Exploration
Birth of Meriwether Lewis
Explorer, soldier, and politician Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, in Ivy, Albemarle County, Virginia.
New York Becomes 11th State to Join the Union
On July 26, 1788, New York ratified the U.S. Constitution, becoming America’s 11th state. Two of the most powerful Indian groups in North America lived in New York, the Algonquian family and the Iroquois. These tribes were large and well organized, especially the Iroquois. The Iroquois federation was the most efficient North American Indian government.
Founding of Detroit
On July 24, 1701, French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac established a fort on the site of what would become the city of Detroit.
Spanish Found First Mission in California
On July 16, 1769, Franciscan friar Junipero Serra founded California’s first Catholic mission.
First of the Roanoke Voyages
On July 13, 1584, the first of three Roanoke voyages arrived in present-day North Carolina.
First U.S. Space Shuttle Docking to Mir
On June 29, 1995, the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis docked the Russian space station Mir for the first time. The mission, STS-71, was the third in the U.S./Russian Shuttle-Mir program. It began on June 27, 1995, when the Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the 100th U.S. human space launch from Cape Canaveral.
Lewis and Clark’s Journey Begins
On May 21, 1804, Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery departed St. Charles on the Missouri River to begin their exploration of the American West.
Ponce de Leon Claims Florida
On April 3, 1513, Ponce de León landed on the Florida coast and claimed the area for Spain. He was the first official European explorer to walk on Florida’s shores.
Birth of John Wesley Powell
Soldier, geologist, and explorer John Wesley Powell was born on March 24, 1834, in Mount Morris, New York.