Wiley Post Completes First Solo Trip Around the Globe
Wiley Post completed the trip in 7 days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes – 21 hours faster than his previous record.
This Day in History
“Wild Bill” Hickok Wins the First Western Showdown
Standing in the dusty town square of Springfield, Missouri, on July 21, 1865, Wild Bill Hickok fired a single shot, killing Davis Tutt in what’s considered America’s first Western showdown.
Neil Armstrong Becomes First Man to Walk on the Moon
“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong uttered this now famous phrase as he took man’s first step on the Moon.
Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio Sets 56-Game Hitting Streak
On July 16, 1941, Joe DiMaggio entered the record books hitting in 56 straight games, a record that still stands today.
George Washington Carver National Monument Established
On July 14, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt committed $30,000 toward a monument to botanist and inventor George Washington Carver.
Birth of U.S. Army’s Medal of Honor
On July 12, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating a Medal of Honor to be awarded “to such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities during the present insurrection [Civil War].”
William Howard Taft – Only Man to Serve as President and Chief Justice
William Howard Taft always dreamed of being a Supreme Court Justice. After a term as President, the time was finally right for Taft to take his dream job – on July 11, 1921.
First Women Inducted into the U.S. Air Force
Staff Sergeant Esther McGowin Blake raised her right hand and enlisted in the first minute women were allowed to join the U.S. Air Force on July 8, 1948. In doing so, she paved the way for a new generation of women’s military service.
America Declares Independence
When the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, the American colonists wanted equal representation and relief from unjust taxes. Fighting continued for over a year before the Continental Congress took steps to separate the colonies from the United Kingdom.