On May 11, 1858, Minnesota entered the Union as the 32nd state. Known today as the “North Star State,” Minnesota grew from fur-trade outposts, river forts, farms, forests, and iron mines into one of the Upper Midwest’s most diverse economies.
On May 10, 1888, Max Steiner was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, into a family already tied to music and theater. He later helped shape the sound of Hollywood with scores for King Kong, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, and hundreds of other films.
On May 9, 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected South Africa’s first black president. After decades of apartheid, prison, protest, and negotiation, the vote marked a turning point few South Africans had believed they would live to see.
On May 8, 1945, Americans celebrated Germany’s defeat with the first Victory in Europe Day.
On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed the British ocean liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. The ship sank in about 18 minutes, killing nearly 1,200 people and pushing the United States closer to World War I.
On March 15, 1820, Maine became the 23rd state in the United States. The decision ended nearly two centuries of rule by Massachusetts and recognized the growing population and independence of the northern district.
On March 6, 1820, President James Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise into law. The measure aimed to calm rising tensions over slavery, but it also revealed how deeply divided the nation had already become.
On March 4, 1791, Vermont was admitted to the Union. After years of land disputes, frontier battles, and even a period as an independent republic, the small mountain region officially became the 14th state of the United States.
On March 1, 1867, Congress admitted Nebraska to the Union. The decision came after months of political conflict and even a presidential veto, placing the prairie state at the center of national debate during Reconstruction.
On May 11, 1910, an act of Congress officially created Glacier National Park in Montana. America’s 10th national park, its been called the “Crown of Continent.”
On May 11, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation establishing the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). The REA brought power to millions on remote farms.
On May 11, 1863, representatives from 15 nations met in Paris to discuss postal issues. That first International Postal Conference would eventually lead to the creation of the Universal Postal Union.
Jacqueline Cochran was born Bessie Lee Pittman on May 11, 1906, in Pensacola, Florida. The first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound, she held more speed, altitude, and distance records than any other pilot, male or female, in the world.
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