Tara Ross's This Day in History

Mother, wife, author, retired lawyer -- American! Stay tuned to this page for daily history stories: The American Revolution, World War II, aviation milestones, presidential history.... any of these (and more) are fair game! Monday is always "Medal of Honor Monday." History posts & commentary are copyright 2013-2026 by Tara Ross.

[taraross-1787]

Medal of Honor Monday: Jack L. Knight

On this day in 1945, a cavalryman is awarded a Medal of Honor. Jack L. Knight’s bravery came in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II, the so-called “Forgotten Theater” of the war.

He is the only ground combat soldier to receive a Medal of Honor in that theater.

Knight’s little brother, Bill, remembers the day that his three oldest brothers, including Jack, left to join the Texas National Guard. It was November 1940, and the boys did not think they would be gone for more than a year.

“I worshipped those boys,” Bill said many years later, as Jack was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. “They were my heroes.”

All three brothers were assigned to the 124th Cavalry Regiment. Needless to say, the attack on Pearl Harbor more or less ensured that they were not home within a year. To the contrary, by February 1945, Jack was in Burma, near Loi-Kang. He was then in command of F Troop, which had been assigned to the Army’s MARS Task Force.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-jack-knight-moh

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Bea Arthur’s WWII Service

At about this time in 1943, a Marine arrives at Camp Lejeune. You may know Bea Arthur for her Hollywood success and roles on Maude and The Golden Girls, but did you know she was also a Marine during World War II?

She wasn’t Bea Arthur back then. When she applied to the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, her name was Bernice Frankel. She’d applied just five days after the Marines announced the creation of the Women’s Reserve on February 13, 1943.

“I was supposed to start work yesterday,” she soon wrote, “but heard last week that enlistments for women in the Marines were open, so decided the only thing to do was to join.” The letter concluded with her willingness “to get in now and do whatever is desired of me.”

Why did she join? Arthur never talked publicly about the decision, but she was the daughter of Jewish immigrants. Perhaps the war felt personal? Either way, she was soon wading her way through a challenging application process.

Because the Marines would take only the best of the best.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-bea-arthur-marine

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: WWII Hero Robert G. Cole

On this day in 1944, a soldier engages in an action that would earn him the Medal of Honor. Lt. Col. Robert G. Cole was then serving as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division.

Perhaps you know that division for its well-known nickname: the “Screaming Eagles.”

Mere days before, on D-Day, Cole had been among those invading Normandy. In fact, his unit was making its first combat jump that day—and Cole had the honor of being the first to jump out of the lead plane.

Unfortunately, the soldiers were badly dispersed during the drop.  At first Cole could only find four of his own men, but he finally managed to gather about 75 soldiers. Together, they went to work, destroying certain coastal defenses and preparing Utah Beach for advancing Allied forces. With this first mission accomplished, Cole and his men met up with the U.S. 4th Infantry Division at the dune line.

The next task would be tougher.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-robert-cole-moh

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Ruth Law, Aviatrix

On this day in 1919, American aviatrix Ruth Law breaks an altitude record. It was just one of many records that she’d break. Indeed, Law was so well-known during her day that reporters used to call her Angel Ruth or Queen of the Aces.

And yet most Americans today have never heard of this daring pioneer.

Law bought her first airplane from Orville Wright in 1912. She hoped he’d teach her to fly, but he refused to do it. He thought women were not mechanically inclined. Law was undeterred. She found another teacher and learned to fly in three short weeks.

“The surest way to make me do a thing is to tell me I can’t do it,” she wrote several years later.

Law is perhaps best known for a 1916 attempt to fly from Chicago to New York City—and for the speed and distance records that she smashed along the way.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-ruth-law

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: The Gaspee Affair

On this day in 1772, the “first bold blow” of the American Revolution occurred. Maybe you thought the “shot heard ‘round the world” carried that honor? Well, not exactly. An earlier blow was dealt in the so-called Gaspee Affair.

This blow was dealt by the independent-minded Rhode Island, which was sometimes called Rogue’s Island. Perhaps it is unsurprising that the state would take the first hit at Britain?!

Rhode Island merchants suffered under the taxes imposed by the British Parliament in those years. They received a double whammy because the British cracked down on smuggling along the Rhode Island coast. In early 1772, British Lt. William Dudingston was sent to find smugglers—and he was relentless.

Dudingston stopped virtually any ship he could. He impounded the sloop, Fortune, in violation of the law. He even stole from locals. Many believed that his policing efforts were violating the colony’s charter.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-burning-gaspee

[taraross-1787]

Medal of Honor Monday: Joseph J. Cicchetti

On this day in 1923, a son is born to an Italian-American family in Waynesburg, Ohio. Joseph J. Cicchetti would go on to earn a Medal of Honor for his service during World War II.

