Semiquincentennial

DID YOU KNOW?

• The 15th Amendment Ratified (1870): This historic amendment was officially ratified, guaranteeing that the right of U.S. citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
• The 16th Amendment Ratified (1913): The Sixteenth Amendment was ratified, granting Congress the legal authority to levy and collect a federal income tax.
• Diplomatic Break with Germany (1917): In response to Germany’s announcement of unrestricted submarine warfare during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson severed all diplomatic relations with the German Empire.
• First Hispanic Attorney General (2005): Alberto R. Gonzales was sworn in, becoming the first Hispanic American to serve as the U.S. Attorney General. 
  Britannica +4

• Hampton Roads Conference (1865): During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln met with Confederate representatives to discuss peace terms. The meeting failed because Lincoln demanded a full Union reunion and the abolition of slavery, which the Confederates rejected.
• The Four Chaplains (1943): The troop transport ship SS Dorchester was torpedoed by a German U-boat. In a famous act of sacrifice, four Army chaplains gave up their own life jackets to others and went down with the ship while praying together.
• Invasion of the Marshall Islands (1944): U.S. troops successfully overran the Roi and Namur atolls, effectively placing the Marshall Islands in American hands during WWII. 
  History.com +4

• The Day the Music Died (1959): Rock and roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa—an event immortalized by Don McLean’s song "American Pie".
• First Paper Money (1690): The Massachusetts Bay Colony issued the first government-authorized paper money in the Western world to pay for military expeditions.
• First Female Shuttle Pilot (1995): Astronaut Eileen Collins became the first woman to pilot a U.S. Space Shuttle during the Discovery mission.
• New England Patriots' First Title (2002): The Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams to win Super Bowl XXXVI, launching the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick dynasty. 
  History.com +5

• Elizabeth Blackwell (1821): Born in England, she became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.
• Norman Rockwell (1894): The beloved American painter and illustrator famous for his covers for The Saturday Evening Post.

What is a Combat Veteran

     Veterans know what it means to serve in a Combat Zone, but people who have never served. They often times have questions.  This has been written just for you.