| THE
AMERICAN CALENDAR
EACH DATE IS THE ANNIVERSARY
OF A PERSON OR EVENT. IT SIGNIFIES THE DATE OF BIRTH OR IN SOME CASES THE
DATE OF DEATH AS SPECIFIED. |
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June |
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Brigham
Young, Mormon leader who led the westward migration of Mormons to
Utah and founded Salt Lake City. Young preached and practiced plural
marriage and had 27 wives and 56 children. He organized the Mormon
exodus following the murder of Joseph Smith, its founder. |
Harriet Tubman, American
abolitionist who was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland.
She led other slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
Quakers helped her on the twenty missions to collect new fugitives
from the South. She helped more than 300 slaves to obtain freedom
and a $40,000 bounty was put on her head. She never lost a passenger
via the Underground Railroad. |
John C. Hood, American
general in the Confederate Army in the Civil War. After vainly fighting
to save Atlanta, his army was defeated at Franklin and Nashville,
Tennessee, and his army was finally destroyed by U.S. General George
H. Thomas. Hood had suffered three serious
wounds in combat but continued
to lead an army.
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John
Randolph, Virginia statesman and early advocate of the states-rights
doctrine. He was a strong supporter of Thomas Jefferson and the
Democratic-Republican Party. He was a firm believer in strict construction
of the U.S. Constitution. He owned 8,000 acres of land with 400
slaves whom he ordered freed at his death. He was a skillful orator
with a caustic wit. He was buried facing west according to his own
instructions so that he could continue to keep an eye on his old
enemy, Henry Clay. |
Frederick Douglass, the
most important African-American leader and intellectual of the 19th
century. He lived for 20 years as a slave on Maryland's eastern
shore and nine years as a fugitive slave in the North. From the
1840s until his death in 1895, he attained international fame as
an
abolitionist, editor,
orator and the author of three autobiographies that are classics
of the slave-narrative tradition.
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Jefferson
Davis, president of the Confederate States in the Civil War. He
served as a senator from Mississippi and Secretary of War before
the secessionist movement. As leader of the Confederacy, he was
blamed for its failures. After the war, however, he was widely admired
in the South for his unrelenting devotion to the Southern cause.
Criticism stung Davis deeply and he was unable to dismiss detractors
and concentrate on his goals. He never requested or received a pardon.
He died in New Orleans on December 6, 1889. |
The Battle of Cold Harbor,
one of the hardest fought engagements in the Civil War fought in
Virginia. The direct frontal assault against Confederate entrenchments
cost the Union Army under General Grant 6,000 men killed and wounded
in less than one hour. The Confederate losses
were only 1,500. Several
days of costly, miserable trench warfare ensued.
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Robert
Merrill, American singer, whose rich, smooth baritone voice made
him a favorite at the Metropolitan opera for more than 25 years.
He made his Metropolitan debut in 1945 as the elder Germont in La
Traviata, a role which identified him for the rest of his career. |
The
Battle of Midway, a decisive air and naval battle in World War II,
which demonstrated that bombers from aircraft carriers, properly
utilized, could defeat a superior surface force. Vice Admiral Nagumo
launched 108 planes for an attack on Midway. The American forces
under the command of
Admiral Raymond Spruance
defeated the Japanese. After Midway the Japanese fleets withdrew
never again to take the offensive.
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George
Marshall, Secretary of State, announced at Harvard University the
economic recovery of Europe as an ambitious aid plan. The goal is
to prevent the spread of
Communism in devastated
countries and to invigorate the economic, social and political deterioration
of a very grave character.
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Nathan
Hale, American soldier whose execution by the British as a spy made
him the best known hero-martyr of the American Revolution. He was
captured by the British on Long Island and General Howe ordered
Hale to be hanged on September 22, 1776. Hale's last words: "I
only regret that I have only one life to lose for my country." |
Normandy invaded as Allied
forces land in great strength. D-Day has arrived. It was the opening
phase of the campaign in Western Europe. Allied naval forces supported
by strong air forces began landing on the northern coast of France.
At Omaha Beach the American forces invading the bluffs where the
German artillery forces made the invasion difficult. Some 50,000
U.S. troops
made their way ashore
on two beaches before the day was out.
