U.S. Adopts Great Seal
On June 20, 1782, the United States adopted the Great Seal. It had taken six years, three committees, and the work of 14 men.
Famous Americans
Happy Birthday, Helene Madison
Olympic swimmer Helene Emma Madison was born on June 19, 1913, in Madison, Wisconsin. “Queen Helene” won three gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics and broke multiple world records.
America Declares War on Great Britain
Just 29 years after gaining independence, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world by declaring war on June 18, 1812, in what would become America’s “Second War of Independence.”
Birth of John Hersey
Journalist and writer John Hersey was born on June 17, 1914, in Tientsin, China. He accompanied the Army on several operations in World War II and is best remembered for his collection of stories from survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima.
Lincoln Delivers House Divided Speech
On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous House Divided Speech in Springfield, Illinois. The speech helped propel Lincoln onto the national stage, setting him on course to become one of America’s greatest presidents.
Birth of General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was born on June 13, 1786, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Nicknamed “Old Fuss and Feathers” and the “Grand Old Man of the Army,” he was one of America’s longest-serving military commanders.
Happy Birthday, Vince Lombardi!
Vincent Thomas Lombardi was born on June 11, 1913, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. One of the most successful coaches in NFL history, the Super Bowl trophy is named in his honor.
Birth of Robert R. Taylor
Robert Robinson Taylor was born on June 8, 1868, in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was the first African American student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the first fully accredited African American architect in the US.
Birth of George Szell
Conductor George Szell was born György Endre Szél on June 7, 1897, in Budapest, Hungary. Szell conducted the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and is credited with transforming it into one of the world’s greatest orchestras.