University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
On December 11, 1789, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was established. It’s the oldest public university in the United States in terms of beginning instruction as a public school.
Presidents
The Flag of Liberation
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. A day that will live in infamy, the attack prompted an unusual handling of the American flag, which became known as the Flag of Liberation.
Dedication of Everglades National Park
On December 6, 1947, President Harry Truman presided over the dedication of Florida’s Everglades National Park. It’s the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the third largest park in the country.
End of Prohibition
On December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment was ratified, ending prohibition after nearly 15 years.
President Wilson Sails to Europe
On December 4, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson boarded a boat to Paris, becoming the first siting president to travel to Europe. He spent six months in France for the World War I peace talks in Paris.
Eisenhower Visits Korea
On November 29, 1952, president-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower filled a campaign promise to visit Korea. He had been critical of Harry Truman’s handling of the Korean conflict and promised he would visit and bring an end to the war.
New York’s Evacuation Day
On November 25, 1783, the British Army left New York City following the American Revolutionary War. The date was celebrated for over a century as Evacuation Day, with celebrations rivaling those held on the Fourth of July.
Birth of President Franklin Pierce
America’s 14th president, Franklin Pierce, was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, on November 23, 1804. Despite his early popularity, Pierce only served one term due to his poor handling of the growing slavery issue.
Congress’s First Session in the U.S. Capitol
On November 17, 1800, Congress convened in the still-under-construction Capitol building in Washington, DC for the first time. The Capitol building would undergo several expansions over the years, eventually growing to 16.5 acres.