Queen Victoria came to the English throne in 1837. The River Thames was the wide meandering river then, just as it had been for centuries. Twice a day the River ebbed and flowed as far up as Teddington. The Victorian age saw many improvements, including the umbrella, flushing toilets, letter
June 4 The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to guarantee women the right to vote, is passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. – 1919. Japanese Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, commander of the fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, launches a raid on Midway Island with almost
May 28 A 22-year-old lieutenant colonel of the Virginia militia named George Washington successfully defeats a party of French and Indian scouts in southwest Pennsylvania when Virginia attempts to lay claim to the territory for its settlers. The action snowballed into the Seven Years’ War and began the military career
What did you miss the most during March and April when you were home-bound? The hugs from loved ones? The ability to come and go as you pleased? Meeting friends for lunch at a favorite restaurant? Tickets to a concert or event that you had purchased? Visiting loved ones in
May 21 In Washington, D.C., humanitarians Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons found the American National Red Cross, an organization established to provide humanitarian aid to victims of wars and natural disasters. – 1881. Connecticut becomes the first state to pass a law regulating motor vehicles by limiting their speed to
The Tang Dynasty (618AD to 907AD) began panda diplomacy. According to a Japanese royal yearbook, the Chinese emperor sent the Japanese ruler two white bears and 70 pieces of their fur in 685. They were two giant pandas. The panda is a bear, native to south central China and part
The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly has made its way all over the globe and into every corner of our lives. Its far-reaching reverberations have drawn comparisons to major historical episodes, such as the 1918 Spanish Influenza and the Great Depression. It is clear that we are living through an historic event
May 14 One year after the United States doubled its territory with the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition leaves St. Louis, Mo., on a mission to explore the Northwest from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. – 1804. In Tel Aviv, Jewish Agency chairman David Ben-Gurion proclaims
May 7 Martinique’s Mount Pele, near the city of Saint Pierre, begins the deadliest volcanic eruption of the 20th Century. The city of Saint Pierre was buried within minutes and virtually everyone died instantly. – 1902. The German High Command, in the person of General Alfred Jodl, signs the unconditional
April 30 Representatives of the United States and Napoleonic France conclude negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, a massive land sale that doubles the size of the young American republic. What was known as Louisiana Territory comprised most of modern-day United States between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, with the
An extraordinary life lived with energy and determination was the life of Svetlana Alliluyeva who was known as Stalin’s daughter. When I finished reading author Rosemary Sullivan’s outstanding book on Svetlana, it occurred to me that Svetlana was caught in the crossfire of history, but managed to live her life.
By Cailín Cullen National Library Week is April 19-25, and it is one for the history books. Many libraries, including the Aurora Public Library (APL), have closed their physical locations to help stop the spread of COVID-19.The closures have pushed libraries to re-imagine how they engage with their communities and
April 23 Brian Boru, the high king of Ireland, is assassinated by a group of retreating Norsemen shortly after his Irish forces defeat them. – 1014. Historians believe legendary English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-on-Avon on this day in 1564, the same day he died in
A remarkable sun-filled April day dawned. The sky was filled with color amid the golden ball coming over the horizon. Green shoots could be seen all over Clara’s garden. Time for an oatmeal breakfast and then leave for the workday. The lovely Clara worked for the All-Steel Equipment Company in
By Cailín Cullen Now that we’re all doing our part to slow the spread of the COVID-19 by staying home, you may have some time to fill. A great way to maintain good mental health is to pick up a new hobby, or revisit a hobby you’ve put on the
April 16 Employers lock out 25,000 New York City garment workers in a dispute over hiring practices. The International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union calls a general strike; after 14 weeks, 60,000 strikers win union recognition and the contractual right to strike. – 1916. Vladimir Lenin, leader of the revolutionary Bolshevik
April 9 At Appomattox, Va., Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders his 28,000 troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. Forced to abandon the Confederate capital of Richmond, Va., blocked from joining the surviving Confederate force in North Carolina, and harassed constantly by Union
April 2 The U.S. Supreme Court declares unconstitutional a 1918 Washington, D.C. law establishing a minimum wage for women. – 1923. The world’s first anthrax epidemic begins in Ekaterinburg, Russia, now Sverdlosk. By the time it ended six weeks later, 62 individuals were dead. Another 32 survived serious illness. The
By Woodrow Carroll In normal times, the Chicago White Sox would be opening the 2020 Major League Baseball season against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, March 26 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Well, these are extraordinary times with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) virus knocking at the door. It remains to
March 26 In a ceremony at the White House, Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin sign an historic peace agreement to end three decades of hostilities between Egypt and Israel. – 1979. Police enter a mansion in San Diego, Calif., and discover 39 victims of a
