Today in History–October 7–the Library of Congress features Cornell University, which welcomed its first students on this day in 1868. Funded as a result of the Morrill Act of 1862, Cornell wasted little time in racking up a number of firsts: first university degree in veterinary medicine, first doctorates in electrical and industrial engineering, first four-year schools of hotel administration and labor…
Access this newspaper page online and zoom into the cartoon, what inventions are referenced in the comic? Now read the article. Are the same inventions referenced in the text? What other inventions does the article discuss? List the inventions discussed in the article that are a reality today. Compare and contrast one of the predicted inventions…
Today in History–July 30–the Library of Congress features automobile magnate Henry Ford, born on this date in 1863 in Dearborn, Michigan. When incorporating his company in 1903, Ford proclaimed, “I will build a car for the great multitude.” Ford made good on that proclamation, selling more than 15 million Model T cars in the United States alone. Learn more about the…
Today in History–May 1–the Library of Congress features New York’s Empire State Building, opened on this day in 1931. President Herbert Hoover participated in the event by pressing a ceremonial button in Washington, D.C., thus, “turning on” the lights. The Empire State Building held the record for tallest building in the world until 1972. Still a New York…
Today in History–December 19–the Library of Congress features New York City’s Williamsburg Bridge, opened on this day in 1903. Built to alleviate traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge was the largest of three steel-frame suspension bridges to eventually span the city’s East River. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more…
Today in History–December 17–the Library of Congress features the first flights of the Wright brothers, flown on this day in 1903. Orville piloted the first flight that lasted 12 seconds and 120 feet and Wilbur piloted the fourth and final flight, remaining airborne for 59 seconds and traveling 852 feet. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click…
Today in History–November 8–the Library of Congress features architect skyscrapers. On this day in 1906, cameraman Fred A. Dobson began filming The Skyscrapers of New York atop an uncompleted skyscraper at Broadway and 12th Street. To learn more about how engineering and architectural innovations in the mid-to-late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries transformed the skylines of American cities,…
Today in History–October 26–the Library of Congress features the Erie Canal, which opened on this day in 1825. Harnessing gravity, the 363-mile waterway flowed from Buffalo, New York on the east coast of Lake Erie to the upper Hudson River at Albany. Decried by many as “Clinton’s Folly”, New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, the canal proved to be tremendously successful and encouraged settlement of the…
What feeling do you get from looking at this painting? What details or techniques do you think are responsible for that feeling? What does the artwork seem to suggest about the C&O Canal? Use details from the painting to support your conclusion. Compare and contrast this painting with photographs of the C&O canal. What similarities…
Today in History–October 10–the Library of Congress features Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, which opened on this day in 1850. The 184.5-mile C&O canal connected Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland and took 22 years to complete (ground was broken on the same day as the B&O Railroad). Find out more about the history of early river transportation by visiting the Today in History section, then click…
Today in History–September 04–the Library of Congress features architect Daniel Burnham, born on this day in 1846. Burnham and his partner, John Wellborn Root, were a central force in the Chicago School of Architecture, which focused on simplicity and functionality. Burnham created plans for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition as well as for the burgeoning city of Chicago. Learn more about this…
Today in History–June 12–the Library of Congress features civil engineer John A. Roebling, born on this day in 1806. Roebling’s last and greatest achievement was completing the Brooklyn bridge in 1883. The bridge spans New York’s East River nearly 1,600 feet to connect Manhattan with Brooklyn. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to…