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The
Conquest of Saipan in the Marianas was a bloody three-week battle
for control of the island. Army and Marine divisions under Admiral
Chester Nimitz also captured Guam, 100 miles south of Saipan and
three days later Marines moved on to Tinian Island. An important
turning point of the Pacific
war, the American seizure
of the Marianas allowed the U.S. Army Air Forces' B-29 bombers began
to fly missions
against the Japanese homeland. |
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June
8, 1813 David Dixon Porter, American naval officer engaged in the
Civil War who fought under Admiral David Farragut in the capture
of New Orleans. He was commander of the Mississippi Squadron who
assisted General Grant in the capture of Vicksburg. In 1865 he captured
Fort Fisher in North Carolina. |
Frank Lloyd Wright, American
architect, considered by some to be the greatest American architect
of all time and one of the world's greatest. During his 70-year
professional career he made important contributions to the modern
movement in architecture. A great designer, he was also a great
innovator, theoretician and teacher. He left his mark on his times
unmatched by any of his architect contemporaries. |
Byron "Whizzer"
White, American lawyer and Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He
was an All-American football player at the University of Colorado.
He played professional
football at Pittsburgh
and Detroit. In 1973 he strongly opposed abortion in the Roe v.
Wade decision.
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The
largest cavalry engagement of the Civil War was fought around Brandy
Station five miles east of Culpeper Court House. The Union forces
under General Joseph Hooker faced the Confederates under General
Robert Lee. In this fight the Union cavalry surprised the Confederate
cavalry led by General Jeb Stuart. |
Cole Porter, American
musical comedy composer and lyricist who is known for his lilting,
tuneful melodies and for his witty, urbane poetry. A few of his
hit tunes were: Kiss Me Kate; My Heart Belongs To Daddy; You Do
Something To Me; Anything Goes; Too Darn Hot; Always True
To You In My Fashion;
I Get A Kick out Of You and many others.
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Frederick
A. Cook, American physician and explorer who started a controversy
by claiming to have discovered the North Pole on April 21, 1908,
nearly a year before Robert E. Peary reached it on April 6, 1909.
After numerous investigations, the controversy was never settled
for either side. |
Judy
Garland, American singer and film star who introduced or revived
more popular songs than any other singer in motion pictures. She
was born Frances Gumm in Grand
Rapids, Minnesota.
Her life was plagued by
misfortune stemming from psychological problems.
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Joseph
Warren, American phyisician and Revolutionary War officer who joined
Samuel Adams and John Hancock as leaders of the militant patriot
group in Boston. Warren was the man who sent Paul Revere and William
Dawes on their famous ride. He was killed fighting at the battle
of Bunker Hill. |
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Jeanette
Rankin, American legislator and suffragist who was the first woman
elected to the U.S. Congress. She was born in Montana, one of the
few states which allowed women to vote. An advocate of peace, Rankin
voted in Congress against the U.S. entry into World Wars I and II.
She voted against the declaration of war against Japan. |
Vince
Lombardi, American football coach whose success earned him acclaim
as professional football's "super coach" of the first
Super Bowl champion. The Green Bay Packers hired Lombardi as coach
and general manager in 1959. An intense, driving authoritarian who
symbolized
toughness and dedication
in a violent game. In nine years his teams won five league titles
and the first two Super Bowls.
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June
12, 1924 George Herbert Bush, the 41st president of the United States.
He had served in many public offices: chairman of the Republican
Party, UN ambassador, head of the CIA, and vice president under
Ronald Reagan. Bush won acclaim for his foreign policy such as military
intervention in Panama, and the Middle East culmination in operation
Desert Storm
against Iraq. In 1992
he lost in the
presidential election
to the Arkansas Democratic Governor Bill Clinton.
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Winfield
Scott, American general and a hero of two wars. He was a Whig candidate
for the presidency in 1852. He fought in the War of 1812 and won
several victories in the Mexican War. He won at Vera Cruz, Cerro
Gordo and Chapultepec. He captured Mexico City and forced a Mexican
surrender. |
Red Grange (Harold Edward)
American football player who became a legendary figure in U.S. sports.
He played for the University of Illinois where he was called the
"Galloping Ghost" for his spectacular running. In 1925
he joined the Chicago Bears when he popularized the professional
sport on exhibition tours. one of his outstanding feats was to score
five touchdowns in 12
minutes against Michigan
University and passed for a 6th touchdown. |
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Harriet
Beecher Stowe, American author and humanitarian who wrote the antislavery
novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, which had a strong influence as a cause
for the Civil War. It became one of the all-time best-sellers. In
1852 it reached sales of 300,000 copies. It consolidated antislavery
opinion in the
North, deeply angered
the South and was translated into many languages outside the U.S. |
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The
Battles of the Marianas in World War II. It was the heaviest fighting
in the chain of islands including Tinian, Wake Island, New Guinea
and Biak. It was the capture of these islands which allowed American
forces to move against the Philippine Sea and allowed General MacArthur
to capture Luzon and Leyte Gulf. The plan was to capture Bataan
and Corregidor. More than 16,000 casualties were suffered by the
U.S. forces occupied by the Japanese. It was a three-week
struggle to conquer these
islands.
