Today in History–December 5–the Library of Congress features America's first university honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, founded on this day in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. Six years prior, the Governor of Virginia had proclaimed the intention to "give, annually, two gold medals for the honour and merit of literary achievement" to students of the college. When the College of William and Mary closed during the Revolutionary War, Phi Beta Kappa expanded to Harvard and Yale. The … [Read more...]
Today in History: Martin Van Buren
December 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–December 5–the Library of Congress features Martin Van Buren, born on this date in 1782. Learn more about our nation’s 8th president (1837-41), also known as "The Little Magician" and the "Red Fox of Kinderhook" for his skill in political manipulation, by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more stories and primary sources about Martin Van Buren. Primary sources Martin Van Buren inauguration primary source set Martin Van Buren … [Read more...]
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