Religion
Birth of John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier was born on December 17, 1807, at his family’s rural homestead in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He became a poet, journalist, and abolitionist.
Dedication of Touro Synagogue
On December 2, 1763, Rhode Island’s Touro Synagogue was officially dedicated after four years of construction.
John Paul II Elected Pope
On October 16, 1978, Karol Jozef Wojtyla was selected as Pope of the Catholic Church.
Happy Birthday Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910 in what is today North Macedonia.
“In God We Trust” Made Official U.S. Motto
Although it had appeared on American coins for 92 years, “In God We Trust” didn’t become America’s official motto until July 30, 1956.
Birth of Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was born on May 19, 1795, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Mahatma Gandhi Assassinated
On January 30, 1948, Gandhi, who was weak from repeated hunger strikes, walked with his grandnieces to a prayer meeting. Along the way, a Hindu extremist who opposed his tolerance of Muslims, knelt before Gandhi and then shot him three times.
Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr.
Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.