This Day In History

On February 23, 1942, millions of Americans were gathered around their radios listening to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chat. At almost the same moment — 7:15 p.m. Pacific time — a Japanese submarine surfaced one mile off the California coast and began shelling an oil field near Santa Barbara. The war had just arrived on the American mainland.

On February 22, 1855, Governor James Pollock put his signature on a document that changed Pennsylvania’s future. It created The Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania — the seed of what would eventually become Penn State — and set in motion a struggle to fulfill the promise of the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862.

On February 21, 1916, one of the longest battles on the Western Front began at Verdun. The nearly 10-month battle ended in a French victory, but at a high cost of lives on both sides. 

On February 20, 1931, Congress approved the San-Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge project, setting in motion construction of a permanent crossing that would reshape travel across San Francisco Bay. That decision launched one of the most complex bridge systems ever attempted in the United States and created a transportation link that millions would rely on every year.

On November 29, 1944, the War Department officially adopted the Honorable Discharge Emblem, a small but meaningful symbol worn by millions of service members returning home from World War II. For many veterans, it represented not only their service, but also their safe return after years of sacrifice.

On November 20, 1943, US troops launched the Battle of Tarawa, the first American offensive in the central Pacific region of World War II. A turning point in the Pacific War, it saw effective use of the America’s newly developed island-hopping strategy and provided important lessons for future invasions.

On October 31, 1941, the Atlantic became a battlefield for the United States even before the country had formally entered World War II. The German submarine attack on the USS Reuben James marked the first time an American Navy ship was destroyed during the conflict, foreshadowing the coming fight across the globe.

On October 27, 1948, the US Post Office issued a stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.

On February 24, 1917, British officials shared the Zimmermann Telegram with US President Woodrow Wilson, revealing a German plot to incite a war between the US and Mexico.

Chester William Nimitz was born on February 24, 1885, in Fredericksburg, Texas. He was a leading naval commander during World War II and an authority on submarines.

On February 24, 2022, Russia sparked outrage worldwide when it invaded Ukraine.  Ukraine has not only fought back, they’ve harnessed the power of the postage stamp to bring worldwide attention to the conflict and raise money for its troops with clever, edgy, and playful issues.

Winslow Homer was born on February 24, 1836, in Boston, Massachusetts.  Largely self-taught, he was one of the most prominent painters of the 1800s.