China Clipper Inaugurates Trans-Pacific Airmail
On November 22, 1935, the China Clipper made its first airmail voyage across the Pacific Ocean. The first-ever transpacific airmail journey, it carried over 110,000 pieces of mail.
This Day in History
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Happy Birthday Coleman Hawkins
Jazz musician Coleman Randolph “Hawk” Hawkins was born on November 21, 1904, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Hawkins is credited with establishing the tenor saxophone as a prominent jazz instrument.
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Happy Birthday Félix Varela
Félix Varela y Morales was born on November 20, 1788, in Havana, Cuba. A priest and teacher, he spent his life helping the poor and sick.
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Start of the Prominent Americans Series
On November 19, 1965, the U.S. Post Office issued the first stamp in a new series honoring Prominent Americans. The series included several “firsts” and technological changes.
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America Institutes First National Time Zones
On November 18, 1883, US and Canadian railroad companies jointly adopted five standard continental time zones. It was called The Day of Two Noons, with railroads resetting their clocks at exactly the same time across the country.
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Birth of Artist Isamu Noguchi
On November 17, 1904, Isamu Noguchi was born in Los Angeles, California. He was a world-renowned artist known for his large-scale sculptures found around the globe.
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Happy Birthday, W.C. Handy
Composer and musician William Christopher Handy was born on November 16, 1873, in Florence, Alabama. He called himself the “Father of the Blues” for his role in popularizing the style on a national level.
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First U.S. Self-Adhesive Stamp
On November 15, 1974, the USPS issued its first experimental self-adhesive stamp. It would take two decades to perfect the innovation, and another decade before nearly all US stamps were self-adhesive.
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First Streetcar in America
On November 14, 1832, the John Mason was inaugurated as the first streetcar service in America. It was more comfortable, affordable, efficient, and faster than other vehicles of the da
