World War I

On May 9, 1918, the US War Department created the Military Postal Express Service (MPES) to handle military mail in Europe during World War I.  It was the first postal system in the world to be created by an Army.

On May 8, 1911, the US Navy purchased its first airplane. This date is celebrated as the birth of US naval aviation.

Harvey Thomas Dunn was born on March 8, 1884, near Manchester, South Dakota. Dunn was influenced all his life by the South Dakota prairie where he was born. He once said that he preferred painting pictures of early South Dakota life to any other subject.

Hugo Lafayette Black was born on February 27, 1886, in Harlan, Alabama. He’s the fifth longest-serving US Supreme Court justice and historians state he was second only to John Marshall in his impact on the Constitution.

On December 17, 1925, the seven-week court-martial of World War I aviation pioneer Billy Mitchell came to an end.  He was charged for his public criticism of the military in its rejection of the importance of air power.

On December 14, 1819, Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state.

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 28, 1922, skywriting was first used for advertising in American skies. It quickly grew in popularity, with advertisers finding a new way to deliver messages to a wider audience.

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.