On December 6, 1947, President Harry Truman presided over the dedication of Florida’s Everglades National Park. It’s the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the third largest park in the country.
On December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment was ratified, ending prohibition after nearly 15 years.
On December 4, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson boarded a boat to Paris, becoming the first siting president to travel to Europe. He spent six months in France for the World War I peace talks in Paris.
On November 29, 1952, president-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower filled a campaign promise to visit Korea. He had been critical of Harry Truman’s handling of the Korean conflict and promised he would visit and bring an end to the war.
On November 25, 1783, the British Army left New York City following the American Revolutionary War. The date was celebrated for over a century as Evacuation Day, with celebrations rivaling those held on the Fourth of July.
America’s 14th president, Franklin Pierce, was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, on November 23, 1804. Despite his early popularity, Pierce only served one term due to his poor handling of the growing slavery issue.
On November 17, 1800, Congress convened in the still-under-construction Capitol building in Washington, DC for the first time. The Capitol building would undergo several expansions over the years, eventually growing to 16.5 acres.
On November 16, 1902, a cartoon appeared in a newspaper that inspired the creation of the first teddy bears, named after President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.
First Lady Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower was born on November 14, 1896, in Boone, Iowa. Mrs. Eisenhower was known for her stylish dresses, frugality, and love of entertaining. But she also spoke out in support of important causes, including heart health and the well-being of military widows.