“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” —Battle Hymn of the Republic Julia Ward Howe was an American poet and author, best known for writing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She was an advocate for abolitionism and a social activist particularly for women’s suffrage.
The Aurora Historical Society (AHS) will throw a party from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday to highlight the extension of its Summer exhibit, “Ethnicity and Diversity in Aurora, 1834-Present” through the middle of August. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. Music will be provided by The Internationals, an
July 19 During Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, a French soldier discovers a black basalt slab inscribed with ancient writing near the town of Rosetta, about 35 miles north of Alexandria. The irregularly-shaped stone contained fragments of passages written in three different scripts: Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Egyptian demotic. The ancient
First of two parts Hemp has a variety of reactions from a variety of individuals, and, there is a lack of information and understanding. The Hemp Industrial Association wrote the following article of its history: “Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years
Last of two parts When the English settlers in the New World in the early 1600s, adapted the foreign soil to their needs, they set off cataclysmic changes. Their animals, insects, and plants literally changed the ground beneath the Native Americans’ feet. The colonists brought in native fruit trees and
Yorkville resident Barb Johnson, left, demonstrates the ancient Norwegian kuub game in last Summer’s “How to be a Viking” camp at Yorkville Public Library. Johnson will co-lead the fourth annual camp at the Library, 902 Game Farm Rd. in Yorkville, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 16, 18 and
By John Montesano – For the past three years, The Voice has allowed me to write a feature story of a military veteran each month. It has been my privilege to obtain and tell these stories. Due to vacation plans, this month’s feature is not about a specific veteran, but
July 12 A heat advisory is issued in Chicago in a warning of an impending record-breaking heat wave. Temperatures in the city reach 106F and the heat index was above 120 F. By the time the heat breaks a week later, nearly 1,000 residents are dead in Illinois and Wisconsin.
“The Constitution is not neutral. It was designed to take the government off the backs of the people.” —Justice William O. Douglas Given the turbulence of our age, with its police overreach, military training drills on American soil, domestic surveillance, SWAT team raids, asset forfeiture, wrongful convictions, profit-driven prisons, and
First of two parts “In depth, in height, in circuit, how serene. “The spectacle how pure. Of Nature’s works in Earth.” — William Wordsworth The threads of discovery were intertwined with hardship and hope. Many of the stalwart men and women who travelled across the seas were fleeing both religious
Organizers of the inaugural Aurora Pride Parade last week submitted a Letter of Intent to the city government of Aurora requesting to hold the next Aurora Pride Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019. “The inaugural Aurora Pride Parade is now a celebration for the history books,” said Chuck Adams, founder and
Renowned artist and illustrator Wendell Minor born in Aurora has been named Artist Laureate for 2018/2019 by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.. Established in 2008, the Museum’s Artist Laureate Award honors the contributions of outstanding visual artists whose exceptional dedication to the Museum and its mission have guided
The iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile makes an appearance at the Mariano’s grocery store Sunday near 75th Street and Naper Boulevard in Naperville. There are six similar vehicles traveling throughout the country handing out a limited number of hot dogs and wiener whistles. Jason Crane/The Voice
July 5 In the East End of London, revivalist preacher William Booth and his wife, Catherine, establish the Christian Mission, later known as the Salvation Army. Determined to wage war against the evils of poverty and religious indifference with military efficiency, Booth modeled his Methodist sect after the British army,
“Let’s ring freedom bells!” said president John F. Kennedy when he established the national Independence Day bell-ringing observance in 1963. At that time Congress set aside two minutes on the Fourth of July when citizens all across the country would simultaneously ring bells of all kinds. The Aurora Historical Society
Last of two parts In 1917 radio messages were intercepted about a possible German spy named H-21. H-21 was Mati Hari. That year she was again arrested in Paris and put on trial, accused of spying for Germany and consequently causing the deaths of at least 50,000 soldiers. During her
June 28 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. –
The Fabulous Pixie Stix participate in song and spoof in the parade Sunday through the streets of Aurora. More than 60 parade units added an upbeat tempo through downtown in higher temperatures than 90 degrees. See a Reader’s Commentary here, and see video at facebook.com/thevoice.us. Jason Crane/The Voice
First of two parts “Yes We Have No Bananas” a Roaring Twenties favorite was witten by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn (1922) and originally sung by Eddie Cantor Columbia College Music History #3 written by Bill DeMain’s new column, where he explores the real historical events that inspired various songs.
First of two parts What word comes to mind when you hear her name, Mati Hari? Spy? Yet, as research now shows, she was framed and betrayed by the French government, the only country for which she spied. As such, this portrait of her will take two weeks to uncover
