Siege of Fort Harrison Begins
On September 4, 1812, the Siege of Fort Harrison began. It would end 11 days later in the first American land victory of the War of 1812.
This Day in History
The Wilderness Act
On September 3, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act. The act protected 9 million acres from development and created the National Wilderness Preservation System that consists of more than 111 million acres today.
First U.S. Combination-Process Coil
On September 2, 1988, the USPS issued its first coil stamp printed by two totally different procedures. The Honeybee stamp was lithographed and engraved.
First Modern First Day Cover
On September 1, 1923, George Linn produced the first cacheted First Day Covers, giving birth to the modern FDC industry.
Happy Birthday, William Saroyan
Author William Saroyan was born on August 31, 1908, in Fresno, California. He’s been called “one of the most prominent literary figures of the mid-20th century.”
Birth of Roy Wilkins
Civil Rights activist Roy Ottoway Wilkins was born on August 30, 1901, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a leader in the Civil Rights movement and a major figure in the NAACP for over 20 years.
Marsh’s “Railway to the Moon”
On August 29, 1869, Sylvester Marsh demonstrated the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, earning the recognition and funds needed to complete it.
2nd Battle of Bull of Run
On August 28, 1862, Union and Confederate forces met a second time at Bull Run (also known as Manassas Junction) in a bloody three-day battle.
First Major Commercial Oil Well in the U.S.
On August 27, 1859, Edwin Drake struck oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, establishing America’s first commercially viable oil well.