This Day In History
Today, June 4th
First Public Hot Air Balloon Demonstration
On June 4, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers staged the first successful public hot air balloon demonstration, sparking interest and rapid advancements.

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“Casey at the Bat”
On June 3, 1888, the now-famous poem “Casey at the Bat” was first published in the San Francisco Daily Examiner. It’s been performed and recorded thousands of times and adapted to several other media, become the most famous baseball poem in history.

Happy Birthday Martha Washington
America’s first First Lady was born Martha Dandridge on June 2, 1731 (by the Old Style calendar), on her parents’ Chestnut Grove Plantation near Williamsburg, Virginia. After leading several initiatives to involve women in the Revolutionary War, Martha established many of the responsibilities and traditions of the office of first lady.

Confederate Postal Service Begins
On June 1, 1861, the Confederate States of America took control of their own postal operations. With several months before official postage stamps would be ready, some cities produced their own postmaster’s provisional stamps to keep mail moving during this time.

The Sesquicentennial Expo
On May 31, 1926, the Sesquicentennial International Exposition opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was planned to mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 Centennial Exposition.
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Birth of Sally Ride
Sally Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Encino, Los Angeles, California. In 1983, she became the first American woman in space, and the third woman overall, after two Soviet cosmonauts.

Happy Birthday to Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was born on May 21, 1878, in Hammondsport, New York. He designed the planes flown by most American WWI pilots, which were also used to carry the first airmail deliveries.

Trans-Atlantic Airmail Service
On May 20, 1939, the US Post Office inaugurated its official trans-Atlantic airmail service to Europe. The new Yankee Clipper service flew from New York to France in 26 hours.

James Stewart Goes to War
On March 22, 1941, James Stewart was inducted into the US Army, making him the first major US movie star to don a military uniform during World War II.
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Allies Free Rome
On June 4, 1944, Allied troops entered Rome, Italy, freeing it from German control. This marked the start of the final phase of WWII, during which American bombers would be able to hit targets in Eastern Germany for the first time.

Birth of Gustaf Mannerheim
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was born on June 4, 1867, in Askainen, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire. A soldier, statesman, Marshal and President of Finland, Mannerheim led his countrymen though multiple wars, and is sometimes called the father of modern Finland.

The Miracle of Dunkirk
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.

American Architecture Series
On June 4, 1979, the USPS issued the first block of four stamps in the American Architecture Series, which honors the evolution of American architecture over the last two centuries.