Portal:United States/Anniversaries/July/July 18
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- 1863 – One of the first formal African American military units, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, unsuccessfully assaults Confederate-held Battery Wagner in the Second Battle of Fort Wagner (pictured). Despite suffering heavy losses, the 54th was widely acclaimed for its valor during the battle, and the event helped encourage the further enlistment and mobilization of African-American troops.
- 1914 – The U.S. Congress forms the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, indicating for the first time the Army's intent to make aircraft a permanent part of the military.
- 1921 – John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, was born.
- 1937 – Hunter S. Thompson, the creator of Gonzo journalism, was born.
- 1969 – After a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts drives off a wooden bridge into a tide-swept pond, leading to the death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.
Portal:United States/On this day/United States/Anniversaries/July/July 18
