Though he had been in poor health for some time, President Warren G. Harding’s death on August 2, 1923, shocked a nation that had watched him greet cheering crowds only days earlier. The lack of an autopsy, combined with scandals emerging from his administration, soon encouraged rumors that lasted for decades.
Born on August 1, 1779, in western Maryland, Francis Scott Key became forever linked to the flag he saw above Fort McHenry after a 25-hour British bombardment. That sight inspired the four-stanza poem that became “The Star-Spangled Banner,” though the song did not become the national anthem until 1931.
Civil rights leader Whitney Moore Young Jr. was born on July 31, 1921, in Shelby County, Kentucky. He served as Executive Director of the National Urban League, helped organize the March on Washington, and advised several presidents.
On July 30, 1864, Union forces launched the surprise Battle of the Crater. They dug tunnels under Confederate positions and set off explosives to catch them by surprise, but poor decisions led the battle to turn against them.
On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA. The new civilian agency was formed during a tense Cold War race that had moved from laboratories and missile ranges into orbit.
On July 28, 1897, Alexander Winton began a nine-day test-drive of his automobile, proving its reliability to investors. Winton went on to become the top-selling automobile manufacturer for several years. He had more than 100 patents, and often allowed others to use them for free when safety was involved.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial was officially dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. This stamp was issued eight years later and led to a federal court case!
On July 26, 1788, New York ratified the US Constitution, becoming America’s 11th state. It has grown to be America’s fourth most populous state, with more than 20 million residents.
On July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot became the first person to fly an airplane across the English Channel. Flying a small monoplane from near Calais to Dover, the French aviator completed the dangerous journey in just 36 minutes and 30 seconds.