Birth of Harold Lloyd
Film star Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. was born on April 20, 1893, in Burchard, Nebraska. Best known as a silent film star, he appeared in nearly 200 films, most notably Safety Last.
This Day in History
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Graf Zeppelins Issued
On April 19, 1930, three special airmail stamps, the Graf Zeppelins, were made available for sale to be used exclusively on mail carried via the Graf Zeppelin on its European-Pan American flights the following month.
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Doolittle Raid
On April 18, 1942, Jimmy Doolittle led a daring raid against the Japanese in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Brussels World’s Fair
On April 17, 1958, the Brussels World’s Fair, also known as Expo ’58, opened its doors. It was the first major official world’s fair after WWII.
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Birth of Henry Mancini
Enrico Nicola “Henry” Mancini was born on April 16, 1924, in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Considered the most successful film composer of his time, he scored more than 100 movies, including numerous beloved classics.
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America’s Oldest School for the Deaf
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded the first permanent school for the deaf in America on April 15, 1817. To date, over 4,000 students have graduated from the American School for the Deaf.
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Emancipation Memorial
On April 14, 1876, the Emancipation Memorial (also known as the Freedmen’s Memorial Monument) was unveiled in a special ceremony in Washington, DC. Most of the funds raised for the statue came from freed slaves and African American Union veterans.
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Dedication of Jefferson Memorial
On April 13, 1943, the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, was officially dedicated. The dedication occurred on Jefferson’s 200th birthday in a short ceremony in the midst of WWII.
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Civil War Centennial Series
On April 12, 1961, the US Post Office issued the first stamp in a five-year series honoring major events from the Civil War. Issued for the war’s 100th anniversary, they were the first US stamps to specifically commemorate the conflict.
