On May 21, 1804, Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery departed St. Charles on the Missouri River to begin their exploration of the American West. Traveling 8,000 miles over 28 months, they provided the first accurate mapping of the US west of the Mississippi River.
On May 19, 1883, the first Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show opened in Omaha, Nebraska. The show ran under a few different names for 30 years.
Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. A hero of the Civil War, he served as America’s 18th president.
The first American-born Hispanic senator, Dionisio “Dennis” Chávez was born on April 8, 1888, in Los Chaves, New Mexico. The 1991 Chavez stamp was the first US stamp printed outside the US and led to a Congressional inquiry!
On March 29, 1638, the New Sweden Colony was established, encompassing parts of present-day Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The US issued its first three-nation joint issue to commemorate the event in 1988.
On March 21, 1617, the funeral of Pocahontas was held at Saint George’s, Gravesend, Kent, England. While some stories of her life have been exaggerated, she did befriend John Smith and help bring peace between their people.
American soldier and politician Sam Houston was born on March 2, 1793, in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was a hero of the Texas Revolution and the first president of the Republic of Texas.
On December 27, 1980, the USPS issued the first stamp in the Great Americans Series, which would go on to become the longest-running US definitive series.
Christopher Houston Carson was born December 24, 1809, in Richmond, Kentucky. Better known as Kit Carson, his contributions to the westward expansion of the United States rank him as one of the nation’s great folk heroes.