Connecticut’s Charter Oak
On August 21, 1856, Connecticut’s famed Charter Oak Tree was struck down in a thunderstorm. The tree had become a legend in the state’s history, reportedly hiding the colonial charter two centuries earlier.
This Day in History
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Early Commercial Radio
On August 20, 1920, Detroit’s 8MK radio station began daily broadcasts. Still in operation today, the station often claims to be the first commercial radio station, though a few others have also staked their claim on that title.
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Birth of Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash was born on August 19, 1902, in Rye, New York. Having written over 500 poems during his life, Nash is considered America’s best-known humorous poet.
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Birth of Phoebe Pember
Phoebe Yates Levy Pember was born on August 18, 1823, in Charleston, South Carolina. During the Civil War, she directed the care and dietary needs of over 15,000 soldiers at Richmond’s Chimborazo, one of the CSA’s largest hospitals. She later recounted her experiences in her memoir, A Southern Woman’s Story.
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Happy Birthday Davy Crockett
David “Davy” Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 in Greene County, North Carolina (though it is now part of Tennessee). Dubbed the King of the Wild Frontier, Crockett was a folk hero, politician, frontiersman and soldier.
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World’s First Undersea Post Office
On August 16, 1939, the world’s first undersea post office opened in the Bahamas. It was developed by an undersea photographer and garnered significant interest from around the world. Decades later, more underwater post offices and post boxes were established in other countries, many of which are still in operation today…
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Birth of Ethel L. Payne
Ethel Lois Payne was born on August 14, 1911, in Chicago, Illinois. Known as the “First Lady of the Black Press,” he was the first black female war correspondent in Vietnam and the first black female commentator on a major radio and television network.
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Birth of Lucy Stone
Abolitionist and Suffragist Lucy Stone was born on August 13, 1818, in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. Stone dedicated her life to helping women receive the same rights as men. She was the first woman from her state to earn a college degree and is considered the “heart and soul” of the women’s rights movement.
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U.S. Post Offices Takes Over Airmail Flights
On August 12, 1918, the US Post Office Department took over control of airmail service from the US Army Air Service. Under the Post Office Department, the service flourished, leading to transcontinental airmail service, which was eventually taken over by private companies.
