The Great Race of Mercy
On February 2, 1925, a sled dog team took the Iditarod Trail to deliver a much-needed diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, following a deadly outbreak.
This Day in History
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Motor Vehicle Use Tax Stamps
A tax on motor vehicle use went into effect on February 1, 1942, to help fund World War II. These short-lived stamps were meant to be displayed on the inside of the windshield, to easily show the tax had been paid.
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Battle of Kwajalein
The Battle of Kwajalein began on January 31, 1944. Part of the World War II Pacific Campaign, it was a hard-fought, but quick victory for the US, allowing commanders to launch the next battles sooner than expected.
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Mahatma Gandhi Assassinated
On January 30, 1948, a Hindu extremist assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi used civil disobedience and hunger strikes to fight discrimination and push for India’s independence from Great Britain, among many other causes.
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Birth of President McKinley
William McKinley Jr. was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio. As America’s 25th president, he guided the country during the Spanish-American War, expanded our overseas territories, and promoted rapid economic growth.
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A 15-Inch Snowflake Falls in Montana!
On January 28, 1887, it was claimed that a snowflake 15 inches across and eight inches thick fell on Fort Keough, Montana. While this claim hasn’t been verified, unusually large snowflakes are possible…
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Collapse of the Honeymoon Bridge
On January 27, 1938, the Honeymoon Bridge at Niagara Falls collapsed from the force of ice on the river pressing against its supports. It had been the largest steel arch bridge in the world.
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Australia Day
On January 26, 1788, the first British prisoners arrived in Australia, establishing an experimental penal colony. Though the colony struggled at first, it eventually thrived and became an independent commonwealth.
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Birth of Arturo Schomburg
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was born on January 24, 1874, in Santurce, Puerto Rico to an African American mother and German father. A key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Schomburg dedicated his life to researching and raising awareness of the achievements of Afro-Latin Americans and African Americans.
