This Day In History

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. One of America’s founding documents, it explained why the 13 colonies were at war with Great Britain and that they declared themselves to be independent sovereign states no longer under British rule.

The father of American musical comedy, George Michael Cohan was born on July 3, 1878, in Providence, Rhode Island. He later became so closely associated with patriotic music that many Americans believed he had been born on the Fourth of July, a story Cohan himself enjoyed encouraging.

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, fulfilling a goal set by his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. The law did not end discrimination by itself, but it gave the federal government stronger tools to challenge segregation and unequal treatment.

On July 1, 1957, the Teachers of America stamp was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Education Association. Released in Philadelphia, where the organization began, the stamp honored a century of teachers working to build and improve American education.

On June 11, 1944, the USS Missouri was commissioned into the US Navy, giving America one of the most powerful battleships ever built. Within 15 months, the ship known as “Mighty Mo” would help fight the last major battles of World War II and host the ceremony that formally ended the war.

On June 4, 1940, over 338,000 Allied troops were evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk after being cut off and surrounded there for weeks.

On June 3, 1942, Japanese forces kicked of the 14-month Aleutian Islands Campaign. The campaign’s two Japanese invasions were the only ones on US soil during the war.

On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the US Constitution. The vote was close, but it brought the smallest state into the new nation as the 13th state.

On July 5, 1950, US forces had their first fight of the Korean War at the Battle of Osan.

Showman Phineas Taylor “P.T.” Barnum was born on July 5, 1810, in Bethel, Connecticut. Barnum became known as the “Shakespeare of Advertising” because of his many innovative ideas for the time.

On July 5, 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 into law.  The basis of modern US labor law, it guarantees private sector employees the right to organize in trade unions, bargain collectively, and strike.

On July 5, 1967, the US Post Office issued a 5¢ stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of Lions International as well as a special contest hosted by the organization.