On This Day - October 11
Image source: The GrayVine
Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Let’s look back at some of the most significant events in American history that happened on this day, starting with…
1776: Battle of Valcour Island
On Lake Champlain, Benedict Arnold’s small American fleet faced a much larger British force. Though defeated, the Americans delayed the British invasion from Canada—helping set up later Revolutionary War victories.
1890: Daughters of the American Revolution Founded
In Washington, DC, the DAR was established to preserve Revolutionary War heritage and promote education, patriotism, and historic preservation among women.
1906: San Francisco Ordered Segregation of Asian Students
The city’s Board of Education voted to segregate Japanese, Chinese, and Korean students into separate schools, sparking a diplomatic crisis with Japan that led President Theodore Roosevelt to intervene.
1927: Ruth Elder’s Transatlantic Flight Attempt
Aviation pioneer Ruth Elder took off from New York aboard American Girl, hoping to be the first woman to cross the Atlantic. Though forced down near the Azores, she set a distance record of 2,623 miles over water.
1950: FCC Approved Color TV Broadcasting
The Federal Communications Commission officially adopted CBS’s field-sequential color television system—the nation’s first color broadcast standard.
1968: Apollo 7 Launched
NASA launched Apollo 7 from Cape Kennedy, carrying astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walt Cunningham—the first crewed Apollo mission and a crucial step toward the Moon landing.
1984: First Spacewalk by an American Woman
Astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan stepped outside the Space Shuttle Challenger during mission STS-41-G, becoming the first American woman to perform a spacewalk.
1991: Anita Hill Testified Before the Senate
Law professor Anita Hill testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, accusing Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment—a moment that reshaped national conversations about gender and workplace conduct.
Do you remember any of these events? Or do you have more moments (historical or not!) you'd like to share with the community? Post them below and let’s reminisce together!
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