Cicchetti didn’t have to serve. He had a breathing problem that prevented him from meeting the Army’s physical standards. Some might have seized upon the excuse, but not Cicchetti. Instead, he underwent surgery to correct the nasal problem.

Perhaps he was just that sort of a selfless young man. “[M]y father thought the world of his brother,” Cicchetti’s niece concluded.

The young soldier’s heroism came on February 9, 1945, as our boys fought to recapture the Philippines from Japanese forces.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-joseph-cicchetti-moh

[taraross-1787]

This Week in History: “Patriot-Artist of the Revolution”

At about this time in 1756, the so-called “Patriot-Artist of the Revolution” is born in Connecticut. You may know of John Trumbull’s many famous paintings, but did you also know that he was arrested as a prisoner of war during the American Revolution?

John Trumbull was born to a prominent family in Connecticut. His father, Governor Jonathan Trumbull, hoped that his son would attend Harvard and enter the ministry. Presumably, he didn’t quite know what to do when the younger Trumbull wanted to become an artist?!

Nevertheless, Trumbull went to Harvard, as his father hoped—and then the war intervened.

Soon after shots rang out at Lexington and Concord, Trumbull enlisted in the army. He briefly served as an aide-de-camp to George Washington and even attained the rank of colonel, but he never saw direct combat.

FULL STORY: http://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-john-trumbull

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Battle of Midway

On this day in 1942, the Battle of Midway is fought. The Japanese had taken Americans by surprise at Pearl Harbor mere months before. Now the United States would strike a decisive blow of its own.

Americans entered battle with a priceless advantage: They’d recently broken a Japanese naval code. The U.S. Navy had a pretty good idea of when, where, and how the Japanese would attack.

They’d barely figured out the “where.” As cryptanalysts listened to the intercepted messages, they kept hearing references to location “AF,” but they didn’t know where AF was. Could it be Midway? They decided to test the theory.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-battle-midway

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Father of the Navy?

On this day in 1794, George Washington appoints six captains for the new United States Navy. One of these men, John Barry, would later be named Commodore.

Is Barry rightfully called the Father of the Navy or should the title go to John Paul Jones? You will hear arguments made for both men. ;)

Barry came from poor beginnings in Ireland, where he learned a love of ships from his uncle. He came to America when he was 15 years old and soon found himself commanding merchant vessels. He was thus overseas when shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. When he returned home from a trip to London in the fall of 1775, the Continental Congress was debating the creation of a navy. Fortunately, Barry arrived just as the matter was being discussed. He brought word that “Eight men of war, from forty to fifty guns each” and several British regiments were being sent to America.

The report revived a lagging debate on naval issues.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-john-barry

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Martha Washington

On this day in 1731, future First Lady Martha Washington is born. History has relegated Martha to a simple label: George’s wife. What a shame. Martha was a vivacious, bright, capable woman with her own story to tell.

“She is both famous as the first First Lady and completely unknown,” her biographer Patricia Brady concludes.

The future Mrs. Washington’s given name at birth was Martha Dandridge—but her family called her “Patsy.” The Dandridges were modestly successful plantation owners. Thus, Patsy would simultaneously learn to work her father’s plantation, even as she had the benefit of learning to read and write.

In other words, Patsy could handle herself in Virginian society, but she wasn’t afraid of a little hard work, either.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-martha-washington-born

[taraross-1787]

Medal of Honor Monday: Robert H. Jenkins

On this day in 1948, a young boy is born in the small town of Interlachen, Florida. Robert H. Jenkins would go on to become a Marine and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

His self-sacrifice did not surprise his family. Not even one little bit.

“That sweet, sweet child,” as his mother called him, was a devout Christian who’d carried his Bible to Vietnam. “He would do anything for anybody,” she concluded.

“When we were in school,” his sister Ruby told The Tampa Tribune, “there were white schools and black schools. But Robert didn’t care if you were green. To him a person was a person. No one who knew him was surprised by what he did. He liked everyone.”

On March 4, 1969, Pfc. Jenkins was a machine gunner assigned to Company C, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. He was with a 12-man reconnaissance team just south of the DMZ. As night fell, the Marine team could hear the enemy in the area. FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-robert-jenkins-moh

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Jackson v. Dickinson Duel

At about this time in 1806, future President Andrew Jackson faces Charles Dickinson in one of the most famous duels in American history.

Jackson participated in many duels during his day, although the exact number is disputed. How remarkable that he survived so many of these encounters—or that he didn’t hurt more people.

Jackson’s marriage to Rachel Donelson Robards became a source of public controversy. Rachel Donelson Robards was in an unhappy (maybe abusive) marriage when Jackson met her. Possibly thinking she was divorced, Rachel married Jackson. Unfortunately, her divorce had not been finalized. You won’t be surprised to hear that there is some dispute about what Jackson and Rachel knew about her marital status—and when they knew it.

