Today in Johnson City History, January 21, 2026

General orders, news from Johnson City and more

Tuesday, January 21, 1738: Ethan Allen was born on this date. He was a “Revolutionary War hero and leader of the Vermont ‘Green Mountain Boys,’ and was born at Litchfield, Connecticut. He is best remembered for his capture of British Fort Ticonderoga at Lake Champlain, New York, on May 10, 1775, which was the first major American victory of the Revolutionary War. He was captured by British forces on September 25, 1775, while attempting to capture Montreal and was a prisoner of war until 1778, when his release was secured in exchange for a British officer. Upon his return, Allen was an ardent supporter of Vermont’s separation from New York for independent statehood, although this goal was not achieved until 1791, two years after his death at Burlington, Vermont, on February 12, 1789.” (Source: Chase’s 2026 Calendar of Events.)