This Day In History

On December 3, 1818, President James Monroe signed the legislation that admitted Illinois as the 21st state in the Union. But the history of Illinois stretches far back before statehood. Long before European explorers arrived, the region was home to complex American Indian cultures whose achievements, alliances, and struggles helped shape the land that would become Illinois.

On December 2, 1980, President Jimmy Carter established Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Today the park is part of one of the world’s largest international protected areas.

On December 1, 1921, the US Post Office Department opened its Philatelic Agency in Washington, DC, to the benefit of stamp collectors. It became a valuable resource for stamp information and fulfilled requests for stamps – and was sometimes the only place to get certain issues!

Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm was born on November 30, 1924, in New York City. The first Black woman elected to Congress and the first Black woman to seek a major party’s presidential nomination, Chisholm built her career on courage, independence, and a fearless commitment to justice.

Composer Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin was born on November 25, 1862, in the small community of Edgeworth, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a family where creativity and education were highly valued, and this early environment helped shape the course of his life. Nevin would go on to become one of the most expressive American composers of the late 19th century, known for his emotional piano pieces and memorable songs.

On November 13, 1940, Walt Disney premiered Fantasia—a film unlike anything audiences had ever seen. Combining animation and classical music, Fantasia was a bold experiment in art, sound, and imagination. It pushed the boundaries of animation and transformed film into something that could be felt as much as seen.

Playwright and director Moss Hart was born on October 24, 1904, in New York City, New York. From humble beginnings in the Bronx, he rose to become one of Broadway’s most celebrated writers and directors, shaping American theater with his wit, warmth, and imagination.

On September 22, 1989, legendary composer Irving Berlin died in New York City at the age of 101. A year earlier, he was just the second living person to be honored on a US stamp!

On December 4, 1674, Father Marquette erected the first building in what would later become Chicago. He spent the winter there while on an exploratory journey through the region.

On December 4, 1867, Oliver Hudson Kelley established the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. The Grange organized America’s farmers into a powerful political and economic group that lobbied for “Granger Laws.”

On December 4, 1816, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PSFS) officially began operations. It’s credited as the first savings bank to be organized and conduct business in the United States.

On December 4, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson boarded a boat to Paris, becoming the first siting president to travel to Europe.  He spent six months in France for the World War I peace talks in Paris.