May 01
What famous wagon featured the phrase: “Oregon Or The Grave”?
May 1, 1839 — Eighteen men set out to make their way to Oregon today. Using the route known as the Oregon Trail, their goal was to colonize the northwestern state on behalf of the United States. Known as the Peoria Party, they carried a flag emblazoned...
May 02
Who created the city plan for Washington, DC?
May 2, 1783 — Today, architect and civil engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant was promoted to major of engineers in recognition of his work in service to Colonial America. The most famous was his city plan for Washington, DC. L'Enfant was chosen by President George Washington in 1791...
May 03
What is the Residence Act, and which US city did it help incorporate today?
May 3, 1802 — Washington, DC is incorporated as a city today. It was a long time coming, as the signing of the Residence Act on July 16, 1790 approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country's East Coast. The U.S. Constitution...
May 04
Which American institution was founded today by John Adams?
May 4, 1780 — The American Academy of Arts and Science was established today by our second president John Adams (in office from 1797–1801) — and James Bowdoin, a wealthy merchant and American political and intellectual leader from Boston, Massachusetts, during the...
May 05
Which New York cultural center was transformed today into an immigrant receiving center?
May 5, 1855 — New York's Castle Clinton gained a new purpose today. Built as a fort in anticipation of the War of 1812, it was transformed into the City’s premier cultural center when successive landfills enlarged the park. This helped it welcome 8.5 million...
May 06
Where was the first US railroad disaster?
May 6, 1853 — A train traveling at 50 mph plunged through an open drawbridge into the Norwalk Harbor in Norwalk, Conn. today. The accident, in which 48 of the 200 passengers died, occurred on the New York and New Haven Route where the train crossed...
May 07
Where was the first US Presidential Inaugural Ball held?
May 7, 1792— The first Presidential Inaugural Ball was hosted by sponsors today in New York City, one week after the swearing in of George Washington. Such an event did not become tradition until 1809, when Dolley Madison hosted a gala at Long's Hotel in Washington...
May 07
When did the tradition of fabulous inaugural balls begin?
May 7, 1789 — The first US inaugural ball was held tonight for President George Washington in New York City. The event came one week after the inauguration. It was a modest affair, for it was not until 1809, however, after the Inauguration...
May 08
Why were the Militia Acts of 1792 created?
May 8, 1792 — The second part of the Militia Act was passed today, enabling the president to take command of the state militias in times of imminent invasion or insurrection. The two Acts were passed in response to the overwhelming US losses at St....
May 08
Where is “Victory in Europe Day” celebrated today?
May 8, 1945 — Great Britain and the United States celebrated "Victory in Europe Day" today, as citizens of both countries put out flags and banners to mark the occasion as German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms. On 30 April, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler...
May 09
Who designed the first American flag?
May 9, 1791 — Today marks the death of Francis Hopkinson, an American author, attorney, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence — whom scholars believe designed the first American flag. He died suddenly of a massive epileptic seizure...
May 10
What famous silversmith and hero of the Revolutionary War died today?
May 10, 1818 — Paul Revere died today. Born January 1, 1735 to Apollos Rivoire, a French Huguenot (Protestant) immigrant, and Deborah Hichborn, daughter of a local artisan family — he changed his name to Paul Revere after immigrating, was a goldsmith and eventually...
May 11
Where was the first US hospital located?
May 11, 1751 — A charter is granted today by the Pennsylvania legislature to establish a hospital "to care for the sick, poor, and insane who wandered the streets of Philadelphia," according to the history of Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's...
May 12
Which city is considered the ice cream capital of America?
May 12, 1777 — If you love ice cream, you might be wondering when and where that first luscious scoop was dropped into a bowl. Boston claims that honor, based on their founding of Steve Herrell’s eponymous ice cream shop in Somerville, Mass....
May 13
How old was Mozart when his opera “Apollo et Hyacinthus” premiered today in Salzburg?
May 13, 1767 — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "Apollo et Hyacinthus" premiered today at the Great Hall of Salzburg University. He was 11 years old at the time. The three act performance is based upon Greek mythology as told by Roman poet Ovid in his masterwork Metamorphoses. Interpreting this work, Rufinus Widl wrote the libretto in Latin. The...
May 14
Who administered the first inoculation against smallpox today?
May 14, 1796 — English country doctor Edward Jenner administered the first inoculation against smallpox today in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. The patient was an 8-year-old boy, who was the son of Jenner's gardener. Jenner successfully tested his hypothesis on 23 additional subjects. Jenner's continuing...
May 15
Where was the first private mental health hospital located?
May 15, 1817 – The Quakers opened the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason today in Philadelphia. Its mission was to provide moral mental health treatment, and it set the stage for the big shift...
May 16
What pre-War battle for Independence took place today?
May 16, 1771 – A North Carolina governor's militia quelled a rebellion called the Battle of Alamance today. Waged by a patriotic group known as “The Regulators,” they were fighting against abuse by royal government officials. Largely composed of low-income men from the Western part of...
May 16
What was the first sovereign state to abolish the slave trade?
May 16, 1792 – Today, Denmark (under Crown Prince Fredrik VI’s ruling) declared the slave trade to be illegal for humanitarian and economic reasons. This made Denmark the first country to prohibit slave trade under the law — but not slavery....
May 17
On what day was “taxation without representation” explicitly protested?
