First Medal of Honor and the Great Locomotive Chase - HISTORY

The Medal of Honor is given to America's bravest heroes, and the first people to receive it certainly proved their courage.

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

RELATED CONTENT

History Shorts: Medal of Honor

The Green Berets are a dedicated group of special forces soldiers who put their lives on the line.

Find out how Alfred the Great defeated Viking invaders and united the Saxon people.

Honoring Veterans Day

On June 11, 1927, President Calvin Coolidge presented Col. Charles Lindbergh with the first Distinguished Flying Cross medal for his solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. At the presentation ceremony, President Coolidge gives opening remarks before Lindbergh's acceptance speech.

In protest to Sen. Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist crusade, Republican Sen. Margaret Chase Smith presents, on June 1, 1950, her "Declaration of Conscience" and delivers one of the most memorable speeches of her career.

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE