On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. One of America’s founding documents, it explained why the 13 colonies were at war with Great Britain and that they declared themselves to be independent sovereign states no longer under British rule.
America’s 22nd and 24th president, Grover Cleveland, died on June 24, 1908, in Princeton, New Jersey. He’s America’s only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and was known for his honesty and integrity.
On June 19, 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation creating the National Archives. The archives houses billions of historic documents, photographs, maps, videos, and more.
Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park was established on May 22, 1902. It’s America’s fifth-oldest national park, the only national park in Oregon, and is home to the deepest lake in the country – Crater Lake.
On May 16, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson officially created the White Mountain National Forest, which resides mostly in New Hampshire (with about 5% of the forest in Maine). It’s the only national forest located in either state or the most eastern national forest in the country.
On May 15, 1963, the US observed its first Peace Officers Memorial Day. It’s a day that pays tribute to America’s local, state, and federal peace officers who have died or been injured in the line of duty.
One of the first recorded celebrations of Native American Day was held on May 13, 1916, in New York. Other states adopted similar days later in the year before the first national celebrations were held in 1976. Today Native American Heritage Day is held in November, which is also American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
On April 17, 1961, a group of Cuban exiles launched an operation in Cuba known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion. It was an important event in the Cold War and led to major changes between the US, Cuba, and the Soviet Union.
On April 5, 1792, George Washington used the first presidential veto in our country’s history. It was to turn down a bill that he felt unconstitutionally gave some states more members in the House of Representatives than the Constitution would allow.