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–October 9–the Library of Congress features Yale University, which received a charter from the Connecticut colonial legislature (as the Collegiate School in Saybrook) on this day in 1701. The school moved to New Haven in 1716, and was renamed Yale College in 1718 in honor of Elihu Yale, a merchant and early benefactor. Find out more about this prestigious university by visiting the Today in History section,…
Today in History–October 2–the Library of Congress features Thurgood Marshall, sworn in as Supreme Court Justice on this day in 1967; he was the first African American to serve. President Lyndon B. Johnson said of Marshall’s appointment, “the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place.” Prior to becoming a…
Today in History–September 25–the Library of Congress features writer William Faulkner, born on this day in 1897. Faulkner spent much of his youth in Oxford, Mississippi, later transforming what he knew into great literary works. A writer of deep insight, Faulkner also experimented with form and format; he won the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature and two subsequent Pulitzer Prizes. Learn more about…
Today in History–September 24–the Library of Congress features writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, born on this day in 1896. Named for his distant cousin Francis Scott Key, author of the The Star-Spangled Banner. Fitzgerald also enjoyed instant success with his first writing effort, the novel This Side of Paradise. Five years later Fitzgerald’s most celebrated novel, The Great Gatsby, was published. Learn more…
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–September 18–the Library of Congress features Booker T. Washington, who delivered his famous “Atlanta Compromise” or Atlanta Exposition speech on this day in 1895. The speech delivered by this prominent African American leader advocated for a moderate approach to race relations in the New South. Learn more about the founder and president of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial…
Today in History–September 12–the Library of Congress features writer H.L. Mencken, born on this day in 1880. Mencken was best known for his biting social commentary; scholarly understanding of American usage of the English language; and support of emerging writers, including Theodore Dreiser, Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson, and James Joyce. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more…
Today in History–September 06–the Library of Congress features President William McKinley, shot on this day in 1901 just six months after his second inauguration. President McKinley died eight days later, reportedly while singing his favorite hymn, “Nearer my God to Thee, Nearer to Thee“. Anarchist Leon Czolgosz is found guilty of assassinating the president and is executed less than two…
Today in History–August 28–the Library of Congress features the arrest of 10 suffragists for picketing the White House on this day in 1917. The protestors hoped to pressure President Woodrow Wilson to support the proposed “Anthony amendment” to the Constitution that would guarantee women the right to vote. He finally did that in January of 1918 and the long…
Today in History–August 23–the Library of Congress features the capture of Fort Morgan, Alabama by the Union navy on this day in 1864. Earlier in the month (August 5), when Admiral David Farragut was warned of mines (referred to as torpedoes) in Mobile Bay, he reportedly replied, “Damn the torpedoes!” and ordered the ship to continue its course. Although the…
Today in History–August 6–the Library of Congress features Cy Young, who pitched in his first professional baseball game on this day in 1890, helping the Cleveland Spiders to beat the Chicago Colts. Young’s real name was Denton but Cy, after cyclone, is how he is best known. Young earned a place in the baseball Hall of Fame in…