National Parks

On April 28, 1948, Fort Sumter National Monument was established to preserve the site where the opening shots of the Civil War were fired. Twelve years later, nearby Fort Moultrie was added to the protected area. Together, they honor and preserve generations of American seacoast defense from the American Revolution to World War II.

Frederick Law Olmsted was born on April 26, 1822, in Hartford, Connecticut. He’s considered the father of American landscape architecture. Some of his most well-known projects include New York’s Central and Prospect Parks as well as the US Capitol building grounds.

Arches National Monument was established on April 12, 1929. Made into a national park in 1971, its home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches. That makes it the highest density of natural arches in the world.

The Jupiter, also known as Central Pacific Railroad #60, made its first run on March 20, 1869. Less than two months later, the Jupiter made history as one of the two locomotives that met at Promontory Summit, Utah to mark the completion of America’s First Transcontinental Railroad.

On March 1, 1972, the USPS issued the first stamp in a new series honoring the 100th anniversary of the world’s first national park. Exactly 100 years earlier, Congress established Yellowstone as a national park to protect its unusual features and resources.

Photographer Ansel Easton Adams was born on February 20, 1902, in San Francisco, California. Adams was one of America’s most famous photographers, known for his photographs of American landscapes, which helped promote environmental and conservation causes.

Zion National Park was established on November 19, 1919. 

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was born October 27, 1858, in New York City, the second of four children.

On October 15, 1966, the Wolf Trap Farm National Park for Performing Arts was established in Virginia.  It’s the only National Park dedicated exclusively to the performing arts.