On this day in 1939, a football game is televised for the first time. The nation was not yet in the habit of playing the Star-Spangled...

On this day in 1814, the British begin bombarding Fort McHenry. Famously, a young lawyer named Francis Scott Key watched the battle from...

On or around this day in 1942, the United States Congress considers amendments to the United States Flag Code. Did you know that the...

On this day in 1776, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin propose “E Pluribus Unum” as a national motto to be used on the...

On this day in 1927, President Calvin Coolidge speaks at a dedication ceremony for Mount Rushmore. Work would begin on that famous...

On this day in 1854, the man who was the probable inspiration for Uncle Sam passes away during a cholera epidemic. Did you know that...

At about this time in 1776, Betsy Ross works as a seamstress and an upholsterer. At least according to legend, she would make the first...

Happy Flag Day! Did you know that today’s holiday would not exist but for the actions of a 19-year old schoolteacher from Wisconsin? In...

On this day in 1971, Memorial Day is observed on a new date. If you don’t know much about the history of this weekend’s holiday, then you...

On this day in 1754, Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette publishes a political cartoon that you might recognize. It depicted a snake...

On this day in 1887, the first Groundhog Day is celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The celebration seems so solidly American,...

On or around this day in 1621, the Pilgrims enjoy a three-day feast! They are grateful for their harvest after a long, hard first year in...

On or around this day in 1861, Julia Ward Howe is inspired to write the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Did you know that this much-loved...

On this day in 1886, the Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland. It was then called Statue of Liberty Enlightening...

On this day in 1788, the “Mother of Thanksgiving” is born. Sarah Josepha Hale wore many hats during her lifetime. She was a writer and a...

On this day in 1893, a professor stands atop Pikes Peak in Colorado. She is struck by the beauty around her and is inspired to write a...

On this day in 1818, President James Monroe signs an act that redesigns the U.S. flag. That act established our current rule: The flag...

On (maybe) this day in 1831, a sea captain from Massachusetts names his American flag “Old Glory.” The name that Captain William Driver...

On this day in 1782, the Confederation Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States. The seal was nearly 6 years in the making!...

On this day in 1792, the Coinage Act creates the U.S. Mint and provides for the construction of a new building in Philadelphia. That...