May 27 is a day when America builds, charges, sails, sings, fights, and celebrates — from Wild Bill Hickok riding into frontier legend to Doris Miller receiving the Navy Cross at Pearl Harbor, from Cornelius Vanderbilt shaping a transportation empire to the Chrysler Building piercing the New York skyline. It’s a day of world’s fairs, electric turbines, battlefield charges, detective fiction, and a jubilant walk across the brand‑new Golden Gate Bridge.
And just as May 27 is filled with turning points, the 1933 Century of Progress Lincoln souvenir bust — originally sold at Chicago’s great world’s fair — reminds us that Americans have long turned their history into something tangible, a way to keep Lincoln’s example close at hand as the country moved forward.
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The Legend and Fists of Wild Bill Hickok
Born on May 27, 1837, in LaSalle County, Illinois, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok grew into one of the most recognizable figures of the American frontier — a Union scout, ...
The Signal Corps in the Field
Taken on May 27, 1908, this rare U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph shows a soldier operating an early field telephone, the bulky, wire‑dependent technology that formed the backbone of American ...
Julia Ward Howe and the Memorial Rhyme
Born on May 27, 1819, in New York City, Julia Ward Howe became one of the most influential literary and reform voices of nineteenth‑century America. She achieved lasting fame with ...
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Real-Life Noir and Dashiell Hammett
Born on May 27, 1894, author Samuel Dashiell Hammett became the defining pioneer of hard‑boiled detective fiction, creating enduring characters such as Sam Spade and the sophisticated duo Nick and ...
Doris Miller and Nimitz at Pearl Harbor
On May 27, 1942, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz pinned the Navy Cross onto Doris Miller aboard the USS Enterprise at Pearl Harbor, honoring the steward’s mate for carrying wounded sailors ...
Scott’s Amphibious Assault on Fort George
During the assault on Fort George on May 27, 1813, Colonel Winfield Scott led the American landing force up the steep, rain‑soaked riverbank under heavy fire, surviving the violent explosion ...
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Butterfield’s Brigade and the Hanover Howitzer
Daniel Butterfield’s Brigade played a crucial role at the Battle of Hanover Court House on May 27, 1862, launching a determined charge through driving rain and deep mud that ultimately ...
Seventy Years of the Preakness Stakes
A 1943 photograph captures a bustling race day at Pimlico Race Course near Baltimore, marking exactly seventy years since the inaugural running of the Preakness Stakes on May 27, 1873 ...
Pedestrian Party on the Golden Gate
On May 27, 1937, two hundred thousand excited citizens turned the grand opening of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge into a massive outdoor celebration during its car-free pedestrian day. Participants ...
The Chrysler Building Reaches the Sky
On May 27, 1930, the magnificent Art Deco Chrysler Building in Manhattan opened its doors to the public, instantly transforming the skyline of New York City. The building featured iconic ...
Christening the John F. Kennedy
On May 27, 1967, nine‑year‑old Caroline Kennedy christened the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy in Newport News, Virginia, striking a bottle of champagne against the bow before a crowd ...
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Vincent Price and the Sears Art Revolution
Born on May 27, 1911, actor Vincent Price became a Hollywood icon, but he was also a devoted art historian who authored numerous books, including a major treasury of American ...
Vanderbilt’s Private Navy Contribution
Born on May 27, 1794, Cornelius Vanderbilt rose from modest beginnings to become one of the wealthiest individuals in American history, building a vast transportation empire that spanned steamships, railroads, ...
Light From a Distant Star: Opening Day at the Century of Progress
On May 27, 1933, Chicago opened its Century of Progress International Exposition along the Lake Michigan shoreline, unveiling a world’s fair devoted to scientific discovery, industrial innovation, and modern design ...
Electrifying the Woodward Mine
On May 27, 1913, engineers photographed a massive electric‑plant steam turbine at the Woodward Mine in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, capturing a moment of profound technological change in the anthracite coal region ...
