Birth of Mary Breckinridge
Nurse midwife Mary Carson Breckinridge was born on February 17, 1881, in Memphis, Tennessee. She founded the Frontier Nursing Service, which helped vastly improve healthcare in rural areas.
This Day in History
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Battle to Recapture Corregidor
On February 16, 1945, the first of 7,000 American troops arrived at Corregidor, ready to retake the important Pacific outpost. A total of 174,000 soldiers would join in the battle, securing the island in 10 days.
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USS Maine Explodes – Ignites War
On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor, leading the US to declare war on Spain two months later. Special Revenue stamps depicting the Maine were produced to fund the Spanish-American War and the event had a significant impact on US postage stamps.
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Arizona Becomes 48th State
On February 14, 1912, Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. It would be another 48 years before another state was added to the Union.
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Battle of Chipyong-ni Begins
On February 13, 1951, the Battle of Chipyong-ni, sometimes called the “high-water mark” of the Chinese fighting in Korea, began. The American victory boosted morale, who had previously seen the Chinese as unbeatable.
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Birth of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809. Despite the lack of a formal education, he became a successful lawyer, politician, and celebrated speaker before taking the nation’s highest office and leading the Union through the Civil War.
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First US Inventors’ Day
On February 11, 1983, America celebrated its first Inventors’ Day. The date was selected to coincide with Thomas Edison’s birthday, but it’s a day that recognizes the contributions of all American inventors.
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National Geodetic Survey
On February 10, 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation to establish the United States Survey of the Coast. This later became the US Coast and Geodetic Survey and eventually the National Geodetic Survey.
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Birth of William Henry Harrison
America’s ninth president, William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773, in Charles City County, Virginia. After delivering the longest inaugural address in history in the freezing cold, he died of pneumonia a month later, serving the shorted term of any president.
