On August 19, 1812, the USS Constitution dueled with the British HMS Guerriere and reigned victorious. During the fighting, one sailor noted that the British cannonballs simply bounced off the Constitution’s oak hull, proclaiming it was “made of iron.” This earned the ship its famous nickname – “Old Ironsides.”
On July 21, 1944, US troops landed on Guam, initiating a three-week battle to recapture the island. Today, the people of Guam celebrate July 21 as Liberation Day.
On July 9, 1944, American troops claimed victory after a three-week battle on Saipan. Having broken through the Japanese defenses, this enabled the US to launch strategic bombing campaigns.
On June 28, 1776, South Carolina patriots won their first decisive victory of the Revolutionary War at Sullivan’s Island.
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the United States Constitution. New Hampshire’s approval of the document put the Constitution into effect and officially made it the United States of America’s ninth state.
On June 12, 1957, the US hosted an International Naval Review that coincided with the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown colony.
On June 7, 1942, the Allies won the Battle of Midway in the Pacific, turning the tide of the war. It’s been called “the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare.”
On June 6, 1944, some 155,000 Allied troops stormed the shores of Normandy on D-Day, the start of Operation Overlord.
On May 30, 1922, William Howard Taft dedicated the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. The memorial houses the massive 19-foot seated Lincoln statue