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
March 19 The United States, along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiates war on Iraq. Just after explosions began to rock Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, U.S. president George W. Bush announces in a televised address, “At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of
This month, the Aurora Public Library (APL) is recognizing the year 2020 as historically significant for several reasons that impact all members of our community, State, and Country. August 18, 1920, after a campaign for suffrage led by some of the greatest heroes of their time, the 19th Amendment to
The Aurora Navy League Council 247 will hold its monthly dinner meeting Tuesday, March 17. The meeting will be held at Grandma’s Table Restaurant, 1700 Douglas Road, Montgomery, just north of U.S. Route 30. The after-dinner speaker will be John Lindstedt who will speak on The History of the U.S.
March 12 In a dramatic speech to a joint session of Congress, U.S. president Harry S Truman asks for U.S. assistance for Greece and Turkey to forestall communist domination of the two nations. Some historians often have cited Truman’s address, which came to be known as the Truman Doctrine, as
“She may be the face I cannot forget. She may be the beauty or the beast, the famine or the feast.” “She” was composed by Charles Aznavour. Shahnour Variag Aznavourian was born in Paris, France May 22, 1924 to Armenian parents. His father sang in restaurants in France before opening
March 5 A mob of American colonists gather at the Customs House in Boston and begins taunting the British soldiers guarding the building. The protesters, who called themselves Patriots, were protesting the occupation of their city by British troops. The colonists threw snowballs and other objects at the British and
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” —Mary Oliver I wish we could have met. It would have been a meeting of the minds. In writing, Mary Oliver could create her own world with nature as her teacher. Just as do
February 27 A group of masked and costumed students dance through the streets of New Orleans, La. to mark the beginning of the city’s famous Mardi Gras celebrations. – 1827. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides for female suffrage, is unanimously declared constitutional by the eight members
Stolp Avenue, Aurora, part three: Part two is available at thevoice.us/aurora-hotel-and-leland-tower-start-early-days-on-stolp In 1964, Stolp Avenue and Island Avenue downtown were conjoined into one street (Stolp), and all of the addresses changed to either North or South Stolp with Galena Boulevard as the zero point. Before listing any new businesses, I’ll
The Aurora Police and Fire Departments observed a moment of silence over the radio Saturday, Feb. 15 to mark one year since the mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Company where five workers were killed and five Aurora Police officers were injured. At 1:24 p.m. Saturday, exactly one year since
