This Day In History

On January 3, 1777, General George Washington earned one of the most important victories of the American Revolutionary War at the Battle of Princeton in New Jersey. Although small in size compared to later battles, the victory came at a critical moment when the Continental Army was struggling, and it helped change the course of the war by restoring American confidence and weakening British control in the region.

Oscar Devereaux Micheaux was born on January 2, 1884, in Metropolis, Illinois—and he would grow up to change American film forever. As an author, director, and producer, Micheaux became a pioneering voice in early cinema, creating films that challenged racial stereotypes and told powerful Black stories at a time when few such voices were allowed on screen.

On January 1, 1856, the United States Post Office made a change that permanently transformed how Americans sent mail. Beginning on that date, all domestic letters were required to be prepaid using postage stamps. Although the Post Office had first begun selling stamps on July 1, 1847, their use had remained optional for nearly ten years. By making stamps compulsory, the federal government created a more efficient, reliable, and modern postal system suited to a rapidly growing nation.

On December 31, 1862, the Battle of Stones River (also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro) began in Middle Tennessee. What followed would become one of the bloodiest and most hard-fought clashes of the Civil War, with the fate of the region hanging in the balance.

On January 3, 1777, General George Washington earned one of the most important victories of the American Revolutionary War at the Battle of Princeton in New Jersey. Although small in size compared to later battles, the victory came at a critical moment when the Continental Army was struggling, and it helped change the course of the war by restoring American confidence and weakening British control in the region.

Oscar Devereaux Micheaux was born on January 2, 1884, in Metropolis, Illinois—and he would grow up to change American film forever. As an author, director, and producer, Micheaux became a pioneering voice in early cinema, creating films that challenged racial stereotypes and told powerful Black stories at a time when few such voices were allowed on screen.

On December 30, 1963, just weeks after the nation was shaken by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Congress passed a bill approving the creation of a new half dollar coin bearing his likeness. This decision came a full ten years before a redesign of the half dollar was legally required, showing how strong the desire was to honor the fallen president as quickly as possible.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead was born on December 16, 1901, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She would go on to become one of the most influential and recognizable social scientists of the 20th century, known for bringing the study of culture and human behavior to a wide public audience.

On January 4, 1754, King’s College (later Columbia University) was founded in New York. It’s the oldest university in New York and the fifth oldest in the US.

On January 4, 1896, Utah became a US state. Statehood was finally achieved after several attempts over more than 45 years.

Nurse, businesswoman, and philanthropist Nellie Cashman died on January 4, 1925, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  Spending much of her life running boarding houses near mining camps and caring for sick miners, she became known as the “Miners’ Angel.”

Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809, in Coupvray, France. Braille invented the reading and writing system used by the visually impaired for nearly two centuries.