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If you opened the the New York Times this morning in 1971, you would have seen the first part of the secret "Pentagon Papers" that the newspaper published—without authorization from the government. Today in 2011, the National Archives and the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon Presidential libraries will release the entire official Report of the Office of … Continue reading The Pentagon Papers, now online after 40 years
Our new exhibit "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" opens on June 10 and has over 100 original records about food. But what if you could do more than just look at the records? What if you could taste them—and taste history? Chef Jose Andres—the 2011 Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Foundation Awards, host and executive producer … Continue reading The Archivist and the Chef
Today's an eggs-ellent day in Washington, DC, for young people! It's the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, where hundreds of children gather to roll eggs and play games on the South Lawn of the President's House. But the tradition did not start at the White House. It began on the lawns and terraces of the … Continue reading An Egg-centric White House Tradition
President Woodrow Wilson’s campaign slogan throughout his 1916 reelection campaign was "he kept us out of war," but on April 2, 1917, Wilson reversed course and called on Congress to provide a declaration of war for American intervention in World War I. Although this shift in policy contradicted Wilson’s isolationist principles and firm commitment to … Continue reading The “Wilsonian” Path to War
Today marks 100 years since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire—a blaze that lasted 18 minutes and left 146 workers dead. Among the many in New York City who witnessed the tragedy was Frances Perkins, who would later become FDR's Secretary of Labor, making her the first woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet. As Secretary … Continue reading A Factory Fire and Frances Perkins
Today we have a special guest post from Tom Nastick, public programs producer at the National Archives. This week, from February 23 to 27, we’ll be presenting the seventh annual free screenings of Oscar®-nominated documentaries and Short Subjects in the William G. McGowan Theater. Our friends at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will … Continue reading Roll out the red carpet at the National Archives!
Do you like jelly beans? So did Ronald Reagan—and this month marks his 100th birthday. Even if you didn't share Reagan's political views, you might share his sweet tooth! Tweet your favorite jelly bean flavor using the hashtag #100jellybeans at twitter.com, and on Friday we'll randomly pick a winner to receive a discount at our eStore. … Continue reading Tweet if you like jelly beans!
Weather has been front-page news across the country for the last couple of weeks. Winter storms have left up to 50 inches of snow in places, and even in Dallas, TX, snow and ice made the Packers and Steelers feel right at home at the Super Bowl. What’s the outlook for sunshine, snow, or rain in … Continue reading Cloudy with a chance of records
Brad Meltzer’s new mystery novel—The Inner Circle, the no. 1 bestseller on the most recent New York Times list—is all about the National Archives. “I came to visit and I fell in love. Truly,” Meltzer says in an interview about the book in the forthcoming issue of Prologue, the quarterly magazine of the National Archives. … Continue reading The National Archives–now in a novel near you!
I am convinced that if, in the future, our country is to meet the unparalleled opportunity to win friends and advance the cause of peace and freedom, thousands of additional Americans will have to step forward and say, "I will serve." —from the statement of Robert Sargent Shriver, given in Chicago, IL, on May 17, 1961 … Continue reading Sargent Shriver and his Peace Corps guerrillas
