Today in History–June 25–the Library of Congress features Rosalind P. Walter (née Palmer), later known as Rosie the Riveter, who was born on this day in 1924. Rosalind began working as a riveter on Corsair fighter planes at the Vought Aircraft Company in Stratford, Connecticut at age 19 . After a newspaper article featuring her work was published, songwriters Redd…
Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress explores how cultures may guide and honor memory, memorialize the past, assemble knowledge of the known world, create collective histories, recall the events of the day, or recount a life. The exhibition juxtaposes voice recordings, moving images, scrolls, diaries, manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps, books, and so much more…
Today in History–June 10–the Library of Congress features Mrs. Abby Fisher, who went from being an enslaved plantation cook to an upscale caterer and cookbook author after migrating West to San Francisco, California. On this day in 2003, The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation opened a lunch-style restaurant, Mrs. Fisher’s Southern Cooking, in Dearborn, Michigan. Discover more tantalizing…
Carol Highsmith is a distinguished and richly-published American photographer who has donated her work to the Library of Congress since 1992. Her growing archive includes tens of thousands of photographs from all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as Havana, Cuba. The photos showcase landmark buildings, architectural renovation projects, landscapes, Americans at work…
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregated public educational facilities unconstitutional. Click the links below to access resources to help you dig deeper into this seminal event in U.S. history. U.S. Reports Notes concerning Chief Justice Warren’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education 1954…
José Rizal was a writer and Filipino nationalist who condemned the Catholic Church for its promotion of Spanish colonialism and founded the Liga Filipina, a political group dedicated to peaceful change. He was exiled and eventually executed but is recognized today as a national hero of the Philippines. José Rizal historical U.S. & Puerto Rico newspaper coverage…
The PALABRA Archive is a collection of original audio recordings of 20th and 21st century Luso-Hispanic poets and writers reading from their works since 1943. It features recordings in more than thirteen languages including Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, Creole, and Indigenous languages such as Mayan, Nahuatl, Wayuu, and Quechua. “Living Nations, Living Words” contains audio…
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Today in History–April 17–the Library of Congress features pioneering gay rights activist Frank (Franklin E.) Kameny, who led the first organized White House picket for gay rights on this date in 1965 with the Mattachine Society of Washington. Prior to that, in 1961, he was the first person to petition the Supreme Court with a discrimination claim based on sexual…
Today in History–April 5–the Library of Congress features Robert Smalls, a Civil War hero, civil rights activist, and five-term U.S. Congressman who was born into slavery on this date in 1839. Conscripted to the Confederate Army, Smalls captained a small Black crew to hijack an ammunition transport and deliver it to the Union Army in 1862. Learn…
Wyandot poet, folklorist, and civil servant Bertrand Nicholas Oliver Walker (1870-1927), often used his Wyandot (or Wyandotte) name, Hen-Toh, in his published poetry and prose that relayed indigenous legends and stories. Literary Papers of Wyandot Poet Hen-Toh Bookmarked Tales of the Bark Lodges by Hen-Toh Yon-doo-shah-we-ah (Nubbins) by Hen-Toh Hen-Toh in The Oglala Light newspaper Portrait of…
Today in History—March 25—the Library of Congress features the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. On this date in 1911, nearly 150 workers, many of whom were young, recent immigrants, lost their lives in this tragic incident. The tragedy did, however, help spur countless workers to organize for greater safety protections. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below…