On This Day - September 16
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…
1620: The Mayflower Set Sail for the New World
The Mayflower departed Plymouth, England, carrying 102 Pilgrims bound for America, beginning one of the most storied voyages in US colonial history.
1782: The Great Seal Was First Used
The United States used its newly adopted Great Seal on official letters patent for the first time, marking a key step in America’s diplomatic identity.
1893: The Cherokee Strip Land Run Opened Oklahoma Territory
At high noon, more than 100,000 settlers raced to claim plots in the Cherokee Outlet, one of the largest land runs in American history.
1908: General Motors Was Founded
Industrialist William C. Durant incorporated General Motors in Flint, Michigan, reshaping the American automobile industry.
1919: The American Legion Was Incorporated
Congress granted a national charter to the American Legion, formalizing the veterans’ organization founded earlier that year.
1920: A Bomb Exploded on Wall Street
A horse-drawn wagon bomb detonated outside the J.P. Morgan building, killing 38 and injuring many more, in one of the deadliest attacks on US soil at the time.
1940: FDR Signed the First Peacetime Draft
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act, instituting the nation’s first peacetime conscription.
1966: The Met Opened Its New Home at Lincoln Center
The Metropolitan Opera House premiered with Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra, starring Leontyne Price, inaugurating a new era for American opera.
Do you remember any of these events? Or do you have more events (historical or not!) you'd like to share with the community? Post them below and let's reminisce together!
