First Armed Forces Day
On May 20, 1950, the US first celebrated Armed Forces Day. Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May, near the end of Armed Forces Week.
On May 20, 1950, the US first celebrated Armed Forces Day. Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May, near the end of Armed Forces Week.
On May 3, 2000, the USPS issued the first stamps in the Distinguished Servicemen Series. These stamps were intended as a tribute to all servicemen, not just the soldiers they pictured.
Jazz legend Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, DC. Better known as Duke Ellington, he was considered one of the most influential jazz composers.
On April 18, 1942, Jimmy Doolittle led a daring raid against the Japanese in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The “Father of the Steam Navy” Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry was born on April 10, 1794, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Perry is best known for modernizing the US Naval Academy and opening friendly relations with Japan.
César Estrada Chávez was born on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona. He created the National Farm Workers Association, implementing nonviolent protests to fight for better pay and conditions.
On March 27, 1794, Congress passed the Naval Act, creating America’s permanent naval force. Since then, it has become one of the largest and most powerful navies in the world.
Medal of Honor Day has been celebrated on this day since 1991 to commemorate the awarding of the first six Medals of Honor for the Great Locomotive Chase. Those medals were awarded on March 25, 1863, for their daring actions of April 12, 1862.
Chester William Nimitz was born on February 24, 1885, in Fredericksburg, Texas. He was a leading naval commander during World War II and an authority on submarines.