Mount Rushmore is Complete
On October 31, 1941, work on Mount Rushmore was completed 14 years after it began. The final monument was quite different than it was originally planned.
This Day in History
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Happy Birthday, John Adams!
John Adams was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, on October 30, 1735. Adams was America’s first vice president and second president.
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International Red Cross Establishes Goals
On October 29, 1863, representatives from around the world joined together to establish the International Red Cross. It’s the oldest and one of the most well-recognized humanitarian organizations in the world.
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Birth of Dr. Jonas Salk
Jonas Edward Salk was born on October 28, 1914, in New York, New York. He developed the first effective polio vaccine, helping to save lives around the world.
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First US International Philatelic Exhibition
On October 27, 1913, the US hosted its first International Philatelic Exhibition (IPEX). Dubbed the “Great Exhibition,” it received significant praise and was considered a major success.
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Opening of the Erie Canal
On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal opened, offering a quicker shipping route through New York’s waterways. The canal opened the West to settlement and New York City became the largest port city in the United States.
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Birth of Richard Byrd
Richard Evelyn Byrd was born on October 25, 1888, in Winchester, Virginia. Byrd led three Antarctic expeditions and was the US Navy’s youngest admiral at the time.
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UN Issues Its First Stamps
On October 24, 1951, the United Nations issued its first postage stamps. The UN is the only organization that’s neither a country or territory to issue its own postage stamps.
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Dag Hammarskjöld Invert Controversy
On October 23, 1962, the US Post Office Department unknowingly issued an unknown number of inverted Dag Hammarskjöld error stamps. The fallout from this issue became known as Day’s Folly (after Postmaster General J. Edward Day).