May 17, 1769 – George Washington brought written resolutions before the Virginia House of Burgesses today that protested the taxation of American colonists despite the lack of American representatives in British Parliament. Virginia’s royal governor, John Murray, retaliated by disbanding the Virginia House...
May 17
What annual horse race began its tradition today in 1875?
May 17, 1875 — The first Kentucky Derby ran today, where 15 horses competed in a 1.5 mile race before a crowd of 10,000 on a new track in Louisville. The winning horse was Aristides, a small chestnut thoroughbred, who received...
May 17
What was the precursor to the New York Stock Exchange?
May 17, 1792 — Under a buttonwood tree near Wall Street, 24 stockbrokers gathered to sign an agreement that would serve as a precursor to the New York Stock Exchange Board, the predecessor of the New York Stock Exchange. The...
May 18
Who was nominated for the presidency by the Republican Party today in 1860?
May 18, 1860 — The Republican National Convention in Chicago was held today to choose the presidential candidate for the upcoming November election. A bright young senator from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln received the nomination in a tight race — partially thanks...
May 19
What was “the dark day of New England?”
May 19, 1780 – Around 10 a.m. today, an unexplained darkness crept in from the west and descended over New England as though it were nighttime. The darkness subsisted until the next day, and at the time had no explainable...
May 20
What popular article of clothing was patented today?
May 20, 1873 – Businessman Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis are granted a patent on this date for their pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the official birthday of what we know today as blue jeans. Originally, Strauss made...
May 21
Which famous duo began their exploration of the west today in 1804?
May 21, 1804 – Famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out by boat from St. Charles, Missouri, on their journey to the Pacific Ocean today. They left port to the sound of "three cheers" from the audience that lined the riverbank....
May 22
Which famous American was tried for treason today?
May 22, 1807 – Aaron Burr, the 3rd vice president of the United States, was tried today for treason. The former New York State senator is perhaps best known for killing fellow founding father Alexander Hamilton in a duel three years earlier. He...
May 23
Which state ratified the US Constitution today in 1788?
May 23, 1788 — Today, South Carolina became the 8th state to ratify the US Constitution. The assembly was held in Charleston; delegates Pierce Butler, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney represented the state. Because the state's wealth depended on slavery, ratification...
May 24
Who was elected president of the Continental Congress today in 1775?
May 24, 1775 – John Hancock was unanimously elected president of the second Continental Congress today. Known for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, Hancock was given the honor of signing first on July 4, 1776 because of his position as...
May 25
Who presided over the opening of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?
May 25, 1787 – Four years after the United States won the War of Independence, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia under George Washington, then a delegate from Virginia. With 55 delegates present, the plan was to amend the Articles...
May 25
Which scientist presented his famous theory about sound today?
May 25, 1842 – Mathematician and physicist Christian Doppler presents his idea of frequency in relation to velocity, now known as the Doppler Effect. His breakthrough idea explained why continuous noises, such as police sirens, sound different when they are coming toward you versus...
May 26
Who helped incorporate the first bank in Philadelphia?
May 26, 1781 — The Bank of North America incorporated in Philadelphia today, thanks to the help of a wealthy delegate to the Continental Congress named Robert Morris. The Philadelphian was not a military strategist, but he recognized that the Continental Army...
May 26
What did the Union do to prevent the South from exporting cotton and smuggling weapons?
May 26, 1861 — To prevent the South from exporting cotton and smuggling weapons and war material into the Confederacy, the Union blockaded two ports in the Confederacy today. The USS Powhatan began blockading Mobile, Alabama, and the USS Brooklyn blocked the most essential port...
May 27
Which Canadian fort did the US capture today during the War of 1812?
May 27, 1813 — Americans captured Fort George in Canada today. Situated on the west side of the Niagara River in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, it proved to be a highly strategic move in War of 1812. Led by Colonel Winfield Scott, the fort’s defenders...
May 28
What was the first steamboat to travel the Great Lakes?
May 28, 1818 — The steamer Walk-in-the Water is believed to be the first steamer to sail the Great Lakes, though two previous steamers — one Canadian and one American — plied Lake Ontario in 1616. Walk-in-the-Water weighed 328 tons and was launched...
May 29
Who is the author of the Virginia Plan?
May 29, 1787 — Drafted by James Madison, the Virginia Plan was presented it to the delegates of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia by Virginia Governor Edmund Randolph. The 15 resolutions outlined a new form of government with three brances of government...
May 30
Which two treaties ended the Napoleonic Wars?
May 30, 1814 — There were two versions of the Treaty of Paris, and both were necessary to end the Napoleonic Wars. The first was signed today between France and the Allies — which included Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, and Portugal....
May 31
What was the penalty in Pennsylvania for putting on a play?
May 31, 1759 — Based on religious and moral grounds, many Colonists in early America were bitterly opposed to acting, and to the concept of the theater in general. But some states took it further when their legislatures passed laws outlawing theater performances: + In 1750...
May 31
Which president signed the first US copyright into law?
May 31, 1790 — President George Washington signed the first federal copyright legislation in the United States into law on this date. The purpose of the Copyright Act was the “encouragement of learning,” which it did by protecting books, maps, and...
May 31
When did the game of modern baseball begin?
May 31, 1859 — What is now considered the national pastime began as a bat-and-ball game commonly known as “town ball” in several states, but played with many local variations. The Athletic Base Ball Club was founded in Philadelphia on...
