Opening of SIPEX
On May 21, 1966, the Sixth International Philatelic Exhibition opened in Washington, DC. It was planned in just 18 months and saw the issue of some interesting postal firsts!
This Day in History
First Solo Non-Stop Flight Across the Atlantic
On May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh began his famous flight across the Atlantic aboard the Spirit of St. Louis. Flying alone for 33 hours across 3,600 miles in stormy weather, he became an instant celebrity and American legend.
Private Mailing Card Act
On May 19, 1898, Congress passed the Private Mailing Card Act. The act allowed private printers to produce their own postcards with the same postage rate as government-issued cards.
Tennessee Valley Authority Created
On May 18, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide hydroelectric power to rural areas of six states.
Brown v. Board of Education
On May 17, 1954, the US Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of schools as a result of the case of Brown v. Board of Education.
White Mountain National Forest
On May 16, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson officially created the White Mountain National Forest, which resides mostly in New Hampshire (with about 5% of the forest in Maine). It’s the only national forest located in either state or the most eastern national forest in the country.
First US Airmail Flight
On May 15, 1918, America’s airmail service began when two Curtiss Jennys departed New York and Washington, DC. In the months that followed, pioneering aviators expanded airmail service over the treacherous Allegheny Mountains to Chicago and eventually the west coast.
First International Sky Train
On May 14, 1935, US and Cuban pilots flew the first international airmail sky train. Inspired by locomotives hauling wagons, this air train consisted of a motored airplane pulling two gliders.
Death of Cyrus McCormick
Inventor and businessman Cyrus McCormick died on May 13, 1884, in Chicago, Illinois. He’s best known for his mechanical reaper, which increased productivity, and advanced the industrialization of agriculture in dozens of nations.