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Stan
Laurel was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson. He was one of the two
comedians whose comedies were the most popular in the world. Laurel
and Hardy perfected a classic comedy technique of bungling everything
they attempted. In 1926, comedy film producer, Hal
Roach teamed the slim
Stan Laurel with the fat oliver Hardy and almost immediately the
team was a success.
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The
Battle of Bunker Hill was on the Charlestown Peninsula across the
Charles River from Boston. The major action occurred at Breed's
Hill. General William Howe broke the siege of Boston successfully
led by 2,500 troops against the Americans under General William
Prescott and General Joseph Warren but the British lost heavy casualties:
271 dead and 783 wounded.
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The Watergate Affair was
the break-in of the headquarters of the Democratic Party's National
Committee in the apartment complex. It led to a full investigation
that ultimately resulted in the resignation of President Richard
Nixon in August, 1974. To avoid impeachment, Nixon
resigned, the first president
of the United States to do so.
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The
War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain was declared
by the U.S. Congress. It was highlighted by the burning of the nation's
White House and Washington, D.C. It was accomplished by the British
military and naval forces who proceeded to attack
Baltimore, Maryland. The
war ended by the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814.
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Jimmy
Walker, American politician who was born in New York City. With
the help of Tammany Hall and Governor Alfred E. Smith, he was elected
New York City's 97th mayor in 1925. Jimmy Walker came to typify
the fabulous 20s, the era of speakeasies, limitless speculation
and a free and easy political philosophy. He was investigated by
the state legislature for corruption, widespread graft and maladministration. |
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Lou
Gehrig, American baseball player who played a record of 2,130 consecutive
games for the New York Yankees from 1925 to 1939. A powerful left-handed
hitting first baseman, he compiled a .340 lifetime batting mark
and hit 493 home runs. Called the "iron Horse" who died
of spinal paralysis on
June 2, 1941. Today it is called Lou Gehrig's disease. |
The Battle of the Philippine
Sea, a World War II naval engagement in the Pacific ocean west of
Guam between the United States and Japanese forces. Admiral Raymond
Spruance defeated Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa. Japanese naval power received
a blow from which it never
recovered. The Japanese
lost 243 planes and the Americans 31.
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Helen
Traubel, American operatic and concert soprano who made her debut
at the Metropolitan opera in 1937. Soon she was esteemed a Wagnerian
dramatic soprano of great ability. After her final Metropolitan
appearance, she devoted her life to television, motion pictures,
night clubs and musical comedy. |
Audie Murphy, American
war hero who was the most decorated soldier in World War II. Short
and boyish in appearance, Murphy seemed an unlikely hero but he
repeatedly distinguished himself in combat. In 1944 he received
the Medal of Honor for killing 240 Germans by
himself using the machine
gun of a burning vehicle. He was wounded three times. He won 24
U.S. decorations, 3 French and 1 Belgian war medal. |
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The
Battle for Okinawa - the bloodiest land battle in the Pacific War
which finally ended with an American victory. U.S. guns, planes
and artillery took over 100,000 Japanese lives on the strategic
island only 300 miles south of Japan. During the fighting American
ships came under
desperate attack by suicide
and kamikaze planes.
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John
Dillinger, American criminal who was born in Indianapolis, IN. Unlike
the mobsters of criminal organizations such as Al Capone, Dillinger
did his own shooting. Made mobile by the motorcar, they would rob
a bank and then race across a state line to safety. Their daring
exploits led to the improvement of the FBI. Dillinger captured the
public imagination. At an early age he became the most notorious
bank robber since the James brothers. Dillinger was killed by federal
agents in Chicago on
July 22, 1934, as he left a theater.
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June
23, 1943 Detroit Race Riots. At least 29 persons were killed and
thousands of others badly injured. Federal troops in full battle
regalia were ordered into Detroit by proclamation of
President Franklin Roosevelt.
Police reported that more than 1,300 persons, most of them Negroes
have been arrested. |
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Gustavus
F. Swift, American meat-packer who revolutionized the meat industry
by opening a national market for dressed beef shipped in railroad
refrigerator cars. He had the refrigerator cars built at his own
expense. In 1902 he formed a "beef trust" which was broken
up by judicial decree. |
Jack Dempsey, American
boxer who was world's heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. He
won the heavyweight crown from Jess Willard on July 4, 1919. Nicknamed
the "Manassa Mauler" Dempsey defended his title against
Gene Tunney but lost in 1926. He lost to Tunney again in 1927 in
the famous "long count" bout of 14 to 16 seconds. Most
of his fights drew million dollar
gates. He retired from
boxing in 1928 and went into the restaurant business.
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Battle
of the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory between the U.S. Cavalry
commanded by George Custer and Sioux and Cheyenne led by Sitting
Bull, Crazy Horse, Gall and others. Custer and all of some 225 men
under his direct command were killed. Debate over the responsibility
for the disaster has raged since 1876. |
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General
Henry Arnold, American Air Force officer who was commander of the
U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and in charge of 2,500,000
men and over 75,000 aircraft. In 1944 he was in total command of
the 20th Air Force which was composed of B-29 bombers. They dropped
5,480 tons of bombs each day on the industrial cities of Japan in
1945. He was raised to the five-star rank of general of the army
with Generals George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. |
The Korean War, an armed
conflict began when the forces of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (North) invaded the Republic of Korea (South). President
Harry Truman ordered American air and naval forces to provide combat
support to the South Koreans. North
Korea was under Communist
rule. General Douglas MacArthur was assigned to command the ground
forces.
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Abner
Doubleday, American army officer, is credited with inventing the
game of baseball. In a report issued on December 30, 1907, a commission
formed by Albert J. Spalding gave credit to Doubleday for this honor
while living in Cooperstown, NY. Doubleday fought in the Mexican
War. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he fired the first Union
gun in defense of Fort Sumter, SC. He fought in many battles including
Bull Run, Antietam, and Gettysburg. |
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Babe
Didrikson Zaharias, American woman athlete who excelled in every
sport she played and setting world records in each of them. In 1938
she married George Zaharias, a professional wrestler. She died of
cancer in 1956. Her autobiography appeared in 1955. |
The
United Nations was formed in San Francisco. President Truman approved
the historic charter for 50 nations. The new charter provides the
framework for what its
designers hope will be
a new start on
the way to a lasting peace in the world.
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Helen
Keller, American author and lecturer who was deaf, blind and mute.
From Boston's Perkins Institute for the Blind, she received a mentor
who assisted Helen Keller to learn the Braille system. She graduated
from college, wrote books and travelled extensively. A motion picture
was made of her life. |
Henry
Ross Perot, American industrialist, political activist and third-party
candidate for president of the United States in 1992 and 1996. He
founded electronic data systems (EDS) a data -processing
firm he developed into a multibillion dollar corporation employing
more than 70,000
people. His tenure at
EDS ended in 1984 when General Motors purchased the company for
$2.55 billion. |
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The
Battle of Monmouth was fought in New Jersey 50 miles northeast of
Philadelphia. Washington's army of 10,000 confronted General Henry
Clinton also with an army of 10,000 troops. The British advanced
across New Jersey to Philadelphia. The battle ended in a stalemate
when General Charles Lee retreated after engaging Clinton. Washington
held the field but the British were able to advance to New York. |
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Carl
Spaatz, American Air Force general who directed strategic bombing
of Germany and Japan in World War II. He was head of the Air Force
Command for General Eisenhower in North Africa and Sicily. He commanded
the 8th Air Force with bombing raids on German cities by U.S. pilots
and later headed the Strategic Air Force operations that came before
Japan's surrender. |
Richard Rodgers, American
composer who collaborated in the writing of some of the most popular
musical shows in the history of the American theater. He and Lorenz
Hart were successful on Broadway which launched their extraordinary
careers. After Hart's death, Rodgers and oscar
Hammerstein II became famous for Oklahoma; Carousel; South Pacific;
The King And I,
and The Sound of Music. |
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George
Washington Goethals. American engineer and army officer who supervised
the building of the Panama Canal. He conducted all phases of its
construction and interviewed between 30,000 and 57,000 workers.
He assigned workers to every kind of construction. He became the
first governor of the Panama Canal Zone. |
William
E. Borah, American political leader who served as a Republican senator
from Idaho for 33 years. He is best known for his leadership in
the successful fight against U.S. membership in the League of Nations
and for his role in convening the 1921-22 Washington
Conference on naval
disarmament. He uncovered
the scandals in the Harding administration. |
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U.S. Forces Fight in Vietnam. For the first time in the Vietnam
War, American troops are fighting in a combat role next to soldiers
of the Saigon regime. It is a search and destroy mission aimed at
Zone D, a Communist stronghold. Communists have been dug into the
thick jungle since the
end of the war
carried out by French forces. |
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