May 18, 1917: Wilson signs Selective Service Act amid WWI
Published: 18 May 2025
By UPI Staff
via the Yahoo! News website
DC Memorial
The DC War Memorial, which honors District residents who died in World War I, sits on the National Mall. On May 18, 1917, President Wilson signed the Selective Service Act of 1917 by which the United States raised an army for service in Europe during World War I. File Photo by Madeline Marshall/UPI
On this date in history:
In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision that determined “separate but equal” racial policies are constitutional. While the ruling was never explicitly overruled, many high court decisions over the ensuing decades have effectively nullified it.
In 1917, President Wilson signed the Selective Service Act of 1917 by which the United States raised an army for service in Europe during World War I.
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