This Day In History

On October 17, 1777, British General Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga – one of the major American victories of the American Revolution. Often considered the turning point of the war, it proved that American troops could battle a European army on their own terms and win.

The United Way traces its beginnings to October 16, 1887, when a priest, two ministers, and a rabbi met in Denver, Colorado, to find a better way to help their struggling community. That meeting led to the creation of an organized, citywide effort to coordinate charitable giving—a movement that would eventually grow into the United Way of America.

On October 15, 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell wrote a letter to Republican presidential nominee Abraham Lincoln. She suggested he grow a beard – which he did shortly after!

Dr. William Boyd Allison Davis, born on October 14, 1902, in Washington, DC, was a scholar who devoted his life to breaking down the barriers of race, class, and inequality in education. At a time when few African Americans were given a platform in the nation’s top universities, Davis used his voice and intellect to challenge the systems that defined how—and for whom—education worked in America. His pioneering research changed the way educators and policymakers viewed learning, fairness, and opportunity.

On October 17, 1777, British General Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga – one of the major American victories of the American Revolution. Often considered the turning point of the war, it proved that American troops could battle a European army on their own terms and win.

The United Way traces its beginnings to October 16, 1887, when a priest, two ministers, and a rabbi met in Denver, Colorado, to find a better way to help their struggling community. That meeting led to the creation of an organized, citywide effort to coordinate charitable giving—a movement that would eventually grow into the United Way of America.

Dr. William Boyd Allison Davis, born on October 14, 1902, in Washington, DC, was a scholar who devoted his life to breaking down the barriers of race, class, and inequality in education. At a time when few African Americans were given a platform in the nation’s top universities, Davis used his voice and intellect to challenge the systems that defined how—and for whom—education worked in America. His pioneering research changed the way educators and policymakers viewed learning, fairness, and opportunity.

On October 13, 1987, the US Navy sent five bottlenose dolphins to the Persian Gulf to help with two important tasks: detecting underwater mines and guarding against enemy divers who might try to sabotage ships or naval installations. These dolphins were part of the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program (NMMP), which had been developing for decades. The deployment marked one of the first times dolphins were used in a combat—or near-combat—environment in the Gulf, during the Iran-Iraq War.

On October 18, 1997, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial (WIMSA) was officially dedicated in Arlington County, Virginia. This stamp was issued at the memorial’s dedication ceremony.

On October 18, 1994, the USPS issued a corrected Legends of the West stamp sheet after it was discovered they had made an error in their original design. It was one of the biggest stamp stories in years!

On October 18, 1867, Alaska became part of America in a move dubbed “Seward’s Folly.” 

On October 18, 1937, the US Post Office issued the first stamp in a new series honoring the overseas territories of the United States.  These stamps chronicled decades of US territorial expansion.