International Volunteer Day (IVD), officially known as International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, is celebrated every year on December 5. Its purpose is to highlight the essential role volunteers play in communities around the world and to encourage even more people to serve. While it was first observed in 1986, its origins trace back to earlier United Nations efforts to strengthen global development through volunteerism.
Music history took an unforgettable turn on December 4, 1956, when Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash all happened to end up at Sun Studios on the same day. What began as a coincidence quickly became one of the most legendary and unplanned jam sessions in American music history.
On December 3, 1818, President James Monroe signed the legislation that admitted Illinois as the 21st state in the Union. But the history of Illinois stretches far back before statehood. Long before European explorers arrived, the region was home to complex American Indian cultures whose achievements, alliances, and struggles helped shape the land that would become Illinois.
On December 2, 1980, President Jimmy Carter established Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Today the park is part of one of the world’s largest international protected areas.
On December 1, 1921, the US Post Office Department opened its Philatelic Agency in Washington, DC, to the benefit of stamp collectors. It became a valuable resource for stamp information and fulfilled requests for stamps – and was sometimes the only place to get certain issues!
On April 7, 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) was officially created as a specialized agency of the United Nations. The WHO coordinates international efforts to combat outbreaks of infectious diseases and conduct research and education.
On October 24, 1951, the United Nations issued its first postage stamps. The UN is the only organization that’s neither a country or territory to issue its own postage stamps.
On October 23, 1962, the US Post Office Department unknowingly issued an unknown number of inverted Dag Hammarskjöld error stamps. The fallout from this issue became known as Day’s Folly (after Postmaster General J. Edward Day).
On October 9, 1874, some 22 nations met in Bern, Switzerland to form the General Postal Union (later renamed the Universal Postal Union or UPU). The UPU standardized mail service between countries and is one of the world’s oldest international organizations.
Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, in Kinderhook, New York. As America’s eighth president, his term in office was plagued with economic and foreign struggles, but he’s historians consider him fundamental in the development of America’s political system.
On December 5, 1775, Continental Army Colonel Henry Knox reached Fort Ticonderoga in preparation for his “noble train of artillery.” Arriving in Boston 10 weeks later, he delivered much-needed weapons to George Washington.
Cowboy and showman Bill Pickett was born on December 5, 1870. During his life, he was famous for his “bulldogging” act at rodeos. Decades after his death, he became famous once again, as the subject of rare modern stamp error…
On December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment was ratified, ending prohibition after nearly 15 years.
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