Paul Revere's Midnight Ride occurred on the night of April 18, 1775, immediately before the battles of Lexington and Concord, the first engagements of the American Revolutionary War. By giving advance warning of the British Army's actions, the ride played a crucial role in the colonists' victory in the subsequent battles.

The Battle of Palmito Ranch was fought May 12 and 13, 1865, on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Brownsville, Texas. It took place more than a month after the general surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox Court House, in the distant Eastern Theater. Union Private John J. Williams of the 34th Indiana Infantry Regiment is believed to have been the last man killed during the engagement, likely making him the final combat death of the entire war.

Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only President of the United States to serve more than two terms in office. In response to this unprecedented achievement, the 22nd Amendment limiting Presidential terms was passed by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states in 1951.

As Florence Harding did not request an autopsy and also destroyed many of her husband's papers, a conspiracy theory was put forward in The Strange Death of President Harding, sensationally claiming that she had poisoned her husband, a suggestion that has been entirely discredited, along with the book in which it was published.

John Hancock is remembered for his large and stylish signature on the United States Declaration of Independence, so much so that the term "John Hancock" has become a synonym in the United States for one's signature.

Under Roosevelt's leadership, the Rough Riders became famous for their charge up Kettle Hill on July 1, 1898. Diversity characterized the regiment, which included Ivy Leaguers, professional and amateur athletes, upscale gentlemen, cowboys, frontiersmen, Native Americans, hunters, miners, prospectors, former soldiers, tradesmen, and sheriffs.

Pocahontas was captured and held for ransom by colonists during hostilities in 1613. During her captivity, she was "encouraged" to convert to Christianity and was baptized under the name Rebecca. She married tobacco planter John Rolfe in April 1614 at the age of 17 or 18 and bore him a son, Thomas Rolfe, in January 1615. The following year, the Rolfes traveled to London where Pocahontas was presented to English society as an example of the "civilized savage" in hopes of stimulating investment in the Jamestown settlement. She fell ill and died on the return voyage.

Until the Vietnam War, the number of U. S. soldiers killed in the American Civil War (approximately 620,000 casualties) surpassed all other wars combined.

George Clinton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, served as vice president under both Thomas Jefferson (1805-1809) and James Madison (1809-1812).

On January 1, 1835, Andrew Jackson paid off the entire national debt, the only time in U.S. history that this has been accomplished. The objective had been reached in part through Jackson's reforms aimed at eliminating the misuse of funds and through his vetoes of legislation which he deemed extravagant.