History Today: How US Army was founded 250 years ago

On June 14, 1775, the US Army came into being after the Continental Congress approved to recruitment of skilled riflemen to serve the United Colonies for a year.

This move marked the start of America’s first national institution, and it happened a year before the Declaration of Independence was issued on July 4, 1776.

Also on this day in 1940, the first group of Polish political prisoners reached Auschwitz. The site later became the largest concentration and death camp run by Nazi Germany.

Further, on this day in 1949, Albert II became the first monkey to go to space. However, he died while returning to Earth due to a problem with the parachute.

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If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series, History Today, is your one-stop destination to explore key events.

Now, let’s take a look at the events:

The establishment of US Army

On this day in 1775, the Continental Congress, which acted as the governing body for the 13 American colonies and later the United States, established the US Army.

The Congress took control of the New England Army of Observation, officially turning it into the Continental Army. These troops were tasked with defending the colonies from British forces during the Revolutionary War.

A day after passing the resolution, it chose George Washington, who had a strong background in military service, to lead the new army as its commander-in-chief.

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We have a lot to celebrate at 250 years of service!

Join us for the Army Birthday Festival and Parade on the National Mall!

🕤 Festival starts @ 9:30 a.m.
🕡 Parade starts @ 6:30 p.m.

👉 Details and registration link here: https://t.co/EUrEpAshJu#Army250 pic.twitter.com/O9vURElGSP

— U.S. Army (@USArmy) June 9, 2025

Now, 250 years later, a large military parade has been planned to honour the Army’s founding and to celebrate President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

Army officials estimate that around 200,000 people are expected to attend the evening event. For security, 175 magnetometers will be placed at checkpoints leading to both the daytime birthday celebration and the parade later in the evening.

The Army’s birthday event had been months in the making. But earlier this year, Trump shared plans to turn it into a grand military parade, featuring 60-ton M1 Abrams tanks and Paladin howitzers on the streets of the capital.

The parade will pass in front of Trump’s viewing platform on Constitution Avenue, just south of the White House, around sunset.

Members of the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team will land on the Eclipse and present the president with an American flag. Trump will then oversee a ceremony where 250 soldiers will take their enlistment and reenlistment oaths.

The parade route will run along Constitution Avenue NW, starting at 23rd Street and ending at 15th Street, close to the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall.

First mass transport to Auschwitz concentration camp

On this day in 1940, the first group of Polish political prisoners arrived at Auschwitz, which later became Nazi Germany’s largest concentration and extermination camp.

Auschwitz was made up of three parts: a prison camp, a death camp, and a forced labour camp. It is estimated that between 1.1 and 1.5 million people died there, with about 90 per cent being Jewish.

The first camp, known as Auschwitz I, was set up on April 27, 1940, after an order from Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS. On June 14, the first transport of Polish political prisoners arrived.

Auschwitz I remained mainly for political detainees throughout the war, most of them Poles and Germans.

Another section, Auschwitz III, was turned into a forced labour camp in May 1942. It provided workers for the nearby chemical and synthetic rubber plants run by IG Farben.

Notably, German companies put major investments into these industries using forced labour near Auschwitz. IG Farben alone put over 700 million Reichsmarks into its site at Auschwitz III in 1942.

Albert II became the first monkey in space

Before humans went into space, there were doubts about whether people could survive weightlessness for long periods. To study this, scientists in the US and the Soviet Union sent animals, mostly monkeys, chimpanzees, and dogs, into space to observe the effects.

On this day in 1949, Albert II became the first monkey to reach space, hitting an altitude of 83 miles (134 km) aboard a V-2 rocket.

He was part of the US “Albert” Programme, which launched monkeys from New Mexico to gather information on how space travel might affect living beings.

Albert II did not survive the return trip, as the parachute on the capsule failed. However, data about his body’s response to space was successfully recorded and sent back during the mission.

Before Albert II, a rhesus monkey named Albert I had also been launched into space on a V-2 Blossom rocket. But due to limited documentation and attention, he remained one of the lesser-known figures in the early days of space travel.

This Day, That Year

1940: German forces marched into Paris and took control of the city during World War II.

1946: Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, was born.

1985: TWA Flight 847, travelling from Athens to Rome, was hijacked by Shiite Hezbollah militants, who at once began asking for passengers with “Jewish-sounding names.”