#25: June 15-21

June 15, 1775 – George Washington’s Big Moment

On June 15, 1775, George Washington had his big moment when he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress. This pivotal decision came at the dawn of the American Revolutionary War and marked the beginning of Washington’s legendary leadership in the fight for independence. Fun fact: Washington didn’t take a salary for his new role—he only asked for reimbursement of his expenses, which he meticulously documented (and which ended up being quite a bit more than a typical general’s pay!).

June 15, 1836 – Arkansas became the 25th state in the U.S.

On June 15, 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state in the United States! This means it officially joined the country as one of the growing number of states back then. Arkansas is full of forests, rivers, and mountains, and it’s sometimes called “The Natural State” because of all its beautiful nature. Fun fact: Arkansas has the only diamond mine in the whole country where anyone can dig for diamonds—and if you find one, you get to keep it! How cool is that?

 June 15, 1904 – First American Roller Coaster Opens!

On June 15, 1904, the first American roller coaster opened at Coney Island in New York, bringing a brand-new kind of excitement to amusement parks! Called the “Switchback Railway,” this wooden ride gave people their very first taste of roller coaster thrills. It wasn’t super fast—only about 6 miles per hour—but for people back then, it felt like a wild adventure. Riders would sit in a car that rolled down gentle hills and curves, then workers would push the car back up to the top for the next ride. Fun fact: The coaster didn’t have any motors or chains to pull it up like modern ones—you had to walk up stairs to get to the top before the ride began! Listen to Episode 111: Abandoned Amusement Parks!

June 16, 1858 – Abraham Lincoln gave his famous “House Divided” speech.

On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous “House Divided” speech in Springfield, Illinois. He said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” to explain that the United States couldn’t stay split between states that allowed slavery and those that didn’t. He wanted the country to come together and be strong as one. This speech helped people see how serious Lincoln was about doing what’s right, and it helped him become a leader that many people looked up to. Fun fact: Lincoln got the “house divided” idea from the Bible, and even though the speech was serious, he was known for having a great sense of humor too! Listen to Episode 114: Our Divided Country

June 17, 1885 – Statue of Liberty Arrives!

On June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor all the way from France as a special gift to the United States! She didn’t come all in one piece—she was packed into over 200 crates with 350 parts and had to be put together like a giant puzzle. The statue was given to celebrate friendship and freedom, and she quickly became a symbol of welcome for people coming to America. Fun fact: The Statue of Liberty’s nose is over 4 feet long—that’s taller than most kids! Listen to Episode 141: the Story of Lady Liberty