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.
World War I
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Zimmermann Telegram
On February 24, 1917, British officials shared the Zimmermann Telegram with US President Woodrow Wilson, revealing a German plot to incite a war between the US and Mexico.
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Birth of W.E.B. Du Bois
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. A founding member of the NAACP, he was a leading civil rights activist.
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Pluto Discovered
On February 18, 1930, Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto after nearly a year of searching. It would be another 85 years before the US sent its first space probe there – inspired by a postage stamp!
