November 14 In Constantinople, capital of the Ottoman Empire, the religious leader Sheikh-ul-Islam declares an Islamic holy war on behalf of the Ottoman government and urges his Muslim followers to take up arms against Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, and Montenegro in World War I. – 1914. The Depression-era Public Works
November 7 U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office. FDR remains the only president to have served more than two terms. – 1944. November 8 U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt announces plans for the Civil Works Administration to create four million additional jobs
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, subscribers, all. This week, I’m going to write about, first, something a reader suggested. Betty sent me a compliment about my articles and that she likes reading them. She said it brings back memories. This letter was forwarded to me from The Voice. Upon reading,
October 31 The priest and scholar Martin Luther approaches the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and nails a piece of paper to it containing the 95 revolutionary opinions that would begin the Protestant Reformation. In his theses, Luther condemned the excesses and corruption of the Roman Catholic
By Ricky Rieckert I’m proud to say that I received my first compliment letter from a woman reader/subscriber. Thanks to The Voice for forwarding it to me. It was really touching. This week, I’m going to finish-up with E. Galena Boulevard (Main Street) in Aurora. Starting at Root Street and
October 24 A 63-year-old schoolteacher, Annie Edson Taylor, becomes the first known person to take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel. – 1901. The first U.S. federal minimum wage, 25¢ an hour, takes effect, thanks to enactment of the Depression-era Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA). The law required
By Ricky Rieckert This week in Aurora’s past, I am continuing on West Galena Boulevard (Main Street), from Blackhawk Street on the west side heading East towards Downtown Aurora. Down at Locust and W. Galena, there were gas stations on three corners, except the northeast where there was a church.
October 17 Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000 to signal the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. – 1931. Olympic Gold Medal winner Tommie Smith and Bronze Medal winner John Carlos are forced
By Ricky Rieckert This week, I’m going to start on W. Galena Boulevard, heading east, from Constitution Drive. On the Northside, right off Galena Boulevard, was a department store called Zayre’s. It was open for a long time. However, due to theft and it becoming trashed, it was closed. Walmart
By Ricky Rieckert This week, I’m starting on N. Farnsworth and E. New York Street moving north. At the southwest corner, of Liberty Street was a small grocery store called the Bread Box. Don, who was Greek, I believe, owned it for many years, since I was a little boy.
By Ricky Rieckert I’m sorry, but I left a few things, out of my article, last week. First off The Mug Tavern, was a great place to see live bands on the weekends. I saw quite a few. I saw the bands Off Broadway and Survivor. Jim Peterik, from Berwyn
September 26 For the first time in U.S. history, a debate between major party presidential candidates is shown on television. The presidential hopefuls, John F. Kennedy, a Democratic Party senator of Massachusetts, and Richard M. Nixon, the vice president of the United States, meet in a Chicago studio to discuss
Aurora police and fire departments were host to Aurora’s annual Sept. 11 memorial ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 11. Beginning at 7:30 a.m., Aurora’s public safety officials and City leaders were joined by community members at APD headquarters, 1200 E. Indian Trail. Marking the 23rd anniversary of the tragedies in New York,
September 12 Six months after the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev succeeds him with his election as first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Khrushchev, in 1961, authorized construction of the Berlin Wall in East Germany. – 1960. Hurricane Gilbert slams into Jamaica. Approximately
By Ricky Rieckert Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day. This week in Aurora, I’m going to touch base about the Blue Lantern Restaurant on E. New York Street. Some people wanted to know more about the restaurant. In the Summer of 1973, my brother, a year younger and I
September 5 Between 20,000 to 30,000 marchers participate in New York’s first Labor Day parade with the demand for an eight-hour work day. – 1882. In the early morning hours of September 5, six members of the Arab terrorist group known as Black September, dressed in the Olympic sweat suits
By Ricky Rieckert I hope everyone has a beautiful upcoming Labor Day weekend. This week in Aurora, we take off at Broadway and Illinois Avenue and go south. On the riverside, west of Illinois is Carl Stirn’s Boat Marina. It’s been around a long time. I purchased my first yacht
August 29 Atahuallpa, the 13th and last emperor of the Incas, dies by strangulation at the hands of Francisco Pizarro’s Spanish conquistadors. The execution of Atahuallpa, the last free reigning emperor, marked the end of 300 years of Inca civilization. – 1533. At a remote test site at Semipalatinsk in
August 22 The Geneva Convention of 1864 for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick of Armies in the Field is adopted by 12 nations meeting in Geneva. The agreement calls for non-partisan care to the sick and wounded in times of war and provided for the
By Ricky Rieckert This week, we start at Illinois Avenue and North Lake Street in Aurora. At the northeast corner was Golden Bear Restaurant. I remember going there at midnight, with a couple of friends on a Friday night. There was a waiting list, to be seated. One friend, gave
