Siege of Port Hudson Ends
On July 9, 1863, Confederate forces surrendered Port Hudson, Louisiana, ending a 48-day siege. The longest siege in American history, the victory returned control of the Mississippi River to the Union.
American History
The US Annexes Hawaii
On July 7, 1898, President William McKinley signed legislation annexing Hawaii, paving the way for it to become a US state.
Bicycle Mail
On July 6, 1894, a San Francisco businessman operated a short-lived bicycle mail route in San Francisco, complete with his own stamps.
Birth of Calvin Coolidge
Future President John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1872. He would serve as America’s 30th president, taking the office upon the unexpected death of President Warren Harding.
Idaho Becomes 43rd State
On July 3, 1890, Idaho was admitted as America’s 43rd state. This occurred 27 years after its creation as a territory.
President Garfield Assassinated
On July 2, 1881, an assassin shot President James Garfield just four months into his presidency. Dying two months later, his was the second shortest presidency in US history.
The Revenue Act of 1862
On July 1, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Revenue Act of 1862 into law, to help fund the Civil War. Revenue stamps remained in use off an on for a century, paying the tax on a wide variety of items.
US Begins Issuing Stamps in the Philippines
On June 30, 1899, the American military government issued its first stamps in the Philippines. Spanish colonization of the Philippines began in 1565 and continued for more than three centuries. In the late 1800s, the people of the Philippines revolted against the atrocities of their Spanish rulers. At the same time, unrest was growing in the Spanish colony of Cuba.
First US Space Shuttle Docking to Mir
On June 29, 1995, the US Space Shuttle Atlantis docked the Russian space station Mir for the first time. The mission, STS-71, was the third in the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir program. It began on June 27, 1995, when the Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the 100th US human space launch from Cape Canaveral.