Siege of Fort Harrison Begins
On September 4, 1812, the Siege of Fort Harrison began. It would end 11 days later in the first American land victory of the War of 1812.
American History
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The Wilderness Act
On September 3, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act. The act protected 9 million acres from development and created the National Wilderness Preservation System that consists of more than 111 million acres today.
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First Modern First Day Cover
On September 1, 1923, George Linn produced the first cacheted First Day Covers, giving birth to the modern FDC industry.
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Birth of Roy Wilkins
Civil Rights activist Roy Ottoway Wilkins was born on August 30, 1901, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a leader in the Civil Rights movement and a major figure in the NAACP for over 20 years.
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Marsh’s “Railway to the Moon”
On August 29, 1869, Sylvester Marsh demonstrated the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, earning the recognition and funds needed to complete it.
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2nd Battle of Bull of Run
On August 28, 1862, Union and Confederate forces met a second time at Bull Run (also known as Manassas Junction) in a bloody three-day battle.
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First Major Commercial Oil Well in the U.S.
On August 27, 1859, Edwin Drake struck oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, establishing America’s first commercially viable oil well.
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Birth of Albert Sabin
Albert Saperstein was born on August 26, 1906, in Białystok, Russian Empire (present-day Poland). Sabin developed one of the vaccines that helped to nearly eradicate polio worldwide.
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Happy Birthday, Leonard Bernstein
Leonard (Louis) Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. One of the most famous conductors of his time, he was the first American conductor to earn international praise.
