Birth of Calvin Coolidge
Future President John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1872. He would serve as America’s 30th president, taking the office upon the unexpected death of President Warren Harding.
World War I
US Begins Issuing Stamps in the Philippines
On June 30, 1899, the American military government issued its first stamps in the Philippines. Spanish colonization of the Philippines began in 1565 and continued for more than three centuries. In the late 1800s, the people of the Philippines revolted against the atrocities of their Spanish rulers. At the same time, unrest was growing in the Spanish colony of Cuba.
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Bosnia Serb nationalist, sparking World War I.
West Virginia Becomes 35th State
On June 20, 1863, West Virginia joined the Union as the 35th state. It had formed from the western counties of Virginia which disagreed with the state’s decision to secede during the Civil War.
First Successful Single-Rotor Helicopter Flight
On May 24, 1940, Igor Sikorsky successfully flew the first single-rotor helicopter. Sikorsky developed the world’s first mass-produced helicopter and one of the first American helicopters used in World War II.
Movie Stars Hit Streets to Sell War Bonds
On April 8, 1918, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks held a war bond drive on Wall Street to bolster support for the war effort.
German Spring Offensive
On March 21, 1918, Germany launched its Spring Offensive in the hopes of tipping the scales of the war before American troops and supplies could reach the front.
Birth of General Joseph Stilwell
Joseph Warren Stilwell was born on March 19, 1883 in Palatka, Florida. “Uncle Joe” served and led with distinction during World War I and II, earning some of the military’s highest honors.
Narcotic Tax Stamps
On February 25, 1919, a Narcotic Tax was officially instated. Initially created to help fund World War I, they remained in use for over 50 years.