During this month in 1917, a soldier discovers a stray dog wandering around an athletic field at Yale University. That dog would go on to serve in World War I with his friend J. Robert Conroy, the new recruit who’d found him. Some claim that Sergeant Stubby was the “most decorated dog” in that war. Stubby was more than just a pet who occasionally cheered soldiers up. He was a member of a team. He saved lives; he assisted the wounded. He provided early alerts of incoming a

On this day in 1779, General “Mad Anthony” Wayne launches an attack in New York. He and his men would take back the fort at Stony Point, which had been lost to the British mere weeks earlier. George Washington himself had drafted the original plan of attack, then tasked Wayne with carrying it out. Washington’s plan exploited a flaw in the fortifications, and it called for the attack to be made in the middle of the night—an unusually difficult time to attack. But Washington

On this day in 1776, George Washington refuses to accept a letter from British Admiral Richard Howe. The admiral and his brother, General William Howe, were attempting to contact Washington without recognizing the legitimacy of his military title. Of course, what they really meant is that they did not accept the legitimacy of the American cause. Washington’s army was then on Long Island and in Manhattan, preparing to defend New York City from a British attack. In the meantime

On this day in 1944, a pilot receives the Medal of Honor. But for Nathan Gordon, fifteen American airmen would have lost their lives in the churning waters of the Bismarck Sea during World War II—assuming they weren’t captured by the Japanese first. Gordon’s heroism came as American forces were attacking a Japanese supply base in New Ireland. Gordon’s job was to circle in his PBY Catalina seaplane, waiting for calls to help downed airmen. Gordon receives the Medal from Admi

On this day in 1923, a young boy is born in Wisconsin. For decades, John Bradley was believed to be one of the men raising a flag on Iwo Jima in Joe Rosenthal’s iconic Marine photo. Bradley believed it, too. After all, he did help raise a flag that day. The photo made Bradley a household name, but perhaps he should be known for his heroism instead. Did you know Bradley earned a Navy Cross for his actions mere days before the famous flag raising? The young corpsman had

On this day in 1938, entrepreneurial aviator Howard Hughes makes final preparations for one of aviation’s boldest flights. Within hours, he would attempt to circle the globe in his twin-engine Lockheed 14 Super Electra. He wanted to set a record for speed, naturally, but he had another vision in mind, too. “Hughes planned to fly around the world in a sophisticated machine supported by an expert air and ground crew,” his biographers explain. “No longer should ocean hopping b

On this day in 1835, city bells toll as a funeral procession for Chief Justice John Marshall makes its way down Philadelphia streets. Some reports say that the Liberty Bell cracked on that day, although the story has never been proven. Marshall was one of the nation’s early Chief Justices, and his tenure established the Court as we think of it today. But do you know the rest of this Patriot’s story? The future Chief Justice Marshall grew up in Virginia, where George Washi

On this day in 1944, a future Medal of Honor recipient is born. William “Pits” Pitsenbarger once tried to quit high school to join the Army. Instead, he finished high school, then joined the Air Force. He would go on to serve in Vietnam, completing hundreds of rescues as a pararescue medic. “He wanted to go where the action was,” his father would say. Airman 1st Class Pitsenbarger’s Medal action came on April 11, 1966. The day should have been relatively uneventful: It was

On this day in 1777, a series of skirmishes between British and American forces continue. At first, it seemed that British Lt. Gen. John Burgoyne might succeed in squashing the Patriots. Fortunately, Americans got the last laugh. Burgoyne was then on a campaign through New York. He’d entered America from Canada, moving toward Albany. He hoped British troops would join him from New York City, thus separating New England colonies from the South. He thought dividing the co

On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress adopts our Declaration of Independence. It had already resolved on July 2 that “these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States . . . .” Now it formally adopted a written document, too. It took nearly a month to write the Declaration. You may know that Thomas Jefferson was the primary author, but he had help, too. What is the rest of the story? On June 11, Congress nominated a “Committee of Five”

Happy 250th birthday, America! On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress declared America’s independence! Did you know that this vote actually occurred on July 2, not July 4? “That these United Colonies are,” congressional delegates resolved, “and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown . . . .” There would be no more attempts to reconcile with Great Britain. The Committee of Five as depicted in

On this day in 1898, Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders famously charge up San Juan Hill. Roosevelt’s bravery captures the public imagination, launching him into national prominence. “The charge itself was great fun,” he declared afterwards. “Oh, but we had a bully fight.” But how much of his legendary reputation was earned on the battlefield—and how much was created by an adoring media eager to make him one of the Spanish-American War’s most famous heroes? That co

On this day in 1972, a pilot faces an impossible choice: One path offers his best hope of survival. The other gives a fellow serviceman a fighting chance to live. Naturally, Captain Steven Bennett chose to help his fellow man. Perhaps his family would have expected nothing less. “He was a fine young fella,” Bennett’s uncle would later reminisce, “who came from a modest family and came up from moderate means. He worked his way through school. . . . He was a first-class citiz

On this day in 1927, the United States Marine Corps adopts a mascot: the English bulldog. Did you ever wonder why Marines are sometimes called “Devil Dogs” and why their mascot is a bulldog? There’s more uncertainty surrounding the issue than you might think. As the story goes, the phrase “Devil Dogs” came into use after the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood. It’s said that Marines fought so ferociously that the Germans called them “Teufel Hunden” or “Devil Dogs.” The Ge

On this day in 1929, a project born from floods, ruined farms, and an accidental inland sea takes a major step forward. The Colorado River had long been a problem for Americans in the Southwest, but soon a dam—known today as “Hoover Dam”—would provide some relief. The project had been a long time coming. Roughly 25 years earlier, the Colorado River had flooded. There was so much water that an inland sea was accidentally created: the Salton Sea. Needless to say, farms in t

On this day in 1784, the first American “aviator” takes to the skies. Would you believe that this individual was none other than a 13-year-old boy? The young teenager made history when he climbed into a hot air balloon and floated into the sky—the first American ever to do so. But how did a 13-year-old boy come to be in that position? The Montgolfier balloon ascending in Paris (November 21, 1783) It all started because Americans were then fascinated by balloons. Late in 178

On this day in 1780, the Battle of Springfield is fought. The conflict was “one of the crucial turning points of the War for Independence,” as noted by historian Thomas Fleming, despite the fact that it has been “largely ignored by most historians of the American Revolution.” To be honest, Americans should have lost the battle, and the Revolution probably should have ended right there. But the Patriots got a lucky break! It turns out that British General Henry Clinton was a b

On this day in 1918, the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood continues. Gunnery Sergeant Fred Stockham was right in the thick of it, ultimately earning a Medal of Honor for his actions. His heroism revolved around a unique feature of the Great War: poisonous gases. Stockham was perhaps an unlikely hero. Orphaned when he was young, he was raised in foster care. Did his childhood leave him with an urge to rescue others? Or did he develop an urge to rush toward danger? Mayb

On this day in 1996, a heroine passes away. Cordelia “Betty” Cook Fillmore is best known for her service in the U.S. Army: She was the first American woman to be awarded both the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. The Kentucky native had served in World War II as a combat nurse, leaving behind her new husband to do it. She’d married Army officer Capt. Harold E. Fillmore just one short month before being deployed. The two would not see each other for 21 months! They were

On this day in 1775, George Washington writes his wife, Martha. He called her “my dear Patcy.” Only a handful of letters between George and Martha still survive. This letter is one of them. The two wrote more often than that, of course. And, if any of those letters could be recovered, they would contain a treasure trove of information for historians. Unfortunately, Martha burned all the correspondence between herself and George after his death. Despite his long life in public