This Day In History

On May 10, 1908, the first official Mother’s Day celebration was held in Grafton, West Virginia.

On May 9, 1936, the Third International Philatelic Exhibition (TIPEX) opened at Grand Central Palace in New York City. The exhibition included the issue of a four-stamp souvenir sheet, a visit from he Hindenburg, and more. 

President Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri on May 8, 1884. America’s 33rd president, he led America through the final months of WWII and the early years of the Cold War.

On May 7, 1847, the American Medical Association (AMA) was founded, thanks in large part to Nathan Smith Davis. Since its creation, the AMA’s mission has been “to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.”

On April 28, 1948, Fort Sumter National Monument was established to preserve the site where the opening shots of the Civil War were fired. Twelve years later, nearby Fort Moultrie was added to the protected area. Together, they honor and preserve generations of American seacoast defense from the American Revolution to World War II.

America’s 26th president, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was born October 27, 1858, in New York City. The youngest man to ever hold the office, he considered one of his greatest achievements to be the Panama Canal.

On July 14, 1932, the International Peace Garden was dedicated, representing the peaceful relationship between the United States and Canada. The park sits on the border between North Dakota and the Canadian province of Manitoba.

On June 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law, giving him and future presidents the authority to create national monuments from federal lands.

On May 11, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation establishing the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). The REA brought power to millions on remote farms.

On May 11, 1863, representatives from 15 nations met in Paris to discuss postal issues.  That first International Postal Conference would eventually lead to the creation of the Universal Postal Union.

Jacqueline Cochran was born Bessie Lee Pittman on May 11, 1906, in Pensacola, Florida.  The first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound, she held more speed, altitude, and distance records than any other pilot, male or female, in the world.

Inventor Ottmar Mergenthaler was born on May 11, 1854, in Hatchel, Kingdom of Württemberg (present-day Baden-Württemberg). Mergenthaler invented the linotype machine, which made it quicker and easier to set complete lines of type for printing presses, revolutionizing printing in the 19th century.