Army
First Battle of Bull Run
On July 21, 1861, Confederate forces won the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas.
The Second Battle of the Marne
On July 15, 1918, the Germans launched the Second Battle of the Marne, hoping to split the French and American troops.
Birth of U.S. Army’s Medal of Honor
On July 12, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation creating a Medal of Honor to be awarded “to such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities during the present insurrection .”
British Recapture Fort Ticonderoga
On July 6, 1777, the British ended a five-day siege and re-took Fort Ticonderoga two years after the Americans had captured it.
Union Wins the Battle of Gettysburg
On July 3, 1863, Union forces turned the tide of the Civil War with their victory at the Battle of Gettysburg.
U.S. Troops Committed to Korean War
On June 27, 1950, President Harry Truman announced that America would send troops to aid South Korea.
West Virginia Becomes 35th State
On June 20, 1863, West Virginia joined the Union as the 35th state.
The First Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom by the Emancipation Proclamation (issued two years prior). The day the last American slaves were freed has become a holiday celebrated officially in 45 states.
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, 1775, American colonists inflicted heavy British casualties in their loss at the Battle of Bunker Hill.