This Day In History

On August 10, 1861, Union and Southern forces fought the Battle of Wilson’s Creek near Springfield, Missouri, the first major Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River. The six-hour struggle ended in a Southern victory, but it did not settle the larger contest for control of the divided border state.

On August 9, 1944, the US Forest Service created Smokey Bear to encourage people to prevent forest fires. The Wildfire Prevention Campaign is the longest-running public service announcement campaign in US history, and Smokey has become an icon recognized around the globe.

On August 8, 1863, General Robert E. Lee wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and asked to be replaced after the defeat at Gettysburg. In the private letter, Lee admitted that his health and strength were failing and questioned whether he could still command the Army of Northern Virginia effectively.

On August 7, 1789, Congress approved a law placing the nation’s lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers under federal care. With that decision, the new government began building a coordinated system to guide ships past hazards and safely into American ports.

Artist Andrew Wyeth was born on July 12, 1917, in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. By studying weathered farms, quiet rooms, and familiar neighbors, he found mystery and emotion in places others might overlook.

Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens was born on June 28, 1577, in Siegen, Nassau-Dillenburg, in the Holy Roman Empire. He would become one of Europe’s most sought-after painters, known not only for dramatic Baroque art, but also for work as a trusted diplomat.

On June 25, 1876, Civil War veteran George A. Custer died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The battle became one of the most famous defeats in US Army history, but its deeper story was about land, broken promises, and Native nations fighting to protect their way of life.

One of America’s first modern artists, Stuart Davis died on June 24, 1964.  Davis earned national acclaim for his proto-pop paintings that were inspired by jazz and his strong political beliefs.

Hitting the first pitch he saw, Babe Ruth made history on August 11, 1929, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 500 home runs.

Artist Martin Johnson Heade was born on August 11, 1819, in Lumberville, Pennsylvania. Heade had the longest career and possibly the most varied body of work of any American painter of the nineteenth century. 

Noted author Edith Wharton died on August 11, 1937. Best known for her novel The Age of Innocence, she was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

On August 11, 1862, Wells Fargo inaugurated its Virginia City Pony Express, which carried mail between Nevada mining towns and California business centers.