This Week In American History

October 8 1871 The Great Chicago Fire began when flames sparked in the Chicago barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, igniting a two-day blaze that killed between 200 and 300...

October 1 1890 An act of Congress created Yosemite National Park. Environmental trailblazer John Muir (1838-1914) and his colleagues campaigned for the congressional action, which was signed into law by...

September 24 1789 The Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made...

September 17 1787 The Constitution of the United States of America was signed by 38 of 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. During an intensive debate,...

September 10 1813 The Battle of Lake Erie marked the first unqualified defeat of a British naval squadron in history. U.S. Captain Oliver Hazard Perry leads a fleet of nine...

September 3 1777 The American flag was flown in battle for the first time, during a Revolutionary War skirmish at Cooch’s Bridge, Delaware. Patriot General William Maxwell ordered the stars and...

August 27 1921 J E Clair of Acme Packing Co of Green Bay granted an American Football Professional Association (AFPA, forerunner to NFL) franchise, becoming the Acme Packers. Due to roster...

August 20 1911 A dispatcher in the New York Times office sent the first telegram around the world via commercial service. The Times decided to send the telegram in order...

August 13 1981 At his home in CA, Ronald Reagan signed the Economic Recovery Tax Act, a historic package of tax and budget reductions that set the tone for his administration’s...

August 6 1928 Andy Warhol, one of the most influential artists of the latter part of the 20th century, was born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A frail and diminutive...

July 30 1945 The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sunk within minutes in shark infested waters. Only 316 of the 1,196 men on board survived. However,...

July 23 1885 Just after completing his memoirs, Civil War hero and former president Ulysses S. Grant dies of throat cancer. As supreme commander of Union forces, Grant led troops in a...