Today in History: Empire State Building
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: Anarchist Emma Goldman
Today in History–February 11–the Library of Congress features anarchist and feminist Emma Goldman, who was arrested on this date in 1916 right before she was to give a lecture on family planning. A Russian immigrant, Goldman joined the labor movement after working in a New York garment factory. Later she would embrace anarchism–the political belief that all…
Today in History: Williamsburg Bridge
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: John Jay
Today in History–December 12–the Library of Congress features founding father John Jay, born on this day in 1745. Jay had a long, full political career including president of the Continental Congress, author of several Federalist Papers, and first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Learn more about John Jay by visiting the Today in History section, then click…
Today in History: John Peter Zenger Trial
Today in History–November 27–the Library of Congress features the trial of newspaper man, John Peter Zenger. The trial judge, James Delancey, was born on this day in 1703. In the 1730s Zenger published articles in the New York Weekly Journal exposing the political machinations of Governor William Cosby who, in turn, charged Zenger with seditious libel. Zenger’s lawyer, Andrew Hamilton,…
Today in History: Skyscrapers
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: Erie Canal
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…
Today in History: Metropolitan Opera House
Today in History–October 22–the Library of Congress features New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, which opened its doors on this day in 1883. In addition to staging operas, the Met and other opera houses also hosted charity events, community dances, fairs, plays, vaudeville shows, and even funerals. Find out more about this prestigious cultural institution by visiting the Today in History section, then click the…
Today in History: The Battles of Saratoga
Today in History–September 19–the Library of Congress features the first battle of Saratoga. On this day in 1777, Continental soldiers under American General Horatio Gates defeated the British in Saratoga, New York. A month later, British General John Burgoyne surrendered his British troops at the same place. The American victories at Saratoga turned the tide of the war in favor of…
Today in History: Columbia University
Today in History–July 17–the Library of Congress features Columbia University, first opened as King’s College in New York on this day in 1754. There were quite a few influential men among its first students and trustees, including Gouverneur Morris, a primary author of the Constitution; Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper author and the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury; and John Jay,…
Today in History: The Statue of Liberty
Today in History–June 19–the Library of Congress features the Statue of Liberty, which arrived in in New York Harbor on this day in 1885. The 151-foot-tall statue was a gift from France to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more primary sources related to this…