June 19 Eight-hour work day adopted for federal employees. – 1912. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets, are executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, N.Y.. – 1953. June 20 During the Civil War, West Virginia is admitted into
By Ricky Rieckert Greetings readers, This week we have the History of Aurora Tour Bus out and about on Jackson Street at North Avenue, on Aurora’s east side. North Avenue and Jackson Street in Aurora, are part of an historic Eastside neighborhood with a rich past. The neighborhood developed as
June 12 On this day in 1987, in one of his most famous Cold War speeches, president Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down” the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the repressive communist era in a divided Germany. – 1987. A gunman forced his way inside Pulse,
By Ricky Rieckert (Final part) Dear readers, please join me as we finish the history of Aurora’s water. In 1987, in anticipation of the rapid growth of the southeast section of the City, the five million gallon Southeast Standpipe and Booster section was completed. Shortly before that, in 1986, City
June 5 Senator Robert Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Kennedy was shot several times by a 22-year-old Palestinian assassin. Kennedy died a day later. – 1968. On this day, 3,400 members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union walk
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 2) Greetings readers! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day. I have enjoyed participating and watching the parades in the Aurora downtown. What has been growing all the time, is the number of people attending and all the different nationalities in attendance. Seeing that, makes me
May 29 Heavy fog causes a collision of boats on the St. Lawrence River in Canada that kills 1,073 individuals. Caused by a horrible series of blunders, it was one of the worst maritime disasters in history. -1914. On the advice of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler orders
May 22 A massive wagon train, made up of 1,000 settlers and 1,000 head of cattle, sets off down the Oregon Trail from Independence, Mo., known as the “Great Emigration.” -1843. Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 gives federal workers a pension. – 1920. May 23 An estimated 100,000 textile
By Ricky Rieckert(Final part) With this final article about the history of Aurora’s social, nationality, and service clubs, I hope you have enjoyed the stroll down memory lane. It’s a privilege to write about the history of this great city, Aurora. As the Luxies cemented themselves as a premier club
May 15 U.S. president John Adams orders the federal government to pack up and leave Philadelphia and establish the Nation’s new capital in Washington, D.C.. – 1800. The Seven Years War, a global conflict known in America as the French and Indian War, officially begins when England declares war on
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 8) As we begin this week with Aurora’s social clubs, let us take a moment to remember our fallen heroes of our Armed Service clubs and those who have passed from the many social, nationality, and service clubs from this great City of Aurora, as Memorial Day
May 8 Both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory Day in Europe. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners and rejoice in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. – 1945. Approximately 200 construction workers in New
By Ricky Rieckert(Part 7) Dear readers, I hope everyone is enjoying the articles as we head in to part 7 of Aurora social clubs. We start with the Cosmopolitan Club. The Cosmopolitan Club of Aurora was established in 1927 as a local chapter of the international organization founded in 1918.
May 1 New York City’s Empire State Building officially opens. Construction involved 3,400 workers, mostly immigrants from Europe, and hundreds of Mohawk Native American iron workers. Five workers die during construction. – 1931. A record-breaking wave of tornadoes begins across the southern and midwestern United States on this day in
By Ricky Rieckert(Part Six) Welcome back to part six about service clubs in Aurora; the ones that once were, and the ones that are still out there, fighting for good causes to help people. We’ll start with the Optimist Club. I believe they’re no longer existent in Aurora. Their mission:
April 24 On Easter Monday in Dublin, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a secret organization of Irish nationalists led by Patrick Pearse, launches the so-called Easter Rebellion, an armed uprising against British rule. They riot and attack British provincial government headquarters across Dublin and seize the Irish capital’s General Post Office.
By Ricky Rieckert (Part 5) Welcome to the fifth part, of fraternal, nationality, social clubs, and social clubs of Aurora. This week, I want to start out by stating that I have belonged to all of the clubs, except the Seventh Ward Club, which I went to a few times.
By Woodrow Carroll Frank Lane, Charlie Dressen, and Buddy Parker. Three names from the sporting world that were often mentioned in the 1950s. Each one a study in how not to operate when things were in your favor. At least for the moment! First up we have Frank Lane. Lane
Art deco metal housewares dating to the 1930s are showcased in the Aurora main library’s new exhibit. The display on the third floor of Santori Aurora Public Library, 101 S. River Street in Aurora, runs through June. Admission and parking are free. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.
April 17 Heavy eruptions of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia are letting up by this day in 1815. The volcano, which began rumbling April 5, killed almost 100,000 persons directly and indirectly. The eruption was the largest ever recorded and its effects were noted throughout the world. – 1815. The
