Death of King William II of England, also known as William Rufus, in a hunting accident, leading to the accession of his brother Henry I. More
What Happened Today?
Today in History
Most of the 55 members of the Continental Congress signed the parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. While the vote for independence happened on July 2, and the document was formally adopted on July 4, the signing on parchment took place later. More Historical Timeline
The United States conducts its first national census, showing a population of 3.9M people (3,929,214). The official count started on August 2 1790 and was finished within 9 months,
The census was conducted by U.S. Marshals visiting households to collect information. The results were used to determine congressional representation and apportion taxes. The census was published in 1791 and it cost $44,377. Some of the results highlights were:
1. Fewer than 5% of Americans lived in urban areas
2. Virginia was the most populous state with 747,610 people.
3. Delaware was the least populous with 59,094.
4. The enslaved population was counted as approximately 700,000
5. Most Native Americans were not counted because they were considered "Indian not taxed".
More
James I. Waddell, Commander of the CSS Shenandoah learns the war is over from the bark Barracouta. More
The Lincoln penny was first issued by the United States Mint on August 2, 1909, marking the centennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln. It was the first regularly circulating U.S. coin to feature the portrait of an actual historical person, replacing the long-running Indian Head cent.
Introduction of the Lincoln Penny
Overview
The Lincoln penny was first issued by the United States Mint on August 2, 1909, marking the centennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln. It was the first regularly circulating U.S. coin to feature the portrait of an actual historical person, replacing the long-running Indian Head cent.
Designed by sculptor Victor David Brenner, the coin represented a significant departure from earlier U.S. coinage, which had traditionally depicted allegorical figures such as Liberty rather than real individuals.
Historical Background
By the early twentieth century, President Theodore Roosevelt sought to improve the artistic quality of American coinage. As part of this initiative, he encouraged the redesign of several U.S. coins. The approaching 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth provided the opportunity to honor one of the nation's most respected presidents with a new one-cent coin.
Victor David Brenner based Lincoln's portrait on a photograph taken by Matthew Brady's studio, producing a right-facing profile that remains one of the most recognizable images in American numismatics.
The Initial Release
The first Lincoln cents entered circulation on August 2, 1909. The reverse featured two wheat ears framing the denomination and country name, leading collectors to later nickname the coin the "Wheat Penny."
The original coins also carried Brenner's initials (V.D.B.) prominently on the reverse. Public criticism over the size and placement of the initials led the U.S. Mint to remove them shortly after release, creating one of the most famous collectible varieties: the 1909-S VDB.
Significance
The introduction of the Lincoln penny was historically important because it:
- Introduced the first portrait of a real historical figure on a circulating U.S. coin.
- Honored Abraham Lincoln on the centennial of his birth.
- Reflected Theodore Roosevelt's campaign to elevate the artistic quality of American coinage.
- Created one of the most collected and recognizable coin series in the world.
- Established a design lineage that continues on the U.S. one-cent coin today, though with updated reverses.
Timeline
The Lincoln cent has undergone several reverse design changes:
February 12, 1909: Centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth
August 2, 1909: Lincoln penny officially introduced into circulation
August: 1909: V.D.B. initials removed from most subsequent production
1959 : Reverse changed to the Lincoln Memorial
2009: Bicentennial commemorative reverse designs issued
2010: Union Shield reverse adopted.
The Union Shield: Lincoln's obverse portrait, has remained in continuous use since 1909, making it one of the longest-running coin designs in U.S. history. with only minor refinements,
Legacy
The introduction of the Lincoln penny marked a turning point in American coinage by replacing allegorical imagery with the portrait of a historical leader. More than a century later, the Lincoln cent remains a familiar symbol of U.S. currency and one of the most widely collected coins in the world. Its debut on August 2, 1909, stands as a landmark event in both American history and numismatics.
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President Warren G. Harding died suddenly of a stroke in a hotel in San Francisco, while on a presidential speaking tour on the West Coast at the age of 58. Early next day Calvin Coolidge was sworn in. At the time, rumors were circulating in Washington about corruption in his administration.
Adolf Hitler becomes absolute dictator of Germany under the title of Fuhrer, or “Leader after German President Paul von Hindenburg death. More
Albert Einstein writes a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt regarding the possibility of atomic weapons. Six years later, on August 6, 1945, the first Atomic Bomb, developed by the U.S., was dropped on the Japanese port of Hiroshima.
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The 80-foot patrol torpedo boat PT-109 commanded by Lieutenant (junior grade) John F. Kennedy was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer on Aug. 2, 1943, during the Solomon Islands campaign during World War II.
Two crewmen were killed and 11 survived. Kennedy's actions were instrumental in saving his surviving crew which earned him several commendations and made him a war hero. Back problems stemming from the incident required months of hospitalization at Chelsea Naval Hospital and plagued him the rest of his life. More
The Potsdam Conference, held in Potsdam, Germany between the "Big Three": Britain, The Soviet Union and the United States comes to an end on August 2, 1945, without resolution on key issues.
The conference was held to negotiate the terms for the end of World War II. Even though the Allies remained committed to fighting a joint war in the Pacific, mutual distrust stemming from differing views of what a postwar world should look, like led to disagreements on several key issues between the Soviet Union and the West, set the stage for the Cold War. More
The Gulf of Tonkin incident begins as the USS Maddox engages North Vietnamese torpedo boats leading to increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. On August 7,The U.S. Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Lyndon B. Johnson authority "to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression."
Delta Air Lines Flight 191, Lockheed L-1011 TriStar airplane, crashes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport during a landing approach. on August 2, 1985. The cause of the accident was determined to be an intense, localized downburst (microburst), a weather phenomenon not well understood at the time.
Of the 163 persons aboard, 136 were killed in addition to one person hit on the ground. Two passengers died more than 30 days after the accident as a result of their injuries. More
Iraq invades Kuwait on August 2, 1990 and five days later, on August 7, 1990 U.S. President George H.W. Bush orders Operation Desert Shield, the US operational name for the US buildup of forces and Saudi Arabia's defense which lasted until January, 16 1991 in preparation to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.
It consisted of a buildup of approximately 670,000 coalition troops from 28 countries, but it did not include offensive combat actions against Iraq. The second phase, operation Desert Storm was launched on January 17, 1991 by the international coalition against Iraq.