Playing Card Stamps
On August 1, 1894, a tax was imposed on playing cards as part of the Wilson Bill.
This Day in History
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Opening of the Arc de Triomphe
arc during WWII.
On July 29, 1836, the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile (Triumphal Arch of the Star) officially opened to the public. Before the plans were made for the Arc de Triomphe, there was a proposal for a different structure in that location. Architect Charles Ribart wanted to build a three-level elephant-shaped building with a spiral staircase and furniture that folded into the walls. However, the French government denied his request.
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Death of Glenn Curtiss
Aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss died on July 23, 1930, in Buffalo, New York. Glenn Hammond Curtiss was born on May 21, 1878, in Hammondsport, New York. He became interested in bicycles as a young man and was a champion racer, riding bikes he had designed and built.
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Battle of Fair Oaks
On May 31, 1862, the Civil War Battle of Fair Oaks, known in the South as the Battle of Seven Pines, began. The battle could have been one of the last of the war. Instead, it was a turning point in Major General George B. McClellan’s campaign, and the fighting continued for three more years.
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Birth of Leonardo da Vinci
Renaissance Man Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Republic of Florence, Italy.
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First Man in Space
On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space.
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Happy April Fools’ Day
On April 1, 1700, pranksters in England popularized the annual tradition of playing jokes on each other on April Fools’ Day.
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Happy Birthday Charles M. Russell
Artist Charles Marion Russell was born on March 19, 1864, in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Birth of Marian Anderson
Singer Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
