May 10, 1497: Amerigo Vespucci set sail on his first exploratory voyage in search of the New World. Although most people think of Christopher Columbus from this period of discovery, America was named after Amerigo Vespucci in 1507.

May 10, 1869: The transcontinental railroad was completed when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific met in Promontory, Utah. The presidents of each company together drove the final spike that connected the two rail lines and thus connected the country. The period following was a time of rapid expansion for…

May 10, 1877: President Rutherford B. Hayes moved to embrace new technology by having the first telephone installed in the White House. The phone was placed in the telegraph room but reportedly the president didn’t use it often. The White House phone number was ‘1’.

May 11, 1858: Minnesota became the 32nd state to enter the union. The “Land of 10,000 Lakes” gained a growing population during western expansion, and in 1849 it was recognized as a U.S. territory. The development of canals and railroads contributed to its population boom in the 1850’s and paved…

May 11, 1910: President William Taft signed the bill that established Glacier National Park. The 1 million-acre park became the country’s 10th national park. Located in Montana, it features glacier-carved peaks and valleys, pristine lakes and streams, and dense forests, perfect for hiking, camping, and exploring American nature at its…

May 11, 1934: A massive dust storm dubbed the “Black Blizzard” blew eastward across the continental United States. The storm moved millions of pounds of dirt and dust from farmland to the eastern seaboard, catching the attention of Washington, D.C. politicians to plights of American farmers.