USA Facts - WJMC 96.1 FM

Detroit Riots of 1967 begin

Carl Cooley — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:28:41 +0000

On this day in US history, one of the bloodiest riots in American history started during a period of strife in Detroit on July 23, 1967. A once-affluent city was heavily struggling during this period, with the economy struggling and race relations across the nation at an all-time low. After a raid on an illegal drinking establishment that was hosting returning Vietnam War veterans in one of Detroit’s poorest neighborhoods went awry, a crowd of onlookers was drawn over as the situation deteriorated rapidly. Thousands of people spilled into the street from nearby buildings, throwing rocks and bottles at police who quickly fled the scene. The rioting would continue the rest of the week as the Army and National Guard would be called on to quell the violence.

The post Detroit Riots of 1967 begin first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

The First Battle of Bull Run

Carl Cooley — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:33:31 +0000

On this day in US history, the first major land battle of the Civil War is carried out between the Union under General Irwin McDowell and the Confederate army under General Pierre G.T. Beauregard on July 21, 1861. The Union army came to northern Virginia underprepared, where an army of 34,000 inexperienced soldiers fought around 29,000 militia troops, resulting in a combined 5,000 casualties. The scale of the bloodshed at Bull Run frightened Washington, as they faced an uncertain military strategy to stop the Southern insurrection.

The post The First Battle of Bull Run first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Neil Armstrong becomes first American to walk on the moon

Carl Cooley — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:25:23 +0000

On this day in US history, American astronaut Neil Armstrong speaks these words to over a billion people 240,000 miles away at home: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969. After uttering those words, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. “Buzz” Aldrin, another astronaut, would join him shortly after, taking pictures of the terrain and even having a conversation with President Nixon. The two men would spend the night on the surface of the moon; among the items they left behind on the moon was a plaque stating: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon–July 1969 A.D–We came in peace for all mankind.”

The post Neil Armstrong becomes first American to walk on the moon first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Zebulon Pike leads expedition across American Southwest

Carl Cooley — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:08:31 +0000

On this day in US history, Zebulon Pike, the army officer who led an exploring party in 1805 to find the source of the Mississippi River, set off on a new expedition to explore the American Southwest on July 15, 1806. Pike was instructed to find the headwaters of the Red and Arkansas rivers as well as to investigate Spanish settlements in New Mexico. The information provided by his expedition provided great impetus for future US settlement; his reports about the weakness of the authority the Spanish held over parts of the territories stirred the talk of US annexation.

The post Zebulon Pike leads expedition across American Southwest first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Sedition Act becomes federal law

Carl Cooley — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:57:59 +0000

On this day in US history, one of the most egregious breaches of the US Constitution in history became a federal law when Congress passed the Sedition Act on July 14, 1798. This act of Congress endangered the new nation as Federalists took advantage of the public’s wartime fears, drafting the Alien and Sedition Acts without consulting President John Adams. Aiming at immigrants and requiring a much longer process to become a citizen, while permitting the prosecution of individuals who voiced or printed what the government deemed to be “malicious remarks.” However, President Adams and Vice President Jefferson declared the acts to be violations of the First and Tenth Amendments. Squashing the efforts led by Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists, it ended any hopes for Adams running for re-election.

The post Sedition Act becomes federal law first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Congress Enacts Northwest Ordinance

Carl Cooley — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:31:18 +0000

On this day in US history, Congress enacted the “Northwest Ordinance”, structuring elements in the Northwest Territory and creating policy for new states to join the nation on July 13, 1787. Three to five new northwestern territories that were formerly part of Virginia’s territory would appoint a governor and council. Once the population of those territories reached 5,000, they could elect their own assembly, but the governor would have the power to veto. When the population hit 60,000, they were allowed to draft a constitution and petition for full statehood. The modern-day states that were made from the ceded Virginia territory were Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

The post Congress Enacts Northwest Ordinance first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Millard Fillmore sworn is as 13th US president

Carl Cooley — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:32:34 +0000

On this day in US history, Vice President Millard Fillmore was sworn in as the 13th president of the United States on July 10, 1850. Days after falling ill around the July 4th holiday, President Zachary Taylor would die five days later due to that intestinal ailment. Fillmore would become only the second man to inherit the presidency following the death of a president, the first being John Tyler. During Filmore’s only term as president, he passed controversial laws such as the Fugitive Slave Act and one-sided treaties that forced Native Americans off their ancestral lands. Millions of Native Americans would die from disease, starvation, and conflict with militias funded by the government due to these laws.

The post Millard Fillmore sworn is as 13th US president first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Con man “Soapy” Smith killed in Alaska

Carl Cooley — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:45:29 +0000

On this day in US history, a disgruntled city engineer murders one of the most notorious con men in the history of the West in Skagway, Alaska, on July 8, 1898. Jefferson Randolph Smith, known better as “Soapy” Smith, was a former cowboy turned conman when he went West and realized he could make more money in clever confidence games for money. Getting his nickname from a soap bar selling scheme, Smith would come to Skagway to escape the law and continue his games. Eventually, angering the citizens of the small Alaskan mining community. Smith then tried using his conning skills to persuade the community that he meant no threat to them; he would die to one of those citizens.

The post Con man “Soapy” Smith killed in Alaska first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

Congress sets dollar as the official US currency

Carl Cooley — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:50:34 +0000

On this day in US history, the Continental Congress established the dollar as the currency of the early United States on July 6, 1785. Just having recently won the Revolutionary War, creating the national currency was one more step toward stabilizing a newly independent economic system. It is based on the Spanish silver dollar; the founding fathers then adopted a base-10 monetary system. The process took decades before the dollar was widely used and adopted in the US.

The post Congress sets dollar as the official US currency first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.

The First Ice Cream Sundae

Carl Cooley — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:39:08 +0000

This week in Wisconsin history, Edward C. Berner, a pharmacist and owner of a soda fountain in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, created the first ice cream sundae on July 8, 1881. It all came together when a customer had requested that chocolate sauce be poured over a dish of ice cream, due to the fact that ice cream sodas were not allowed to be served on sundaes. Berner obliged, creating the iconic ice cream treat. He would later start selling it for a nickel.

The post The First Ice Cream Sundae first appeared on WJMC 96.1 FM.