Either way, Rachel’s actions enabled her husband to claim that Rachel had committed adultery and bigamy. He got his (real) divorce. Rachel married Jackson for a second time.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-jackson-dickinson

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Battle of Attu

At about this time in 1943, the Battle of Attu comes to an end. It was an American victory! The Japanese had held two of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands for nearly a year—but now we’d won one back. The second would soon follow.

The Battle of Attu was the only land battle fought in North America during World War II, yet somehow it has earned the tag, “The Forgotten Battle.” How can that be? We suffered more than 3,000 casualties, including 549 dead, at Attu. Shouldn’t more Americans know about it? And how did World War II make its way to the Aleutian Islands, anyway?

There are several theories. Possibly, the Japanese were worried that we’d use the islands to launch an attack. The Aleutian Islands stretch westward across the Pacific, so such a use was possible. Or perhaps the Japanese wanted to launch their own attack on us, using the islands as a base. Or maybe they were simply working on their defensive perimeter in the Pacific. To this day, Japanese motivations remain a bit unclear.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-battle-attu

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Jefferson-Adams Correspondence

On this day in 1813, Thomas Jefferson writes John Adams, informing him that their mutual friend Benjamin Rush had passed away. The two men had only just begun communicating after more than a decade of silence.

It would take Abigail Adams a bit longer to relent, but she finally did a few weeks later.

“Abigail’s voice, as always,” historian Joseph Ellis writes, “was the surest sign. Jefferson had been forgiven. The friendship, so long in storage, had never completely died.”

What caused the rupture in the first place? As early as 1776, Jefferson and Adams had worked together on the Declaration of Independence. Their friendship had continued to grow through the shared experiences of the Revolution. Unfortunately, all of that good will came to an end after the Constitution was ratified.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-jefferson-adams

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Eddie Albert's WWII Service

On this day in 2005, Green Acres star Eddie Albert passes away. You might know him for his success in Hollywood, but do you know about his Navy service during World War II? Perhaps most notably, Albert supported Marines as they fought to secure the Tarawa Atoll and its important airstrip late in 1943.

He even received a Bronze Star with Combat “V” for the stunning rescues he made.

That invasion began on November 20 as Marines landed on the tiny island of Betio, along the southwest side of Tarawa.

“Few American battles of this century,” Col. Joseph H. Alexander explains, “featured such savage fighting at sustained point-blank range within such a confined arena. . . . two proud, seasoned, well-armed, ably-led, opposing forces locked in mortal combat on a tiny island from which there would be virtually no escape.”

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-eddie-albert

[taraross-1787]

Medal of Honor Monday: Edward Wilkin

On this Memorial Day in 1948, a soldier is honored in a ceremony led by none other than General Omar Bradley. Edward G. Wilkin’s young son had received a Medal of Honor on his behalf two years earlier. Now he was also present as Wilkin’s remains were finally brought home.

The younger Wilkin remembers the ceremony, “but what it really meant, what it represented,” he admitted. “I never really understood it until I got older of course.”

He also remembers Bradley, who spoke to the assembled crowd: “Here on the long green meadows of this tranquil New England town, we have come to do honor—not alone to one brave soldier—but to the generation of earnest young men who left their homes to defend them at Concord, Antietam, San Juan, the Argonne—and in the snows of the Ardennes. For as long as free men have lived, worked, worshipped and reared their families under these elms, so long have their sons been summoned to arms against those who would covet or destroy them.”

Wilkin’s act of bravery occurred nearly three years earlier, on March 18, 1945. On that day, the “painter turned soldier,” as one journalist said, threw himself into danger, over and over again.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-edward-wilkin-moh

[taraross-1787]

This Day in History: Tench Coxe

On this day in 1755, Tench Coxe is born in Philadelphia. Was he a Patriot or a Loyalist? People weren’t so sure at first. But he rehabilitated himself—or at least his reputation—and later served in four presidential administrations. He also became a prolific writer on the importance of an armed citizenry.

Perhaps it’s unsurprising, given his background. Coxe’s father was once a stamp (tax) collector in New Jersey. Patriot threats and protests caused him to resign, but then Loyalists and royal officials were upset with him! You can imagine that the entire experience left the family jittery, and they worked hard to maintain an appearance of neutrality once the war began.

By then, Coxe had spent time in British-occupied New York and Philadelphia, where he conducted business with Tories and the British. When the British left Philadelphia, Coxe’s name was included on a list of those suspected of high treason. Coxe promptly took an oath of allegiance to the United States and renounced all ties with the Tories.

You have to wonder if people really believed him.

FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-tench-coxe