First Highway Post Office
On February 10, 1941, the first Highway Post Office began service in the United States. These Highway Post Offices provided mail service to areas that didn’t have passenger train service to bring in the mail.
American History
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Founding of the Boy Scouts of America
On February 8, 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was officially founded. The world’s largest youth organization, the Boy Scouts has grown from a British youth group to a worldwide movement with members in almost every country around the globe.
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First Untethered Spacewalk
On February 7, 1984, two NASA astronauts conducted the first untethered spacewalk – leaving the space shuttle Challenger without being connected by a cable.
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Birth of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, on February 6, 1911. After a moderately successful acting career, he became America’s 40th president and is often considered an icon in the Republican Party.
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National Weatherpersons Day
February 5 is celebrated annually as National Weatherpersons Day in honor of Dr. John Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers. National Weatherpersons Day is held on February 5 to mark Jeffries’s birthday in 1744.
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Happy Groundhog Day!
On February 2, 1887, the first official Groundhog Day event was held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. However, the tradition dates back much further to the Christian holiday known as Candlemas, and likely even further to the pre-Christian Celtic holiday of Imbolc.
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Launch of Explorer I
Late in the evening of January 31, 1958, the US launched its first satellite, Explorer I. It was an important milestone in America’s space race with the Soviet Union.
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Paris Peace Accords
On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords ended US involvement in the Vietnam War. It marked the end of a decade of US presence in Vietnam, though the fighting would continue for two more years.
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Birth of Bessie Coleman
Aviator Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas. The first female African American aviator, she achieved her dream of becoming a pilot during a time when most African Americans would not have even considered learning to fly.
