On September 27, 1777, Lancaster, Pennsylvania served as the nation’s capital for a single day. During and after the Revolutionary War, the nation’s capital changed several times before settling in Washington, DC in 1800.
On September 26, 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon took part in America’s first televised debate, which revealed just how important this growing medium would be on future politics.
On September 25, 1909, the Hudson-Fulton Celebration opened in New York and New Jersey. The celebration marked the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River as well as the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s first successful commercial paddle steamship.
America’s longest-serving chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, was born on September 24, 1755, in Germantown, Virginia.
On September 21, 1948, the US Post Office issued the Gold Star Mothers stamp to honor mothers whose sons had been killed in war. It was the first stamp in eight years to feature women (or women’s organizations), and just the 11th stamp overall to do so.
American historian Francis Parkman was born on September 16, 1823, in Boston, Massachusetts. His books have often been praised as both useful historical texts and enjoyable literature.
Inventor Jan Matzeliger was born on September 15, 1852, in Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana (present-day Surinam). He invented a device that is considered “the most important invention for New England” and the “greatest step forward in the shoe industry.”
On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered one of his most famous and stirring speeches, to generate support for the Apollo program.
On September 11, 1777, George Washington’s forces lost the battle of Brandywine. It was the largest battle of the war, involving over 30,000 troops between both sides, and it was the second-longest single-day battle, lasting 11 hours.