Today in History–May 19–TPS-Barat features Thomas Edward (T.E.) Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, who died in England on this date in 1935. An archaeological scholar from Oxford, Lawrence enlisted in World War I and was sent to the middle east because of his familiarity with the region. One newspaper proclaimed him to be…
Today in History–May 19–the Library of Congress features Johns Hopkins, born in Maryland on this date in 1795. Hopkins had to quit school at age 12 to work the family farm but he went on to become a very successful businessman. He used his fortune—$7 million at the time of his death—to found Johns Hopkins University and Johns…
Today in History–May 19–the Library of Congress features the Union siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, begun on this day in 1863 under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant. By mid-June, nearly 80,000 Union troops had virtually sealed off the city. But it would take a few more weeks before Confederate forces surrendered on July 4. With the…