The U.S. Withdraws From Vietnam
In March, 1973, the last U.S. troops left the war-ravaged nation of South Vietnam. American soldiers had been there since the early 1960s, helping the South Vietnamese government defend itself…
Mark Spitz Wins Seven Gold Medals
The starter’s gun fired, and a 22-year-old American dived into the swimming pool. He plunged in and out of the water as he took a commanding lead in the 200-meter…
The Landing at Inchon
8 In August, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States and other nations under United Nations authority sent troops to help the South. But North Koreans quickly overran…
Bermuda Shorts
“Not many revolutions can be traced to America in the Fifties,” the men’s magazine GQ noted recently,”and even fewer to the suburbs during those uptight years, but this is exactly…
Dwight D. Eisenhower
When World War II began, few people outside the army had ever heard of a 50-year-old career officer named Dwight D. Eisenhower. But soon everyone knew “Ike,” who became one…
Adlai Stevenson
“I’m too old to cry, and it hurts too much to laugh,” Adlai Stevenson said when he lost the 1952 presidential election to Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was quoting Abraham…
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth was possibly the greatest baseball player of all time; certainly he was the most famous. He was the “Sultan of Swat,” the “Bambino,” or simply the “Babe.”…
The Triangle Fire
In the early 1900s, immigrants poured into New York City. They took whatever jobs they could find. Many worked long hours at sewing machines in sweatshops which were often crowded…
The Bustle
Casual, comfortable clothing is preferred by most people today. But in the nineteenth century, American women chose to be uncomfortable rather than unfashionable. They wore tight corsets and long, heavy…
1860
“A house divided against itself cannot stand”……Abraham Lincoln warned in 1858. Two years later, Lincoln was elected President of a nation divided by the bitter issue of slavery. And as…
"Lemonade Lucy" Hayes
The press jokingly called her “Lemonade Lucy,” because no alcoholic beverages were served in the White House while she was First Lady. But Lucy Hayes, wife of the 19th President,…
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth could neither read nor write. But when this tall African-American woman strode on stage to speak out against slavery, she held everyone’s attention. She began almost every speech…
1865
“With malice toward none, with charity for all….let us strive….to bind up the nation’s wounds.” Abraham Lincoln spoke these words on March 4, 1865, as he was sworn in for…
Millard Fillmore
2 Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore is considered one of the least successful Presidents. But his administration had two important accomplishments: the Compromise of 1850 and the opening of Japan. Born…
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony Until the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution became law in 1920, American women were not allowed to vote. Susan B. Anthony’s 50-year fight for women’s suffrage,…
John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell John Wesley Powell was one of the most daring explorers of the American West. In 1869, he personally financed and launched a bold expedition to study the…
Samuel Langley's Aerodrome
Samuel Langley’s Aerodrome On May 6, 1896, spectators lined the banks of Washington’s Potomac River to watch the grand experiment. Using a catapult on top of a houseboat, Samuel Langley…
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe “Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’” That line from Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Raven” is one of the most famous in American poetry. Poe is also well known for…
1849
1849 In 1849, Zachary Taylor began his term as President of the United States. Elizabeth Blackwell became America’s first woman doctor. Stagecoach service began between independence, Missouri, and Santa Fe…
The Donner Party
y In July, 1846, a group of 87 westward-bound pioneers made a bold decision. They would take a new shortcut to California instead of using the Oregon Trail. Named for…