This Day In History

On July 10, 1943, the Allies launched Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, with troops dropping from the sky and ships crowding the coast. The attack opened the road to mainland Italy, but it also showed how hard the next stage of the war would be.

On July 9, 1850, President Zachary Taylor died just 16 months after taking office. His sudden death ended the presidency of a career soldier who had won national fame on the battlefield, then faced one of the most dangerous political crises in the nation’s history.

Staff Sergeant Esther McGowin Blake raised her right hand in the very first minute women were allowed to join the US Air Force on July 8, 1948. Her enlistment did not make the Air Force equal overnight, but it marked a clear first step toward a permanent place for women in the nation’s newest military branch.

On July 7, 1942, the United States issued its first stamp with foreign characters as part of the design. The stamp honored China’s fight against Japan and used a small design detail to show a larger wartime friendship.

On July 7, 1942, the United States issued its first stamp with foreign characters as part of the design. The stamp honored China’s fight against Japan and used a small design detail to show a larger wartime friendship.

On June 17, 1844, Boyd’s City Express Post opened in New York City, offering residents a faster alternative for sending letters across the growing metropolis. Despite decades of government efforts to restrict private mail services, Boyd’s continued making deliveries for more than 40 years.

On June 13, 1974, the US issued its first stamps designed in a diamond format, honoring America’s Mineral Heritage. The four bright 10¢ stamps turned ordinary minerals into miniature works of art and gave rock collectors a long-awaited place in US postal history.

On June 10, 2005, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) printed its last US stamp. The Bureau first began printing US postage stamps in 1894 and for 75 years, printed nearly all US stamps.

William Howard Taft always dreamed of being a Supreme Court justice. After a term as president, the time was finally right for Taft to take his dream job – on July 11, 1921.

America’s sixth president, John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767, in Braintree (present-day Quincy), Massachusetts. He was the first president’s son to become president.

On July 11, 1979, Skylab, the first manned US space laboratory, returned to Earth after six years in space. The success of the Skylab project encouraged the continued inclusion of humans in space study.

On July 11, 1804, former US Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was mortally wounded in a duel with sitting Vice President Aaron Burr.