-known photographer who captured the brutality of the Civil War and the untamed beauty of the Western United States.
On January 13, 1865, Union forces launched the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. The fort, dubbed the “Gibraltar of the Confederacy,” was the largest in the South and key to Confederate international trade.
On January 12, 1953, Cape Hatteras became America’s first national seashore. Stretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, this seashore is a fascinating combination of natural and cultural resources.
Artist Albert Bierstadt was born on January 7, 1830, in Solingen, Germany. He was the most successful of the Hudson River School Artists and his paintings of the American West helped inspire increased settlement.