World War II

Industrialist and auto manufacturer Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, in Greenfield Township, Michigan.  He was a pioneer in the automotive industry, starting a company that’s still in business today.

On June 26, 1948, the first supply-filled planes departed bases in England and Western Germany as part of the Berlin Airlift.

On June 22, 1943, the first stamp in the Overrun Countries Series, US #909, was issued. These stamps were created to send a message of hope to war-torn residents of the overrun countries.

Journalist and writer John Hersey was born on June 17, 1914, in Tientsin, China. He accompanied the Army on several operations in World War II and is best remembered for his collection of stories from survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Anthropologist Ruth Fulton Benedict was born on June 5, 1887, in New York City, New York. Benedict developed her own theories on culture and conducted special research for the US government during World War II.

On May 30, 1962, the USS Arizona Memorial was officially opened to the public. A tribute to those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, it’s visited by two million people per year and is a National Historic Landmark.

On May 29, 2004, George W. Bush led the official dedication ceremony for the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 150,000 people attended the dedication ceremony, which included music, videos, newsreels, and speeches.

On April 29, 1945, the Peace rose was made available for sale in the US. The Peace rose helped popularize gardening and provided a huge boost to the rose industry. 

Edward Patrick Francis Eagan was born on April 26, 1897, in Denver, Colorado.  He’s the only person in Olympic history to win gold medals in both Summer and Winter sports.