On April 12, 1862, a group of Union sympathizers stole a Confederate train, setting off a high-speed pursuit that lasted nearly eight hours. The event, later known as the Great Locomotive Chase, unfolded along a single rail line but revealed just how critical transportation had become in the Civil War.
On April 11, 1919, the International Labour Organization was created, marking a coordinated effort to improve working conditions across countries after World War I. Born out of both wartime strain and postwar planning, it introduced a new idea—that fair labor standards could support lasting peace.
On April 10, 1790, President George Washington signed the Patent Act of 1790 into law, creating a formal system to protect new inventions in the young United States. In just a few paragraphs, the new nation set rules that would shape American innovation for generations.
On April 9, 1921, Postmaster General Will H. Hays took an extraordinary step: he ordered the arming of postal workers who handled the nation’s most valuable mail. The order came after a sharp rise in armed robberies, when trains, mail cars, and postal employees had become targets for thieves looking for cash, securities, and registered mail.
On April 8, 1869, Harvey Cushing was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Cushing would transform brain surgery from a desperate last resort into a disciplined medical science. His careful methods and insistence on precision helped turn survival in the operating room from chance into expectation.
On April 3, 1865, Union forces entered Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy, following their breakthrough at Petersburg. The fall of the city marked the collapse of the South’s political center and signaled that the Civil War’s end was close at hand.
On March 30, 1842, Dr. Crawford W. Long used ether during surgery for the first time, allowing a patient to undergo a procedure without pain. That moment is now honored each year as National Doctors’ Day, recognizing both the event and the physicians who continue to apply medical science in practice.
On March 21, 1891, General Joseph E. Johnston—who had served both the United States and the Confederacy—died after a final act of respect for a former enemy. His life traced the divided loyalties of the Civil War, and even in death, it reflected a measure of reconciliation between North and South.
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 April 12, 2007, the USPS issued its first Forever stamp, which featured a patriotic image of the Liberty Bell. Since 2011, all first-class stamps have been Forever stamps.
On April 12, 1961, the US Post Office issued the first stamp in a five-year series honoring major events from the Civil War. Issued for the war’s 100th anniversary, they were the first US stamps to specifically commemorate the conflict.
On April 12, 1792, Montauk Point Light was authorized by President George Washington. It was the first lighthouse built in the state of New York and one of the first public works projects of the United States.
On April 12, 1861, North and South clashed for the first time at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. It was the opening battle of the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history.
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