6th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander James Dallas, was born in Jamaica on June 21, 1759.
During the War of 1812,
Alexander found sources for funding American military operations against Britain. After the war had depleted federal funds, he restructured the Treasury Department which gave the U.S. a surplus.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
230 years of Spanish rule over the island of Guam ended on June 21, 1898 when US forces informed the local governor that a state of war existed between the US and Spain. The Spanish forces (54 men, two officers) had no idea. They thought the shots fired by the cruiser USS Charleston (shown here) were a salute. Surrender followed quickly.
Image by RADM Ammen Farenholt, navy.history.mil via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US.
On June 21, 1788 New Hampshire became the 9th state.
According to the census taken two years later in 1790, the population of New Hampshire was about 142,000.
Image of a New Hampshire postcard c. 1930-1945 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
On June 21, 1893 the first Ferris Wheel opened in Chicago, Illinois.
It was 264 feet tall.
Image: The original Ferris Wheel at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
June 21, 1913 is considered to be the date when an American named Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick became the first woman to parachute from an airplane.
However some sources claim that she made earlier jumps the year prior.
Image: Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick preparing to make another parachute jump in August 1913
via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Using the same sign from his unsuccessful Utica, New York store, Frank W. Woolworth opened his first successful five-and-dime in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on June 21, 1879.
Image via Alamy
Eagle Scout Daniel Carter Beard was born on June 21, 1850 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In addition to being a cofounder of the Boy Scouts of America, he was also a writer and an artist who provided illustrations for Mark Twain’s books.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Douglas SBD “Dauntless” dive bomber balanced on nose after crash landing on carrier flight deck, June 21, 1943
Image via Library of Congress, no known restrictions
Born in Pittsburgh, PA on June 21, 1859 Henry Ossawa Tanner is regarded as the first Black American artist to achieve international recognition and acclaim. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and at art schools in Paris.
Shown here is Tanner (far right) sitting next to fellow artist Myron G. Barlow at a table in France c. 1907-1908
Image via Wikipedia Commons, public domain in the US
Taken likely on June 21, 1871, this photograph shows Alexander Graham Bell at the top of the steps of Boston’s Pemberton Square School for the Deaf, soon to become the Horace Mann School, shortly after his arrival from Canada to teach “Visible Speech.” Seated beside Rev. Dexter King and Dr. Ira Allen, Bell is surrounded by pioneering educators like Sarah Fuller and Annie M. Bond, whose work helped shape early oralist approaches in deaf education. The presence of young students on the steps below marks this as a key moment in the shift toward speech-based instruction in American deaf schools.
Image via Wikipedia Commons, public domain in the US
Jason Robards and Maureen Stapleton from the television anthology program The Seven Lively Arts. – 1958
Academy Award winning actress, Maureen Stapleton, whose career spanned from the mid 1940s to the early 2000s was born in Troy, New York on June 21, 1925.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Born on June 21, 1921, Jane Russell (right) lit up Hollywood’s golden age with a blend of beauty, wit, and bold independence. From her explosive debut in Howard Hughes’ The Outlaw to stealing scenes alongside Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she redefined the screen siren with sharp humor and magnetic presence. Offscreen, she was a passionate advocate for adoption, founding WAIF and forging a legacy that extended far beyond the silver screen.
Image: Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell putting signatures, hands and foot prints in wet concrete at Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. in June 1953
from Los Angeles Times, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
On June 21, 1975 “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille became the #1 pop song in America
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Sailing ship at sea during the midnight sun, Alaska, June 21, 1906
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
On June 21, 1993, Space Shuttle Endeavour roared into the sky from Kennedy Space Center, marking the start of STS-57. This mission introduced the first flight of the SPACEHAB module—a pressurized lab that expanded the shuttle’s research capabilities. Over 10 days in orbit, the six-member crew retrieved the European science satellite EURECA, conducted a nearly six-hour spacewalk, and carried out dozens of experiments in life and materials sciences. It was a bold leap forward in shuttle-era science and engineering.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
