On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous House Divided Speech in Springfield, Illinois. The speech helped propel Lincoln onto the national stage, setting him on course to become one of America’s greatest presidents.
On June 15, 1934, Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation establishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Home to some of the highest mountains in North America, the park is one of the most visited in the United States.
On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army, the precursor of the United States Army. Commanded by George Washington, they faced off against the British in such notable battles as Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown.
Winfield Scott was born on June 13, 1786, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Nicknamed “Old Fuss and Feathers” and the “Grand Old Man of the Army,” he was one of America’s longest-serving military commanders.
On June 12, 1939, the Baseball Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown, New York. Often referred to as simply Cooperstown, it’s become the home of baseball, with more than 300 inductees over the years.
Vincent Thomas Lombardi was born on June 11, 1913, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. One of the most successful coaches in NFL history, the Super Bowl trophy is named in his honor.
On June 10, 1967, the Gateway Arch opened in St. Louis, Missouri. A monument to America’s westward expansion, it’s the tallest arch in the world at 630 feet.
On June 9, 1978, Canada opened its second international stamp exhibition, CAPEX ’78 (CAnadian Philatelic EXhibition). The show marked the first time the US issued a souvenir sheet outside of the country.
Robert Robinson Taylor was born on June 8, 1868, in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was the first African American student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the first fully accredited African American architect in the US.