Strange-but-true stories from World War II
Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884. She was the niece of former President Theodore Roosevelt, and later became the wife of future President Franklin D. Roosevelt (her fifth cousin). She is known for her role as First Lady during the Great Depression and World War II. She was the first woman in that … Continue reading Eleanor Roosevelt, what’s in your wallet?
Today's post comes from Gregory Marose, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. Americans often associate the month of August with family vacations and the summer heat, but that was not the case in 1961. Fifty years ago this month, a Cold War chill filled the air as construction began on … Continue reading The Berlin Wall, now a vital piece of history
This coming Sunday is the dedication of the new Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial on the National Mall. It's also the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington, when King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to the assembled thousands. As I looked at the program from the day and then at some … Continue reading March on Washington: A. Philip Randolph
Julius Henry Marx--better known by his stage name Groucho Marx--passed away on August 19, 1977. He left behind a legacy of humor on stage, radio, and film. I was not able to find to find any images of him in our holdings, which was disappointing as his trademark mustache was a fine candidate for Facial … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: A mustache, a funny man, and a President
We interrupt our usual hairy programming to bring you this musical interlude. What could be so important that we would skip mustaches, beards, and goatees? Well, today marks the anniversary of the Washington, DC, premiere of This Is the Army, with songs written (and one performed) by Irving Berlin. You would easily recognize Irving Berlin's … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: A Musical Interlude
Last week on Facebook, I posted up a image that my colleague found for Shark Week. It wasn't a biological shark, but a mechanical one. The caption provided some basic information: "A Chinese soldier guards a line of American P-40 fighter planes, painted with the shark-face emblem of the 'Flying Tigers,' at a flying field somewhere in … Continue reading Tag! You know something!
Today's guest post is from Samuel Rushay, senior archivist at the Truman Presidential Library and Museum, who is featured in our newest "Inside the Vaults" video about the adventure of John Paton Davies. “…I stood in the open door of that miserable [C-46, Curtis] Commando and decided—`Well, if nobody else is going to jump, I’ll jump. … Continue reading Headhunters and diplomats in the Truman Library
Today's post comes from Gregory Marose, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. As the calendar turns to August and the summer heat sets in, no topic is hotter than the debt ceiling. Congress has voted to increase the debt limit more than 100 times since it was first established. How … Continue reading Patriotic posters and the debt ceiling
Perhaps the most famous goatee in all of America belongs to Uncle Sam, the white-haired patriot who appeared in political cartoons in the late 1890s, on recruitment posters in both World Wars, and continues to appear on all kinds of products today. And while facial hair fashions have changed drastically through the years since the … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Make a date with Uncle Sam
Feeling the urge to plant a vegetable garden? During World War I and World War II, citizens were encouraged to plant victory gardens as part of the war effort so that more food could be sent overseas to the troops. Even the White House had a Victory Garden at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Because many … Continue reading What’s Cooking Wednesdays: A dozen dont’s of gardening
