Famous Americans

On October 19, 1847, a grand celebration proceeded the laying of the cornerstone of New York City’s planned 425-foot Washington Monument.  The monument was never completed and the cornerstone was lost to time.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884, in New York City, New York. She was America’s longest-serving First Day and is credited with redefining the role of the presidential spouse.

Eddie Vernon Rickenbacker was born on October 8, 1890, in Columbus, Ohio. He was America’s leading ace during World War I, with 26 enemy planes shot down.

Novelist Thomas Clayton Wolfe was born on October 3, 1900, in Asheville, North Carolina. He’s considered North Carolina’s most famous writer and was a major influence on several writers of the next generation.

On September 30, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt presided over the dedication ceremony of the Boulder Dam. Later renamed the Hoover Dam, it’s one of the highest concrete dams in the world.

On September 28, 1891, author Herman Melville died in his New York City home. While it was a moderate success during his lifetime, Melvile’s novel Moby-Dick is now considered a masterpiece of American literature.

On September 26, 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon took part in America’s first televised debate, which revealed just how important this growing medium would be on future politics.

On September 25, 1909, the Hudson-Fulton Celebration opened in New York and New Jersey. The celebration marked the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River as well as the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s first successful commercial paddle steamship.

America’s longest-serving chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, was born on September 24, 1755, in Germantown, Virginia.