Washington Establishes U.S. Post Office
On February 20, 1792, George Washington signed the Postal Service Act, creating the US Post Office.
This Day in History
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Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473, in Thorn, Poland. A pioneering astronomer, he suggested that the planets revolve around the sun at a time many believed the planets revolved around the Earth.
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Golden Gate International Exposition
On February 18, 1939, the Golden Gate International Exposition opened in San Francisco, California. Initially planned to honor the completion of the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, it was expanded to honor all the countries and continents surrounding the Pacific.
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Birth of Julia de Burgos
Poet Julia de Burgos García was born on February 17, 1914, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. A poet, civil rights activist, and Puerto Rican nationalist, de Burgos defied convention before feminism was accepted in her culture.
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The Burning of the USS Philadelphia
On February 16, 1804, Stephen Decatur led a surprise assault on the captured USS Philadelphia in Tripoli. Part of the First Barbary War, the assault was intended to keep the Tripolitans from salvaging the damaged ship for their own use.
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“We Can Do It” Poster
On February 15, 1943, the famed Rosie the Riveter “We Can Do It” poster was first displayed in Westinghouse factories.
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National Donor Day
On February 14, 1998, the first National Donor Day was held in the US. The annual event is held to raise awareness of the need for organ and tissue donations and to honor those who have donated, those who have received donations, and those we lost before donations became available.
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World Radio Day
World Radio Day was established in 2011 to commemorate the creation of United Nations Radio on February 13, 1946. The UN created its radio service believing it was important for the people of the world to be “fully informed of its aims and activities.”
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Birth of Alden Partridge
Alden Partridge was born on February 12, 1785, in Norwich, Vermont. Partridge was a distinguished professor and superintendent of West Point, surveyor, and founder of Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military college.
