First Flight of the B-25 Mitchell Bomber
On August 19, 1940, the B-25 Mitchell bomber made its first flight. One of the most famous medium bombers of World War II, its combination…
World War II
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President Truman Announces Japan’s Surrender
After nearly six years of a world at war, the Japanese surrendered on August 14, 1945, effectively ending World War II.
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First Women Enlist in the Marines
On August 13, 1918, Opha May Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the US Marine Corps Reserve. By war’s end, a total of 305 women had enrolled and served in the Marines.
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JFK Saves His PT-109 Crew
On August 2, 1943, future president John F. Kennedy saved the majority of his PT-109 crew after a Japanese destroyer rammed them.
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Birth of Ernst Reuter
The mayor of West Berlin, Ernst Rudolph Johannes Reuter, was born on July 29, 1889, in Apenrade, German Empire. Refusing to bow to Soviet pressure during the Cold War, he unified the western sectors of Berlin and was integral to the Berlin Airlift.
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First Flight of the B-17 Flying Fortress
On July 28, 1935, Boeing’s Model 299, as it was called at the time, embarked on its first flight from a Seattle airfield. The plane would go on to be one of the most famous used during World War II.
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Birth of Stephen Vincent Benét
Stephen Vincent Benét was born on July 22, 1898, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he’s best known for his historically inspired poems, short stories, and novels.
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Battle of Osan
On July 5, 1950, US forces had their first fight of the Korean War at the Battle of Osan.
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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.
