History & Celebrations Today – June 18

Celebrations Today – June 18

Holidays and observances

Celebrations Today – USA: June 18

National Go Fishing Day
National Splurge Day
National Turkey Lovers’ Day – Third Sunday in June
Father’s Day – Third Sunday in June
National Autistic Pride Day
International Panic Day
International Picnic Day
International Sushi Day

Today in US History: June 18

I Want You

I Want You for the U.S. Army
I Want You for the U.S. Army,
James Montgomery Flagg, artist,
1917.
American Treasures of the Library of Congress

James Montgomery Flagg, creator of this illustration of Uncle Sam, was born on June 18, 1877, in Pelham Manor, New York. Flagg claimed that his illustration, an indelible American icon, had become the most famous poster in the world. Dressed in his own Uncle Sam suit, he used himself as the model for this poster and his other Uncle Sam illustrations.

An illustrator and portrait artist best known for his commercial art, Flagg contributed forty-six works in support of the war effort during World War I. Leslie’s Weekly first published his picture of Uncle Sam as the cover of the July 6, 1916, issue with the title “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” More than four million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918. The image also was used extensively during World War II.

In 1961, Congress passed a resolution that officially recognized meat packer Samuel Wilson (1766-1854) as Uncle Sam’s namesake. Wilson, who supplied meat to the army during the War of 1812, is reputed to have been a man of great fairness, reliability, and honesty who was devoted to his country.

Be a Marine
Be a U.S. Marine!
James Montgomery Flagg, artist,
circa 1918.
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog

Portrait of Flagg
James Montgomery Flagg,
Arnold Genthe, photographer,
September 28, 1915.
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog

Wake Up America!
Wake Up America! Civilization Calls Every Man, Woman and Child!,
James Montgomery Flagg, artist,
1917.
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog

The War of 1812

The Fall of Washington
The Fall of Washington—or Maddy in Full Flight (detail),
Engraving,
London: S. W. Fores,
1814.
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog

On June 18, 1812, President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, marking the beginning of the War of 1812. Frustrated by Britain’s maritime practices and support of Native American resistance to western expansion, the U.S. entered the war with ambitious plans to conquer Canada, a goal that was never realized.

The strength of the British army proved too great for U.S. forces. Both on land and at sea, U.S. troops suffered great losses. In August 1814, British troops entered Washington, D.C., and burned the Capitol and the White House. By December, both the Americans and the British recognized that it was time to end the conflict. Representatives of the two nations met in Belgium on December 24 and signed the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war and restored previously recognized boundaries between the United States and British territory in North America.

Funeral of Hiram Cronk
Funeral of Hiram Cronk, American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1905.
The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906

Hiram Cronk, who was thought to have been the last surviving veteran of the War of 1812, died in 1905 at the age of 105. This film shows his funeral procession through Brooklyn, New York, which included a hearse drawn by four black horses, escorted by veterans of the Civil War.

Learn more about the War of 1812:

Today in History – June 18-External Links

Today’s Weather in History
Today in Earthquake History
This Day in Naval History
Today’s Document from the National Archives
Today’s Events, Births & Deaths –Wikipedia
Today in History by AP
On this Day -1950 to 2005 – Today’s Story–BBC
On This Day: The New York Times
This Day in History –History.com
Today in Canadian History – Canada Channel
History of Britain that took place On This Day
Russia in History –Russiapedia