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.
World War II
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.
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.
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.
Battle of Osan
On July 5, 1950, US forces had their first fight of the Korean War at the Battle of Osan.
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.
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.
Allies Free Rome
On June 4, 1944, Allied troops entered Rome, Italy, freeing it from German control. The city’s liberation came after months of hard fighting over mountains, across rivers, and in bad weather, against strong German defenses.
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.