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Congress authorizes all US currency to say "In God We Trust"

"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the official motto of the United States, the U.S. state of Florida, and the nation of Nicaragua (Spanish: En Dios confiamos).

"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the official motto of the United States, the U.S. state of Florida, and the nation of Nicaragua (Spanish: En Dios confiamos). It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, via a joint resolution, replacing E pluribus unum ("Out of many, one"), which had been the de facto motto since the initial design of the Great Seal of the United States.

The fourth stanza of the U.S. national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner", adopted from the 1814 poem "The Defence of Fort M'Henry", contains the line: "And this be our motto—"In God is our trust"". The origins of "In God We Trust" as a political motto lie in the American Civil War, where Union supporters wanted to emphasize their attachment to God and to boost morale.

Historical Significance

"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the official motto of the United States, the U.

Events Before

  1. KSLA TV channel 12 in Shreveport, Louisiana (CBS) begins broadcasting

    KSLA (channel 12) is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Ark-La-Tex region.

  2. Georgetown-IBM experiment, the first public demonstration of a machine translation system, is held at IBM headquarters i

    Georgetown-IBM experiment, the first public demonstration of a machine translation system, is held at IBM headquarters in New York City

  3. "The Nutcracker" ballet choreographed by George Balanchine with Maria Tallchief as the Sugar Plum Fairy opens in New Yor

    "The Nutcracker" ballet choreographed by George Balanchine with Maria Tallchief as the Sugar Plum Fairy opens in New York, establishes its popularity in the US

  4. First mass inoculation against polio with the Jonas Salk vaccine takes place at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh,

    First mass inoculation against polio with the Jonas Salk vaccine takes place at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  5. US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll, which accidentally becomes the most powerful nucle

    US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll, which accidentally becomes the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the US

Events After

  1. Christine Lagarde is born

    Christine Lagarde is born

  2. A New Year's event causes panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine in central Niigata, Japan, killing 124 people

    A New Year's event causes panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine in central Niigata, Japan, killing 124 people

  3. RCA records releases Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel", his first million-seller (written by Mae Boren Axton and

    RCA records releases Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel", his first million-seller (written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden)

  4. Nikita Khrushchev denounces Joseph Stalin at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

    Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (né Dzhugashvili; 18 December [O.S. 6 December] 1878 – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian-born Soviet revolutionary and politician who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his…

  5. French-Moroccan Agreement signed in Paris rescinds the Treaty of Fez, declaring independence of Morocco from France

    French-Moroccan Agreement signed in Paris rescinds the Treaty of Fez, declaring independence of Morocco from France

More from the 1950s

Sputnik 1 Launch

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, igniting the Space Age and the US-Soviet Space Race.

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"The Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later moves to CBS)

"The Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later moves to CBS)

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Emil Jannings dies

Emil Jannings, Swiss-born German actor, known for german actor, died on 1950-01-02. Emil Jannings was a Swiss-born German actor who was popular in Hollywood films in the 1920s.

The European Economic Community comes into effect, better known as the European Common Market

The European Economic Community comes into effect, better known as the European Common Market

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 11, 1955?
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the official motto of the United States, the U.S. state of Florida, and the nation of Nicaragua (Spanish: En Dios confiamos). It was adopted by the U.S.
Why is Congress authorizes all US currency to say "In God We Trust" significant?
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the official motto of the United States, the U.

Explore More

July 11 in HistoryYear 1955