This Day In History

One of the most well known maritime disasters in history occurred on April 14, 1912, when the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank.

On April 13, 1977, the USPS issued the first stamps in the American Folk Art Series. The Folk Art Series honored important and lesser-known items in American art and culture.

On April 12, 2007, the USPS issued its first Forever stamp, which featured a patriotic image of the Liberty Bell. Since 2011, all first-class stamps have been Forever stamps.

On April 11, 1900, the US Navy acquired the USS Holland, their first modern commissioned submarine.

On July 12, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating a Medal of Honor to be awarded to members of the Army. Of the more than 3,500 medals of honor awarded since then, 1,520 were for Civil War service.

On March 30, 1908, the US Post Office issued an imperforate 5¢ Lincoln stamp that nearly went unnoticed by collectors.  It was never intended for public sale and could have been lost to time if not for a group of quick-acting collectors.

On December 2, 1863, the Statue of Freedom was placed atop the US Capitol to a 35-gun salute. The ceremony was held in the midst of the Civil War – President Lincoln had insisted the Capitol be completed as a symbol of American unity.

On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous House Divided Speech in Springfield, Illinois. The speech helped propel Lincoln onto the national stage, setting him on course to become one of America’s greatest presidents.

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded the first permanent school for the deaf in America on April 15, 1817. To date, over 4,000 students have graduated from the American School for the Deaf.

Artist Charles Willson Peale was born on April 15, 1741, in Chester, Province of Maryland. A prolific artist from the Revolutionary era, he painted more than 1,100 portraits, including several of George Washington.

Asa Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, Florida. Randolph was a respected and outspoken proponent of the rights of minority labor. He was greatly feared by his opponents, not because of his temperament, but because of his power to create change.

On April 15, 1732, the first stone was laid for Boston’s Christ Church, more famously known as the Old North Church. It’s home to the oldest church bells in America. And it was made famous during Paul Revere’s midnight ride with the signal, “one if by land, two if by sea.”