It was on this date in 1889, that the Oklahoma Land Rush officially began.  It was precisely at noon when the settlers made a mad dash for cheap land.  There were nearly two million acres up for grabs.  There were more than 50,000 “Boomers” just waiting for their chance.  As you can imagine, there was much fraud and greed, and […]

It was on this date in 1992, that the great flood of Chicago, Illinois occurred.  I was not even aware of this fact.  Basements and other underground areas were flooded with over 250 million gallons of water from the Chicago River. Much of the downtown area had to be evacuated, and it took three days for the water to recede.   […]

I was never much of a fan of President Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson, and this is proof of his inept abilities and poor character.  On this date in 1866, the Civil Rights Bill of 1866 was passed by Congress.  This was in spite of President Johnson’s veto back in March.  It had first been introduced back in January, and Johnson […]

From what I can tell, my information is accurate, although there does appear to be some discrepancy.  On this date in1799, New York passed legilation to begin the process of abolition of slavery.  The Act for Gradual Abolition of Slavery freed children born to slaves after July 4, 1799, but there were many stipulations.  For more info: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/antislchron.cfm http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/civilwar/cwdoc100.html http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nycayuga/land/towns/1799abolition.html

I was not aware of this particular Act in our nation’s history.  On this date in 1934, the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (amended to be called the Duck Stamp Act) was passed by Congress.  It requires that all waterfowl hunters 16 years or older must have a valid Federal hunting Stamp.  Money collected from these stamps go […]

On this date in 1954, this man (and his followers) established the First Church of Scientology.  I will be the first to admit that I know very little about Scientology, and I would not ever follow this particular way of thinking.  I know Ginger Rogers was a devout Christian Scientist, and Tom Cruise is one as well.  This first church […]

The American flag is a very important part of our history as a nation, and it is nice to know that other countries respect our flag as well.  On this date in 1778, our flag flew over our ship the Ranger (commanded by John Paul Jones), and it was saluted by the French as it entered French waters at Quiberon […]

There does appear to be some discrepancy, but the most reliable sites seem to say that on this date in 1753, the first hospital in the U.S. (Pennsylvania Hospital) began admitting patients. Dr. Thomas Bond was committed to this relatively new idea, and he asked his friend, Benjamin Franklin, to open a hospital in Philadelphia.  He worked very hard to […]

It was this date in 1917, that the Immigration Bill of 1917 was passed by Congress.  They overrode President Woodrow Wilson’s veto by more than a two-thirds majority.  Immigration was  not forbidden, but the “undesirables” were forbidden from entry.  In other words, no homosexuals, Asians, nor physically or mentally deficient persons.  I’m so glad that is no longer something that […]

On this date in 1690, the first paper currency was issued in the U. S. —specifically, it was the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  This promissory note stated that when the war ended, the bearer of the note would be able to trade it for two shillings from the British treasury.  They were called bills of credit. For more info: http://www.numismatics.org/Exhibits/FunnyMoney7a http://legacy.stacks.com/Lot/ItemDetail/56824 […]