Today in History–May 1–the Library of Congress features May Day. Originally a celebration of spring, May Day later became a day to celebrate workers and is still celebrated as such in many countries around the world. It was first celebrated in the United States in 1887, a year after the conflict between labor protestors and…
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–May 1–the Library of Congress features Benjamin Henry Latrobe, born on this day in 1764. Find out more about early American engineer and architect who helped plan the U.S. Capitol and the White House and many more influential buildings by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access primary sources about Latrobe and architecture. Benjamin Henry…