Today in History–May 6–the Library of Congress features General James Longstreet. On this day in 1864, this officer of the Confederate Army was seriously wounded by his own troops during the second day of fighting at the Battle of the Wilderness near Fredericksburg, Virginia. A career military man who was educated at West Point, was second-in-command to General Robert E. Lee. The Confederate leader…
Today in History–May 5–the Library of Congress features Cinco de Mayo. On May 5, 1862, Mexican troops successfully defended the town of Puebla against French forces. In the spring of 1863, the city was recaptured by the French and a European was crowned Emperor of Mexico. Emperor Maximillian remained in power until 1867 when Napoleon III withdrew troops…
Today in History–April 28–the Library of Congress features musician Henry Reed, born on this date in 1884 in West Virginia. Reed was a master fiddler as well as banjo and harmonica player who learned most of the tunes he played by ear and had hundreds of songs committed to memory. He never played professionally but became well…
Today in History–April 21–the Library of Congress features southern politician Robert M.T. Hunter, born on this date in 1809. Hunter represented his home state of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the youngest Speaker of the House, serving from 1839 to 1841. From 1847 to 1861 Hunter served in the U.S. Senate. During the…
Today in History–April 15–the Library of Congress features the Continental Congress ratification of the preliminary articles of peace with Great Britain on this date in 1783. Negotiations to conclude the Revolutionary War had begun a year earlier. “International intrigue and intense negotiation preceded the formulation of these preliminary articles.” The final, formal treaty was signed on September 3, 1783…
Today in History–April 14–the Library of Congress features the R.M.S. Titanic, which struck an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland on this date in 1912 and sank to the bottom of the sea just a few short hours later. Find out more about the tragic maiden voyage of the Titanic by reading the Today in History section, then clicking the links below…
Today in History–April 7–the Library of Congress features jazz singer Billie Holiday, born on this date in 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland. Although she had no formal music training, Holiday arranged and composed music in addition to singing. Her 1939 rendition of Lewis Allan’s “Strange Fruit,” a song about lynching, was described in the liner notes to Immortal Sessions of…
Today in History–March 31–the Library of Congress features the U.S. Virgin Islands. On this date in 1917, the United States took formal possession of the Danish West Indies, renaming them the Virgin Islands. The U.S. purchased the islands from Denmark for $25 million because of their strategic location near the Panama Canal. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section,…
Today in History–March 24–the Library of Congress features a letter George Washington wrote to the Continental Congress on this date in 1776, one week after British troops evacuated Boston but remained nearby. In the letter General Washington expressed his surprise and disappointment at the situation and went on to describe the exploits of the British in the area….
Today in History–March 17–the Library of Congress features St. Patrick’s Day. This Irish and Irish-American holiday commemorates the death of the patron saint of Ireland who, as legend has it, died on this date circa 492. The holiday has been celebrated in the United States since the 18th century. Across the country today, many people celebrate with parades and…
Today in History–March 14–the Library of Congress features the official opening of the Sutro Baths on this date in 1896. The Sutro Baths was an extravagant public bathhouse just north of Cliff House, another popular San Francisco attraction also owned by a former city mayor, Adolph Sutro. Learn more about these baths by the sea by visiting the Today in History section, then following the…
Today in History–March 10–the Library of Congress features Alexander Graham Bell, who made the first successful telephone call to his assistant Thomas Watson on this date in 1876. An audiologist, speech therapist and teacher of the deaf, Bell’s knowledge of the nature of sound likely encourage his experimentation. Another Bell invention was a metal detector, that was created to help…