On January 13, 1864, Stephen Foster—the man often called the “father of American music”—died alone in a New York City boardinghouse. He was just 37 years old, yet the songs he left behind would echo for generations. Long after his death, Americans would still be singing his melodies at home, on stage, and at public events, often without realizing they were hearing the work of one of the nation’s earliest and most influential songwriters.
On January 12, 1932, Hattie Caraway became the first women elected to serve in the United States Senate. Her historic election broke barriers for women in government and set a precedent for future female leaders in the Senate.
National Milk Day, celebrated each year on January 11, honors a simple innovation that changed daily life in America: the first home delivery of milk in glass bottles. On January 11, 1878, milk was delivered to homes in the United States in sealed glass bottles for the first time, marking a major step forward in food safety, convenience, and nutrition. What seems ordinary today was once a breakthrough that helped build the modern dairy industry.
On January 10, 1776, a short pamphlet quietly appeared in Philadelphia—and helped change the course of history. Published anonymously and written in clear, forceful language, Common Sense urged American colonists to do something many still feared to say aloud: break completely from Great Britain. Within weeks, its ideas were being read aloud in taverns, debated in meeting halls, and discussed around kitchen tables, helping turn the dream of independence into a shared conviction.
On January 9, 1788, Connecticut ratified the US Constitution, making it the fifth state to join the young United States.
On January 12, 1932, Hattie Caraway became the first women elected to serve in the United States Senate. Her historic election broke barriers for women in government and set a precedent for future female leaders in the Senate.
On January 10, 1776, a short pamphlet quietly appeared in Philadelphia—and helped change the course of history. Published anonymously and written in clear, forceful language, Common Sense urged American colonists to do something many still feared to say aloud: break completely from Great Britain. Within weeks, its ideas were being read aloud in taverns, debated in meeting halls, and discussed around kitchen tables, helping turn the dream of independence into a shared conviction.
On January 9, 1788, Connecticut ratified the US Constitution, making it the fifth state to join the young United States.
After a yearlong campaign, the USPS held a special midnight first-day ceremony on January 8, 1993, for the long-awaited Elvis Presley stamp.
On January 13, 1968, Johnny Cash put on a concert at Folsom Prison. The live album recorded at the prison that day revitalized his career.
After a life of wandering the frontier as a lawman, businessman, and gambler, Wyatt Earp died on January 13, 1929. Many of his exploits were embellished for books and early films, though he was present at the famed shootout at the OK Corral.
Horatio Alger Jr. was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on January 13, 1832. Alger was most well-known for his “rags to riches” stories that were especially popular with children.
On January 13, 1865, Union forces launched the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. The fort, dubbed the “Gibraltar of the Confederacy,” was the largest in the South and key to Confederate international trade.
Love history?
Subscribe to get This Day in History stories straight to your inbox every day!