The Lions Club Hold First National Meeting
On June 7, 1917, the Lions Club held their first national meeting in Chicago. The oldest continuously operating Lions Club was established on January 18, 1916, in Austin, Texas.
American History
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The Arkansas River Navigation System
On June 5, 1971, the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) was officially dedicated after decades of work. One of the largest civil works projects up to that time, it accounts for more than $1billion in trade transportation each for Arkansas and Oklahoma.
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Aleutian Islands Campaign
One June 3, 1942, Japanese forces kicked of the 14-month Aleutian Islands Campaign. The campaign’s two Japanese invasions were the only ones on US soil during the war.
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Birth of Patricia Roberts Harris
Patricia Roberts Harris was born on May 31, 1924, in Mattoon, Illinois. Harris achieved several firsts in her life. She was the first black woman to serve as an American ambassador, serve in the US Cabinet, be dean of a law school, and sit on the board of directors of a Fortune 500 company.
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Kansas-Nebraska Act
On May 30, 1854, President Franklin Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act into law. The act had been created to settle tensions over slavery and open new lands for development, but instead only proved to create more division and move America closer to Civil War.
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The First Telegraphic Message
On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first message over telegraph. While in the Supreme Court chamber of the US Capitol, he sent the message “What hath God wrought!” over the telegraph to his assistant in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Birth of Frances E. Willis
American diplomat Frances E. Willis was born on May 20, 1899, in Metropolis, Illinois. She was a pioneer in her field – the first woman to become a career Foreign Service Officer, the first US ambassador to Switzerland, and the first female Career Ambassador, among other notable firsts.
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Hot Wheels
On May 18, 1968, Hot Wheels released its first toy cars, dubbed “The Sweet 16.” Since then, they’ve become one of the world’s most popular toy car makers, with the company estimating that they sell eight Hot Wheels every second.
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Peace Officers Memorial Day
On May 15, 1963, the US observed its first Peace Officers Memorial Day. It’s a day that pays tribute to America’s local, state, and federal peace officers who have died or been injured in the line of duty.
