September 13 Francis Scott Key writes a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes the U.S. National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” – 1814. Eleven prison employees and 29 inmates die in four days of rioting at New York State’s Attica Prison and the retaking of the
Beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, Aurora public safety officials will be joined by mayor Richard C. Irvin and community members at the Aurora Police Department, 1200 E. Indian Trail. Marking the 17th anniversary of the tragedies in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, the ceremony will feature a
Here are comments from Naperville mayor Steve Chirico on the death Tuesday morning of George Pradel, former police officer and former mayor of Naperville: “George Pradel was the kind of community-focused individual that blesses a town once in a lifetime. His name will forever be remembered in our City, and
The Maid of Orleans, Saint Joan of Arc, was born January 6, 1412 in the Domremy village, the daughter of Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle Romee. Her parents owned about 50 acres and her father supplemented his farming income with a minor position as a village official. Joan was illiterate and
By Anthony Stanford – It’s a fact that no one actually has confirmed seeing Marty McFly, Doc Brown, or their time-traveling DeLorean at the Back to the 1980s BBQ Bash August 25 at the Santori Library of Aurora. However, Aurora Public Library (APL) customers, supporters, volunteers, and staff members who
September 6 U.S. president William McKinley is shaking hands at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, N.Y., when a 28-year-old anarchist approaches him and fires two shots into his chest. President McKinley dies September 14. – 1901. September 7 The United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked
Beginning with the Siberian hunters who crossed the Bering landbridge about 30,000 years ago, United States has been populated with people from around the globe. Even the Statue of Liberty, symbol of American diversity, has French ancestry. Most of the 4.5 Million who came between 1841 and 1861 were Irish
Aurora City Council members and mayor Richard C. Irvin, at the table, applaud signing of the agreement which will give Aurora city government employees a paid holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, the third Monday in January. Mayor Irvin signed the document at the desk moments earlier. The
August 30 A 24-hour-a-day hot line between Moscow and Washington goes into effect. The hot line was supposed to help speed communication between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union and help prevent the possibility of an accidental war. – 1963. Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African
“Tea comforts the spirit, lightens the body and adds sparkle to the eyes.” —Shennong In Chinese medicine during the Tang and Song dynasties, the medicinal effects of tea were recommended for curing and preventing many ills. Tea was believed to dissolve fats and assist with digestion. Because of its antioxidant
By Anthony Stanford – Janet Stephens, Bonnie Bogden, and Becky Clark are leaders for the classic film and book discussion groups at the Aurora Public Library (APL) West Branch. Stephens, who leads the West Branch non-fiction group, 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, has a love of
By Marissa Amoni – They could be Aurora’s power couple, but they don’t technically live in Aurora. Rebekah Axtell and Josh Schultz might reside a bit south of Aurora in Oswego, but their love for Aurora and its residents runs deep. Axtell and Schultz are currently working on a project
August 23 Four counties in western North Carolina declare their independence as the state of Franklin. The counties lay in what eventually would become Tennessee. – 1784. August 24 After centuries of being dormant, Mount Vesuvius erupts in southern Italy, to devastate the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum
Al Skyles, 94, in spite of Summer heat, uses an umbrella to shield the sun during Sunday’s Montgomery Fest parade. The World War II veteran was in the U.S. Navy and is a member of the VFW Post 7452 in Montgomery. See the video of the parade at facebook.com/thevoice.us. Jason
My Uncle Jim and Aunt Jo O’Brien and their six children lived in the Price Hill area of Cincinnati, Ohio. As a child my family visited them and all the children were taken to a municipal pool/playground area where we spent hours having fun. I remember both how hilly the
August 16 While salmon-fishing near the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory, George Carmack reportedly spots nuggets of gold in a creek bed. His lucky discovery sparks the last great gold rush in the American West. News of the gold strike spread fast and over the next two years, as
By John Montesano – The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club has named Bob Mead the August Veteran of the Month. Charles Robert Mead was born April 30, 1940 and was raised in Oswego. At age eight, the family purchased a home in Oswego, the same house that Bob owns and
August 9 Twenty individuals, including at least nine firefighters, are killed in Boston’s worst fire. It consumes 65 downtown acres and 776 buildings in more than 12 hours. – 1872. A second atom bomb is dropped on Japan by the United States, at Nagasaki, resulting finally in Japan’s unconditional surrender.
Last of two parts Following up on the extraordinary life of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, I wanted to learn about his common-law wife, Deborah Read Franklin. How did this woman interest him time and time again, even though separations kept them apart for many years at a time and once
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. When it comes to relations between the United States and Russia, there aren’t any good guys present. Both countries have been at war, a cold war, to be sure, with each other since the end of World War I. Do you doubt me, dear
