September 7, 2013
"A REAL LIVE NEPHEW OF MY UNCLE SAM"
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The Congress of the United States officially recognized Samuel Wilson* as "the progenitor of America's national symbol, Uncle Sam" 200 years ago today, September 7, 1813.
"Uncle Sam" Wilson
Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who has supplied barrels of beef to the US Army during the War of 1812 with Great Britain.
Wilson stamped his beef barrels with the letters "U.S." for United States. American soldiers, however, called the beef Uncle Sam's.
In the late 1800s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast popularized the image of "Uncle Sam", but the most famous image comes from James Montgomery Flagg's illustration for a WWI recruiting poster with the caption 'I WANT YOU FOR U.S.ARMY'.
Poster by James Montgomery Flagg
*Samuel Wilson (1766-1854) was born in Menotomy, Massachusetts. He later moved to New Hampshire and then to Troy, NY. He served in the War for Independence and afterward became a brickmaker.
In 1793, he opened a slaughterhouse in Troy. Uncle Sam Wilson died at the age of 87.
Sam Wilson's Grave
Troy, New York
by Boris Karpachev (2003)
GERMANS UNLEASHED "BLITZ" ON LONDON
London, England (JFK+50) German bombers began to unleash a "blitz" on the city of London 73 years ago today, September 7, 1940.
300 German aircraft dropped 337 tons of bombs on the city causing more than 400 civilian deaths.
A state of emergency was declared on the 1st of 57 consecutive nights of bombing.
Heinkel Over Wapping
London's East End
September 7, 1940
"A REAL LIVE NEPHEW OF MY UNCLE SAM"
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The Congress of the United States officially recognized Samuel Wilson* as "the progenitor of America's national symbol, Uncle Sam" 200 years ago today, September 7, 1813.
"Uncle Sam" Wilson
Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who has supplied barrels of beef to the US Army during the War of 1812 with Great Britain.
Wilson stamped his beef barrels with the letters "U.S." for United States. American soldiers, however, called the beef Uncle Sam's.
In the late 1800s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast popularized the image of "Uncle Sam", but the most famous image comes from James Montgomery Flagg's illustration for a WWI recruiting poster with the caption 'I WANT YOU FOR U.S.ARMY'.
Poster by James Montgomery Flagg
*Samuel Wilson (1766-1854) was born in Menotomy, Massachusetts. He later moved to New Hampshire and then to Troy, NY. He served in the War for Independence and afterward became a brickmaker.
In 1793, he opened a slaughterhouse in Troy. Uncle Sam Wilson died at the age of 87.
Sam Wilson's Grave
Troy, New York
by Boris Karpachev (2003)
GERMANS UNLEASHED "BLITZ" ON LONDON
London, England (JFK+50) German bombers began to unleash a "blitz" on the city of London 73 years ago today, September 7, 1940.
300 German aircraft dropped 337 tons of bombs on the city causing more than 400 civilian deaths.
A state of emergency was declared on the 1st of 57 consecutive nights of bombing.
Heinkel Over Wapping
London's East End
September 7, 1940
