Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) created a new standard for First Ladies because instead of retreating to a private life of decorating and entertaining, Eleanor continued her public life by holding press conferences, giving lectures, doing …[Continue]
Christopher Columbus
“In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” And his arrival in the West Indies led to enduring links between Europe and the Americas. In the early years of our nation’s history, Christopher Columbus was raised to hero …[Continue]
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a legendary twentieth-century American magician, escape artist, contortionist and showman. Born Erich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary, he immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1878. Here’s where his spirit …[Continue]
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a writer with a wild imagination, and a gift for sharing his vision. Some of his children’s books have been made into movies. Perhaps you’ve seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and Giant Peach or Matilda? …[Continue]
Titanic
On April 15, 1912, about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg and quickly took on water. 1500 lives were lost when the British luxury liner RMS Titanic sank during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England …[Continue]
French Revolution
The French Revolution (1789 – 1799) was a period of political and social upheaval when the people of France brought down the monarchy and strengthened the middle class. The revolution ended when the popular French general, Napoleon Bonaparte, took power …[Continue]
Thirteen Colonies
The American colonial period began in 1607 with the arrival of settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, and ended in 1775 when the Revolutionary War began. Although the English were not the first Europeans to arrive in the New World, they eventually …[Continue]
Father’s Day Cards
Father’s Day is a fairly new holiday, and wasn’t given national recognition until President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance on the third Sunday in June. Father’s Day was originally conceived in 1909 by Sonara Smart Dodd, who was …[Continue]
Betsy Ross
Many people believe that General George Washington visited seamstress Betsy Ross in June, 1776 to ask her to sew a stars-and-stripes flag that would become the first official flag of the new country. The story continues that Ross convinced Washington …[Continue]
Flag Day
With roots in the nineteenth century, June 14th wasn’t officially established as Flag Day until May 30, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation. It’s celebration continued in various communities for many years, but it didn’t really take off …[Continue]
