US Troops Clear Saipan
On July 9, 1944, American troops claimed victory after a three-week battle on Saipan. Having broken through the Japanese defenses, this enabled the US to launch strategic bombing campaigns.
American History
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Birth of a Circus Legend
Showman Phineas Taylor “P.T.” Barnum was born on July 5, 1810, in Bethel, Connecticut. Barnum became known as the “Shakespeare of Advertising” because of his many innovative ideas for the time.
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Start of the Bicentennial Series
On July 4, 1971, the USPS issued the first stamp in the Bicentennial Series. Over the course of six years, the USPS issued 113 commemorative stamps honoring the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution.
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Union Wins the Battle of Gettysburg
On July 3, 1863, Union forces turned the tide of the Civil War with their victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. It helped to raise morale in the North and was a major turning point in the war.
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First U.S. Postage Stamp Goes on Sale
On July 1, 1847, America’s first postage stamps were issued. While the use of stamps wasn’t mandatory until 1856, this was a historic philatelic milestone.
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Birth of George Washington Goethals
US Army general and civil engineer, George Washington Goethals was born on June 29, 1858, in Brooklyn, New York. Under his leadership, the Panama Canal was completed two years ahead of schedule.
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Battle of Sullivan’s Island
On June 28, 1776, South Carolina patriots won their first decisive victory of the Revolutionary War at Sullivan’s Island.
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Birth of Helen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Thanks in part to the teachings of Anne Sullivan, she went on to become the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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Birth of Chesty Puller
Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller was born on June 26, 1898, in West Point, Virginia. The most decorated Marine in US history, Puller stands as a symbol of esprit de corps.
