Walter Mondale, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, announced
that he had chosen Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his
running mate. Ferraro, a daughter of Italian immigrants, had previously
gained recognition as a vocal advocate of women’s rights in Congress. She
became the first female vice presidential candidate to represent a major
political party.

Four days after Ferraro was named vice presidential candidate, Governor
Mario Cuomo of New York opened the Democratic National Convention in
San Francisco.

Rep. Geraldine Ferraro and Democratic Presidential Candidate
Walter Mondale.

Geraldine Anne "Gerry" Ferraro (August 26, 1935 – March 26, 2011)

On June 27, 1950, President Harry S. Truman announced he is ordering U.S.
air and naval forces to South Korea to aid the democratic nation in repulsing
an invasion by communist North Korea. The United States was undertaking
the major military operation, he explained, to enforce a United Nations
resolution calling for an end to hostilities, and to stem the spread of
communism in Asia. In addition to ordering U.S. forces to Korea, Truman
also deployed the U.S. 7th Fleet to Formosa (Taiwan) to guard against
invasion by communist China and ordered an acceleration of military aid
to French forces fighting communist guerrillas in Vietnam. 

Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972)

On June 17, 1885, the dismantled Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from
the people of France to the people of America, arrives in New York Harbor
after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 individual pieces
packed in more than 200 cases. The copper and iron statue, which was reassembled and dedicated the following year in a ceremony presided over
by U.S. President Grover Cleveland, became known around the world as an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy.

Intended to commemorate the American Revolution and a century of
friendship between the U.S. and France, the statue was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi (who modeled it after his own mother),
with assistance from engineer Gustave Eiffel, who later developed the iconic
tower in Paris bearing his name. The statue was initially scheduled to be
finished by 1876, the 100th anniversary of America’s Declaration of
Independence; however, fundraising efforts, which included auctions, a
lottery and boxing matches, took longer than anticipated, both in Europe
and the U.S., where the statue’s pedestal was to be financed and constructed.

The statue alone cost the French an estimated $250,000 (more than $5.5 million
in today’s money).

CAMILLE
BOHANNON

Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004)

The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, designated by the United States Congress, when people
are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". The president is
required by law to sign a proclamation each year, encouraging all
Americans to pray on this day.

The modern law formalizing its annual observance was enacted in 1952,
although earlier days of fasting and prayer had been established by the
Second Continental Congress from 1775 until 1783, and by President
John Adams in 1798.

John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826)