Today in History–May 27–the Library of Congress features James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, born on this date in 1837 in Illinois. Hickok was involved in the Kansas free state movement and was a scout and spy for the Union during the Civil War. Later he held a number of positions in law enforcement. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links…
Today in History–May 25–the Library of Congress features Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, born on this date in 1878. Orphaned in early childhood, Robinson started dancing at a young age and went on to become a legendary jazz tap dancer. Learn more about this mesmerizing entertainer by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below for primary sources related to…
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…
Library of Congress blog posts Einstein at 100: Mapping the Universe Worlds Revealed: Geography & Maps December 2, 2015 Einstein’s Folklore December 18, 2013 Folklife Today Celebrate Einstein’s Birthday with Pi March 14, 2011 Inside Adams Albert Einstein background & primary sources Nobel Media “Albert Einstein lived here” April 19, 1955 political cartoon by Herb Block (scroll down page to read curator’s…
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Today in History–May 5–the Library of Congress features the controversy surrounding teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. On this date in 1925 John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in a Tennessee public high school. Originally conceived as both a test case and a publicity stunt, Scopes went to trial and was found guilty. Later, the Tennessee Supreme Court acquitted…
Today in History–May 4–the Library of Congress features Manhattan Island. On this date in 1626, Dutch colonist Peter Minuit arrived on the wooded island at the behest of the Dutch West India Company. Minuit later “purchased” the island from resident Algonquin Indians for the equivalent of $24. The town of New Amsterdam, located at the southern end of the island,…
Today in History–April 28–the Library of Congress features Billy Bitzer, who filmed the short comedy Stealing a Dinner for the American Mutoscope & Biograph Company on this date in 1899. Bitzer was a great pioneer of early film and shot thousands of movies, including the infamous The Birth of a Nation. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the…
Rachel Carson was a trained biologist and a best-selling author. In her writing, Carson presented scientific facts from an ecological perspective in a poetic writing style. She made science interesting and understandable to regular people. She was best known for her books Silent Spring and The Sea Around Us. Her writing about ecology and the…
Robert Frost poems & poetry books “A Hillside Thaw” c 1930 “A Mood Apart” 1945 “The Runaway” c 1930 “My November Guest“ North of Boston 1914 A Boy’s Will 1915 Mountain Interval 1921 Robert Frost Reads Poem at JFK’s Inauguration January 20, 1961 from America’s Library Frost Inaugural poetry “Dedication” Robert Frost’s Presidential Inaugural Poem typescript with Frost’s…
The Story of the Nations: Wales 1902 More books, articles and other texts about Wales Charles D. Cleveland to Abraham Lincoln, Thursday, February 05, 1863 (Sends sermon from Wales) Wales image set Sheet music related to Wales U.S. veteran oral histories (service in Wales) Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection interviews mentioning Wales U.S. historical newspaper coverage of Wales through…
Books by Vachel Lindsay Adventures while preaching the gospel of beauty c. 1914 A handy guide for beggars, especially those of the poetic fraternity 1916 The golden book of Springfield 1920 “General William Booth enters into Heaven” lyrics by Vachel Lindsay (video of song performance) Vachel Lindsay historic newspaper coverage through 1922 Vachel Lindsay images Illinois…