Dr. Virginia Apgar was born on June 7, 1909, in Westfield, New Jersey. She was a pioneer in the field of neonatology, the area of medicine that specializes in premature and ill newborns. Her work is credited with drastically reducing infant mortality worldwide.
On June 6, 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey. The number of drive-ins in the US would eventually grow to over 4,000, becoming a beloved pastime for millions.
On June 5, 1978, Lowell National Historical Park was founded in Massachusetts. Lowell has been called the “Cradle of the American Industrial Revolution,” for the important role it played in the rise of America’s textile industry.
Doctor and medical researcher Charles R. Drew was born on June 3, 1904, in Washington, DC. During World War II, Drew developed programs and blood mobiles to help the war effort.
On June 2, 1886, President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the White House, making him the only US president to be married in the executive mansion.
On June 1, 1909, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition opened in Seattle, Washington. The Expo honored the purchase of Alaska, the Klondike Gold Rush, and trade in the Pacific.
Emily Perkins Bissell was born on May 31, 1861, in Wilmington, Delaware. Bissell was a noted social worker and activist, best known as the creator of America’s Christmas Seals program that raised money to fight tuberculosis.
On May 30, 1868, the first Memorial Day, then called Decoration Day, was held in the United States. It’s grown to become a federal holiday dedicated to remembering the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers.
Leslie Townes “Bob” Hope was born on May 29, 1903, in Eltham, London, England. Hope was the most honored entertainer in history, but his greatest legacy was the gift of laughter he brought to millions of American service men and women stationed far from home.