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The First Day of February

--On this date in 1862 the Atlantic Monthly publishes the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe. This famous ode quickly became a song of the Civil War. Howe, known as a social reformer, would go on to become the first female elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, (know today as the National Institute of Arts and Letters).
--On this date in 1920, the Canadian Mounties merged with the Dominion Police to become and officially became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Mounties were established in 1873 as a horseback riding police force that played a prominent role in the settlement of the West (of Canada). To date, the officers are still known as "Mounties".
--On this date in 1958 the first US satellite to orbit the Earth, the Explorer I, was launched into space by the first US rocket capable of the task, the Juno 1 Redstone. The Redstone was originally designed to carry nuclear weapons, but was modified to launch satellites into orbit and was also used to send the Freedom 7 capsule which carried astronaut, Alan B. Shepard, the first to travel into space, in 1961.
--Born on this date in 1894, American film producer and director, John Ford. Ford, who died in 1973, won six Academy Awards during his lifetime. His first came for Best Director in 1935 for The Informer. His next Oscar was for The Grapes of Wrath (1940), followed by How Green Was My Valley, (1941).
--Born on this date in 1901, American movie idol, Clark Gable, best known for his portrayal of Rhett Butler in the 1939 film Gone With the Wind.
--Born on this date in 1902, American author, Langston Hughes, known for utilizing musical rhythms in his poetry. Hughes, a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, published more than 50 books in his lifetime, including several short-story collections and novels.

For more information on what happened today in American History, visit the Library of Congress American Memory collection for "Today in History: February 1

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