Birth of Adlai Stevenson II
Politician Adlai Stevenson II was born on February 5, 1900, in Los Angeles, California. He was a popular governor of Illinois and US ambassador to the United Nations.
Navy
Wilkes Expedition Discovers Antarctica
On January 19, 1840, US Naval captain Charles Wilkes became the first American to explore the coast of Antarctica. His two year expedition circumnavigated the globe and is credited with playing a significant role in the development of 19th-century science.
Army & Navy Issue
On December 15, 1936, the first of 10 stamps in the Army/Navy Set was issued. The stamps honor 18 military leaders from the Revolutionary War to Spanish-American War.
Birth of Richard Byrd
Richard Evelyn Byrd was born on October 25, 1888, in Winchester, Virginia. Byrd led three Antarctic expeditions and was the US Navy’s youngest admiral at the time.
Death of Herman Melville
On September 28, 1891, author Herman Melville died in his New York City home. While it was a moderate success during his lifetime, Melvile’s novel Moby-Dick is now considered a masterpiece of American literature.
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.
Birth of Ernie Pyle
Journalist and war correspondent Ernest Taylor Pyle was born on August 3, 1900, in Dana, Indiana. America’s most widely read war correspondent, he earned a Pulitzer Prize for Journalism and was one of a few civilians to be awarded the Purple Heart.
Opening of the USS Arizona Memorial
On May 30, 1962, the USS Arizona Memorial was officially opened to the public. A tribute to those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, it’s visited by two million people per year and is a National Historic Landmark.
Battle of Okinawa
On April 1, 1945, the Battle of Okinawa began. Lasting nearly three months, it was the last major battle of the war and the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific.