This Day In History

On July 23, 1904, according to one popular account, an ice cream seller at the St. Louis World’s Fair found a tasty solution to serving ice cream without a dish. The familiar cone was not truly invented there, but the enormous fair helped turn it into a popular American treat.

On July 22, 1933, Wiley Post completed the first solo flight around the world, returning to New York after nearly eight days in the air and at remote stops. He also broke his own speed record while testing navigation equipment that pointed toward the future of long-distance aviation.

On July 21, 1861, Confederate forces won the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas. It was the first major land battle of the Civil War and the grisly fighting led both sides to realize that the war wouldn’t be won quickly. 

On July 20, 1969, the US effectively won the Space Race when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Eagle lunar module on the Moon’s surface.

On July 19, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill officially established the “V” for Victory campaign. The letter “V” became a rallying cry for people in occupied nations as well as Germans who opposed the Nazis.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, Cape Province, South Africa. His long struggle against apartheid would carry him from prison to the presidency and make him a worldwide symbol of reconciliation and democratic change.

On July 17, 1987, the USPS issued its first joint issue with Morocco, commemorating 200 years of diplomatic relations.

On July 14, 1853, President Franklin Pierce opened a glass-and-iron palace in New York City filled with machinery, art, and manufactured goods from around the world. The Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations became the first major world’s fair in the United States and tested whether New York could rival London as a center of industry and culture.

On July 24, 1911, Hiram Bingham became one of the first Americans to explore the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu. Relatively unknown to the outside world at the time, his expedition brought it international attention, changing our understanding of ancient civilizations in South America.

After 17 months of travel searching for a new home for his persecuted people, Brigham Young found Utah’s Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847 and proclaimed, “This is the place.”

Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. Earhart advanced the role of women in aviation during the early days of flight.  She was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo (and the first person to do it twice), receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, and fly nonstop coast-to-coast across the US.

On July 24, 1701, French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac established a fort on the site of what would become the city of Detroit.