This Day In History

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 16, 1941, Joe DiMaggio extended his record-setting hitting streak to 56 straight games, a Major League mark that still stands. For more than two months, the New York Yankees center fielder had turned each trip to the plate into a national sports story.

On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space when he launched aboard Freedom 7. The brief suborbital flight lasted just over 15 minutes, but it marked a turning point in the United States’ early space efforts.

On March 29, 1974, Mariner 10 became the first space probe to fly by Mercury. It would eventually send back over 2,700 photos, capturing nearly half of the planet’s surface.

On March 18, 1965, Alexei Leonov did what no human had ever done before—he stepped out of a spacecraft and into the vacuum of space. Suspended above Earth with only a thin tether holding him to life, Leonov’s daring walk marked a turning point in the early Space Race.

On March 2, 1972, Pioneer 10 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It became the first spacecraft to travel beyond the outer planets and eventually the first human-made object to head out of the Solar System.

On July 20, 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver held the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago, Illinois.

On July 20, 1976, Viking 1 became the first man-made object to land on Mars. It was one of the first spacecraft to conduct prolonged scientific studies on the surface on another planet.

On July 20, 2012, the USPS issued the first of several modern stamps in imperforate press sheets, which caused quite a stir in the stamp world!

On July 20, 1875, the first convention of the American Bankers Association (ABA) was held in Saratoga Springs, New York. The ABA works on behalf of banks of all sizes and is the largest financial trade group in the US.