July 26
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1775: The USPS’s revolutionary origins
As the American Revolution loomed, the rebelling colonists had a problem. Reliable communication was vital to the war effort, but under British rule, mail was not private. In 1774 William Goddard, Benjamin Franklin’s former publishing partner, came up with a solution: He created an independent mail system with trusted riders who transported mail under lock and key. On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress adopted Goddard’s system, creating what became the U.S. Postal Service, and appointed Franklin postmaster general.
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Smithsonian National Postal Museum, Washington, D.C. (npm_2011.2004.14); Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Event
Hubertus Kauns/SuperStock
On this day in 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal and nationalized it, sparking a crisis that later resulted in French, British, and Israeli forces briefly occupying parts of Egypt. [How much do you know about Egyptian history?]
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Featured Biography
Copyright Commonwealth of Australia
Liberal leader John Howard, born this day in 1939, became prime minister of Australia in 1996, and his policies, including his strict immigration stance, proved popular with voters, who elected him to a fourth term in 2004.
Famous Birthdays
More on July 26
© 1949 Paramount Pictures Corporation; photograph from a private collection
2020
American actress Olivia de Havilland, who won Academy Awards for her performances in To Each His Own and The Heiress, died at age 104. [Test your knowledge of movies.]
© Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock.com
2016
At the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton was officially nominated for president, becoming the first woman to top the presidential ticket of a major party in the United States. [Discover more firsts achieved by women in U.S. politics.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
2004
In response to an explosion of violence in the Darfur region, the European Union advocated that the United Nations institute economic sanctions against Sudan.
Neel Dass/Alamy
1999
The Kargil War, a conflict between Pakistan and India over a sector of the disputed Kashmir region, officially ended.
George Bush Library/NARA
1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provided civil rights protections to individuals with physical and mental disabilities, was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.
Wisconsin State Journal/AP Images
1984
The notorious murderer Ed Gein—who inspired numerous books and films, including Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs—died in a mental hospital as a result of lung cancer.
© Roz Kelly—Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
1971
American photographer Diane Arbus—who was best known for her compelling, often disturbing, portraits of people from the edges of society—died by suicide at age 48. [Test your knowledge of famous photographers.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1965
The Republic of Maldives gained its independence from Britain.
© 2009 Warner Brothers, Inc.
1964
Sandra Bullock—known for her charismatic energy and wit on-screen, especially as girl-next-door characters in romantic comedies—was born in Arlington, Virginia.
U.S. Coast Guard Photograph
1956
The Italian passenger liner Andrea Doria sank after colliding with the Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket in the Atlantic Ocean; 51 people were killed. [Read about seven of the world’s deadliest shipwrecks.]
Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
1953
Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada military fortress in Santiago de Cuba, and, although unsuccessful, the event later inspired the 26th of July Movement, which culminated in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista’s regime in Cuba. [Take our quiz about the United States and Cuba.]
NARA
1948
U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which abolished racial segregation in the U.S. military. [Read more about this and nine other milestones in U.S. civil rights history.]
Mario Tama/Getty Images
1943
Los Angeles experienced its first major smog as a “hellish cloud” descended on the city, limiting visibility to three blocks; the noxious smog was later blamed, in part, on the exhaust from vehicles. [Test your knowledge of pollution.]
Robert M. Quittner/Black Star
1894
Aldous Huxley, whose deep distrust of 20th-century trends in both politics and technology found expression in his novel Brave New World (1932), was born in Godalming, Surrey. [Take our quiz about authors of classic literature.]