This Day In History

The father of American musical comedy, George Michael Cohan was born on July 3, 1878, in Providence, Rhode Island. He later became so closely associated with patriotic music that many Americans believed he had been born on the Fourth of July, a story Cohan himself enjoyed encouraging.

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, fulfilling a goal set by his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. The law did not end discrimination by itself, but it gave the federal government stronger tools to challenge segregation and unequal treatment.

On July 1, 1957, the Teachers of America stamp was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Education Association. Released in Philadelphia, where the organization began, the stamp honored a century of teachers working to build and improve American education.

On June 30, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act into law, to help improve the quality and labeling of America’s food and medicines.

On June 1, 1792, Kentucky became America’s 15th state and the first state west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its admission marked a new stage in the nation’s growth, as settlers pushed through mountain passes into a region long valued for its rivers, forests, wildlife, and rich farmland.

On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the US Constitution. The vote was close, but it brought the smallest state into the new nation as the 13th state.

On April 26, 1777, a 16-year-old girl climbed onto her horse and rode 40 miles through a driving rainstorm in the dark, covering twice the distance of Paul Revere’s famous ride two years earlier. Her name was Sybil Ludington — and most Americans have never heard of her.

The first-ever Boson Marathon was run on April 19, 1897. It’s the world’s oldest annual marathon and is one of the six World Marathon Majors. While the first race included 15 runners, recent races have seen over 30,000 participants.

Future President John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1872.  He would serve as America’s 30th president, taking the office upon the unexpected death of President Warren Harding.

On July 4, 1971, the USPS issued the first stamp in the Bicentennial Series. Over the course of six years, the USPS issued 113 commemorative stamps honoring the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution.

On July 4, 1987, the USPS issued the first in a series of stamps honoring America’s first 13 states.  The series honored each state’s 200th anniversary of statehood as well as the bicentennial of the ratification of the Constitution. 

On July 4, 1957, the US Post Office issued its first stamp with the US flag as the central element.  It was also the first stamp printed by the Giori press, which allowed the design to be printed in its natural colors in one step.