On this day in 1800, President John Adams approves an appropriation of $5,000 to bring to the Capitol “such books as may be necessary for...

On or around this day in 1845, Johnny Appleseed passes away in Indiana. Of course, that wasn’t his real name. Johnny Appleseed’s real...

On this day in 1829, Andrew Jackson is inaugurated for the first time. The event was a raucous affair that would surely never be allowed...

On this day in 1898, USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor. To this day, no one knows exactly why the warship was destroyed. But at the...

On this day in 1922, Nellie Bly passes away. The plucky journalist had been much loved for her pioneering work as an investigative...

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 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph is sent, bringing an end to the Pony Express. The task seemed impossible at...

On this day in 1803, the United States Senate approves the Louisiana Purchase. Americans had just purchased an 827,000 square mile block...

On this day in 1762, Seth Capron is born in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He served as a soldier with George Washington, yet his most...

On this day in 1838, Frederick Douglass makes his escape from slavery. He’d been a slave for about two decades, but that life was finally...

On this day in 1860, the woman known as Annie Oakley is born. That wasn’t her real name, of course. The famous sharpshooter’s name at...

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...

On this day in 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas, learn that they are free. The anniversary of today’s events has come to be known as...

On this day in 1873, Susan B. Anthony is convicted of casting an illegal vote. It was just one of the many milestones she would pass...

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 1844, President John Tyler is nearly killed in a cannon explosion. At that moment in our nation’s history, the explosion...

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

On this day in 1848, gold is discovered in the Sacramento Valley. It was the beginning of the California Gold Rush! The first person to...

On this day in 1898, an American flag is raised over Puerto Rico. The island was no longer a Spanish possession. It was under the control...

On this day in 1871, the Great Chicago Fire is finally extinguished. The fire had killed 300 people and destroyed nearly 3.5 square miles...