Birth of Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born on October 21, 1833, in Stockholm, Sweden.
This Day in History
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America’s First Automated Post Office
On October 20, 1960, America’s first automated post office opened in Providence, Rhode Island. Issued that same day, this stamp was so popular it inspired the Post Office to continue producing stamps with postal themes.
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Birth of Arleigh Burke
US Navy Admiral Arleigh Burke was born on October 19, 1901, in Boulder, Colorado. He Served with distinction during WWII and went on to serve an unprecedented three terms as chief of Naval Operations.
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Women in Military Service for America Memorial
On October 18, 1997, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial (WIMSA) was officially dedicated in Arlington County, Virginia. This stamp was issued at the memorial’s dedication ceremony.
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Birth of George Polk
Journalist George Polk was born on October 17, 1913, in Fort Worth, Texas. He served as a Navy pilot during World War II before losing his life reporting on the Greek Civil War in 1948.
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National Defense Issue
On October 16, 1940, the US Post Office Department issued a set of three stamps to raise support for a strong national defense. Conceived and designed by President Roosevelt, more than 19 billion stamps were sold, more than any other US stamp series up to that time.
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Death of General Thaddeus Kosciuszko
On October 15, 1817, Polish-Lithuanian General Thaddeus Kosciuszko died in Solothurn, Switzerland. Kosciuszko fought and brought extensive engineering knowledge to the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
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Birth of President Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower was born October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas. After serving as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in WWII, he was elected America’s 34th president.
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Birth of Molly Pitcher
On October 13, 1754, one of the women that inspired the nickname, “Molly Pitcher,” was born near Trenton, New Jersey. She took over her husband’s artillery when he was injured and was later made a noncommissioned officer.
