This is a great book for those who have an interest in American history. Each day Cannon provides tidbits ranging from the Pilgrims arrival to the New World up to the present day based on what event occurred on that particular day. There is some emphasis (meaning they've discussed more than once) on World War II, Abraham Lincoln/Civil War, Ronald Reagan, Elvis Presley, the Roosevelts, and the Pilgrims, but other rather obscure topics are also discussed such as the invention of the ice cream cone.

I read this cover to cover but it is really meant to be read an article a day during the course of a year. This book would make a great gift to amateur American historian.

This book is a must for the U.S. history classroom. It's a great way to start the day or make connections to a variety of important and interesting historical events throughout the year. After sharing this book, my students now constantly ask what happened today in history! It's great!

After an intriguing and thought-provoking intro, the book moves to one usually-long-forgotten historical anecdote a day, much more interesting than any one-small-page calendar. Some are more or less expected, even if the particular date wasn’t known, but the fun is in the topics that would usually have no right being in a serious history tome.
Some of my faves. . . okay, a lot of my faves:
March of Dimes (Wow!); Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer; Tokyo Rose; Lou Hoover; Edmund G Ross; Oppenheimer; Massacre on the Tuscarawas; Sherman and Johnston; Columbine; Jingle Bells; the low-altitude barrel roll in a 707; the birth of the Smiley; We Shall Overcome; Marshall wins Nobel Peace Prize; Jack Robinson and Pee Wee Reese (“someone with the guts NOT to fight back.”); Carson McCullers, Karen Blixen, and Marilyn Monroe walk into a lunch; Theodore Geisel (“He was a political cartoonist all his life, meaning he managed the difficult task of being amusing to kids and adults.”); Princess Bride (even Mark Knopfler gets a mention!); and “Surf music is just the sound of the waves being played on a guitar.”
Did not expect the author of a non-fiction history book to go meta, but in one entry he writes about Philadelphians booing their cricket team as a reason the capital was moved to DC. . . then, “Well, no, I was just seeing if you were paying attention.”

I'm a history nut so I knew this book was going to be right up my alley. Not only was it that but I actually learned quite a bit too. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it to other history lovers in a heartbeat. Entertaining, fun, and well written. 5 out of 5 stars.