On November 5, 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt made history as the only U.S. president elected to a third term. His unprecedented victory was driven by both his popularity and the nation’s unique circumstances. Since he first took office in 1933, Roosevelt had focused on…
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On November 4, 1962, the United States concluded Operation Fishbowl, a high-altitude nuclear testing series that pushed the limits of Cold War science—and brought the world to the brink of a new understanding of both atomic power and restraint. The series, conducted over the…
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On October 29, 1863, eighteen official delegates from national governments helped make a world caught in war a slightly better place. Meeting in Geneva, the gathering formed the International Red Cross. During the conference, it was decided that a red cross on a white…
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In the midst of a chilly and overcast day on October 18, 1867, “Seward’s Folly” finally came to completion. Now celebrated every year as Alaska Day, the date commemorates a pivotal moment in the history of the United States and the far northern frontier…
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On September 24, 1846, General Zachary Taylor successfully captured Monterrey during the Mexican-American War, marking a decisive victory for the United States in its campaign against Mexico. The capture of Monterrey was a turning point in the war, establishing Taylor’s military reputation and paving…
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On September 18, 1850, the United States Congress passed and President Millard Fillmore signed into law the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, one of the most divisive and consequential pieces of legislation in American history. As part of the Compromise of 1850—a fragile political…
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On September 17, 1787, within the revered walls of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, leaders finished the work of creating what’s been called the greatest government ever devised. After several months of intense deliberation, the framers of the United States Constitution signed a document…
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On September 2, 1901 one of the most famous foreign policy sayings in American history came out of the mouth of one of the nation’s legendary leaders. Just two weeks before ascending to the presidency, Roosevelt outlined a distinctive foreign policy approach that would…
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On the late summer of 1859, the world of energy shifted dramatically toward petroleum. On August 27, 1859, Edwin L. Drake—working on behalf of the Seneca Oil Company (formerly the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company)—succeeded where many before him had failed. Along Oil Creek near…
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On August 23, 1784, a new nation was created just west of North Carolina. Merely a few years after the United States gained its independence, the short-lived Republic of Franklin was born, but it was also short-lived. “The previous April, the state of North…
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