First Transatlantic Flight
On May 16, 1919, Albert Cushing Read departed Newfoundland, beginning the first transatlantic flight. On May 27, he touched down in Portugal, successfully crossing the Atlantic.
World War I
Distinguished Servicemen Series
On May 3, 2000, the USPS issued the first stamps in the Distinguished Servicemen Series. These stamps were intended as a tribute to all servicemen, not just the soldiers they pictured.
Founding of New Sweden
On March 29, 1638, the New Sweden Colony was established, encompassing parts of present-day Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The US issued its first three-nation joint issue to commemorate the event in 1988.
Death of President Eisenhower
After suffering a series of heart attacks, former president Dwight D. Eisenhower died of heart failure on March 28, 1969. He commanded the Allied Expeditionary Force in WWII and served as our 34th president.
Birth of Robert Millikan
Physicist Robert Andrews Millikan was born on March 22, 1868, in Morrison, Illinois. He won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on the photoelectric effect.
Birth of Thomas Masaryk
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk was born on March 7, 1850, in Hodonín, Austrian Empire (present-day Czech Republic). He was the first president of Czechoslovakia and is considered its founding father.
Death of Billy Mitchell
On February 19, 1936, Billy Mitchell died in New York City. He’s often considered the father of the United States Air Force, having dedicated much of his career promoting air power in warfare.
First Contract Airmail Flight
On February 15, 1926, the first contract airmail flight was made between Michigan and Ohio. Three stamps were issued for this service during its first two years.
Creation of the U.S. Weather Bureau
On February 9, 1870, Ulysses S. Grant created the US Weather Bureau. Still in operation today as the National Weather Service, it provides weather forecasts and warnings for hazardous weather.