History Today

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on June 5th. It may be difficult to believe, but at one time all American money could be redeemed for gold--that is until Congress took the U.S. currency system off the gold standard on this day in 1933. Bank failures caused by the Great Depression had frightened the public into hoarding gold, making the policy untenable.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on June 4th. It was a major milestone for American women: 101 years ago today, Congress passed the 19th Amendment, which would eventually give American women the right to vote. About 14 months later, in August 1920, it was finally ratified when the required three fourths of American states voted in favor of the amendment.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on June 3rd. Some thought it was the ultimate romance: On this day in 1937, the Duke of Windsor, who had until six months before been King Edward VIII of Great Britain, wed American divorcee Wallis Warfield. The couple began their relationship while Warfield was still married to an English-American businessman, and as she was now on her second divorce, she was deemed an unsuitable match for the English King.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on June 2nd. With the start of the baseball season delayed, we look back to this day in 1935, when Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, ended his Major League playing career after 22 seasons. Ruth played in 10 World Series and scored a then-record 714 home runs. The following year, Ruth became one of the first five players inducted into the sport’s hall of fame.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on June 1st. She is remembered as one of the most inspiring heroines in history--on this day in 1968, writer and lecturer Helen Keller died at the age of 87. Blind and deaf since infancy, Keller learned to read with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan, and went on to study at Radcliffe College, graduating cum laude and beginning her autobiography.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on May 31st. It was one of the most disastrous days in American history: On this day in 1889, more than 2,200 people died as the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was nearly wiped out by a catastrophic flood. Johnstown was located 14 miles downstream from a reservoir controlled by a prestigious hunting and fishing club. The club had failed to maintain the dam properly, and after several days of heavy rain, it collapsed.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on May 30th. The Indianapolis 500 has been postponed until August this year due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19--it will be the first time the greatest spectacle in racing has not been held in the month of May since this day in 1911, when the very first Indianapolis 500 was run. Forty cars participated in that first race, and the winner, Roy Harroun, took home more than $14,000.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on May 29th. China made news recently by teaming with China Mobile to bring high-speed 5G access to Mount Everest. The coverage is said to include the summit, which an estimated 4,000 people have reached since this day in 1953. That’s when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, each carrying 30 pounds of supplies, became the first men to reach the famed mountain's peak. Surprising fact? Everest is the tallest mountain.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on May 28th. As the weather warms up, Americans across the country have been spending more time outside. If you’ll be enjoying the great outdoors today, remember environmentalist John Muir, who helped found the environmental preservation group the Sierra Club on this day in 1892. In its early years, the Sierra Club helped preserve Yosemite National Park and supported the creation of the National Park Service.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on May 27th. You may know this inspiring story from the hit 2014 movie Unbroken: On this day in 1943, the B-24 bomber carrying former U.S. Olympic runner Louie Zamperini crashed into the Pacific while on a search and rescue mission during World War II. Zamperini survived and, along with a fellow airman, spent 47 harrowing days on a life raft, only to be picked up by Japanese sailors.