In light of Detroit’s declaration of bankruptcy in recent days, I found today’s feature rather timely.  On this date in 1701, the city of Detroit was founded by Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac.  As you can guess, he was from France, and he was serving King Louis XIV.  It was originally a trading post, and as you might […]

On this date in 1897, Hawaii (featured above) was incorporated into the U.S. with the treaty of annexation.  Back in 1893, the queen of Hawaii had been overthrown, and there was a provisional government established.  Hawaii was dependent on the U.S., and this treaty seemed to make perfect sense.  It was not until 1959 that it became the 50th and […]

This is something that I did not know, and it answered questions I did not know I had.  Sounds strange, I know.  But on this date in 1812, the Louisiana Purchase (Territory) was renamed the Missouri Territory.  Why, you ask?  So glad you did!  You might remember the fantastic deal that President Jefferson received on the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon […]

It seems like even after all these years, JFK and Marilyn Monroe spark the nation’s interest.  And this is one of those features that is quite memorable.  On this date in 1962, Marilyn Monroe sang her favorite Happy Birthday Mister President at Madison Square Garden in honor of President Kennedy’s 45th birthday.   It was ten days before the actual day, […]

I have heard a lot of unusual rulings, but this one takes the cake.  On this date, 1927, the Supreme Court ruled that criminals had to pay income taxes on their stolen property or face tax evasion.  It was a landmark decision in the case of the United States v. Sullivan.  This means that bootleggers had to pay tax.  This means […]

I visited New York City when I was 17 years old (almost 18), and it is an experience I shall never forget. Although all my pictures were lost in a flooded basement shortly after my marriage, I still have a video of it.  I used to have a picture of this building as well as a picture that included the […]

I really found this exciting and interesting, especially in light of recent Boston news.  On this date in 1704, John Campbell published the first issue of the Boston News-Letter.  This became the first continuously published newspaper in America.  In the beginning, it heavily relied on British newspaper for its features and information.  Kind of interesting that this first came out […]

Ever seen a two-cent piece?  I honestly didn’t know there was such a thing. On this date in 1864, the first two cent piece was released with the motto “In God We Trust.” This motto was new, and it was part of the U.S. Coinage Act.  But did you know that this motto was not the only one proposed?  Try […]

I’m sure you’re familiar with Paul Revere (if you are a U.S. history person).  After all, Geico even has an ad concerning it now.  But on this date in 1775, Paul Revere made his famous midnight ride.  The purpose of the ride was to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were coming to arrest them.  You might […]

Who doesn’t find Niagara Falls beautiful and somewhat scary (especially if you’re going over it in a barrel)?  Well, it just so happens that on this date in 1848, the mighty Niagara Falls were silenced.  That’s right!  For 30 hours, there was an ice dam at the neck of Lake Erie and the Niagara River.  This is the only time […]