Doolittle Raid
On April 18, 1942, Jimmy Doolittle led a daring raid against the Japanese in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor.
American History
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America’s Oldest School for the Deaf
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded the first permanent school for the deaf in America on April 15, 1817. To date, over 4,000 students have graduated from the American School for the Deaf.
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Emancipation Memorial
On April 14, 1876, the Emancipation Memorial (also known as the Freedmen’s Memorial Monument) was unveiled in a special ceremony in Washington, DC. Most of the funds raised for the statue came from freed slaves and African American Union veterans.
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Civil War Centennial Series
On April 12, 1961, the US Post Office issued the first stamp in a five-year series honoring major events from the Civil War. Issued for the war’s 100th anniversary, they were the first US stamps to specifically commemorate the conflict.
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Birth of Matthew C. Perry
The “Father of the Steam Navy” Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry was born on April 10, 1794, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Perry is best known for modernizing the US Naval Academy and opening friendly relations with Japan.
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Birth of Dennis Chávez
The first American-born Hispanic senator, Dionisio “Dennis” Chávez was born on April 8, 1888, in Los Chaves, New Mexico. The 1991 Chavez stamp was the first US stamp printed outside the US and led to a Congressional inquiry!
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The American Museum of Natural History
On April 6, 1869, the American Museum of Natural History was established in New York City. It’s become one of the largest natural history museums in the world, with over 34 million items.
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$1 Airlift Stamp
On April 4, 1968, the USPS issued a $1 stamp that, when combined with a parcel post stamp, was used to send mail and packages to American service members overseas.
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Inaugural Run of the Pony Express
On April 3, 1860, the Pony Express made its first trip from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. Though short-lived, the Pony Express was a revolution in communication, able to transport important letters across the country more than twice as fast as the existing overland mail system.
