Strange-but-true stories about America’s Presidents from the National Archives and Presidential Libraries.
Like most boys from Missouri, Harry Truman developed simple tastes in food as he was growing up—especially things like his mother's fried chicken and that great American budget-friendly staple, meatloaf. According to the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri, the 33rd President also liked corn bread with Missouri sorghum, all kinds of fowl, and Ozark pudding, which included … Continue reading Meatloaf by candlelight? Not for this President.
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
Last week's photo of men swinging from the trees inspired many noteworthy captions, from the Pirates of Penzance to pigeon interception. Overwhelmed by choice, we turned to our guest judge James Kratsas of the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Michigan. James was also overwhelmed—by grim memories of dancing at weddings, and he chose Marene B's caption. … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest
We’re now in the middle of commencement season, and there’ll be many words of wisdom coming from the mouths of speakers: academicians, celebrities, inventors, authors, artists, business people, and political leaders. Sometimes commencement speeches become historic. President John F. Kennedy announced talks for a test-ban treaty in his commencement speech at American University in 1963, and a … Continue reading History in a Cap and Gown
It's very rare to have an example of a recent beard, and even more rare to have a bearded President after, oh, 1890. So I was shocked when John Keller, an archivist at the Clinton Library, sent a link to this picture of President Clinton. He explains the unusual find in this guest post: Here … Continue reading Thor? Is that you?
Welcome to our first "What's Cooking Wednesday" here at Pieces of History! We're excited to make this first post in a series celebrating our new exhibit "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" which looks at the role that the Federal Government has taken in Americans’ lives regarding food production, safety, advertising, and nutrition. It opens June 10, … Continue reading The Queen’s Scones for a Wedding Breakfast
Today's guest post comes from David Coleman, associate professor at the University of Virginia and Chair of the Presidential Recordings Program at the Miller Center of Public Affairs. On April 28, W.W. Norton will publish volumes 7 and 8 in the Miller Center's Presidential Recordings of Lyndon B. Johnson series. (The original tapes are in … Continue reading Pennsylvania Avenue Hotline
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
On April 20, 1961, exactly three months after his inauguration, President John F. Kennedy addressed the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) regarding the Bay of Pigs invasion. In his speech, Kennedy addressed one of the most crucial decisions of his presidency—his choice not to provide air cover for the 1,400 men of the Cuban … Continue reading JFK’s Cold War Calculations
Springtime in Washington, DC, makes people think of cherry blossoms—and pandas. While keepers and panda fans anxiously wait for signs that the National Zoo's Mei Xiang may be expecting a cub, we remember the first pandas to live at the zoo. President Richard Nixon's historic trip to China in February 1972 opened diplomatic and trade … Continue reading “Panda”monium at the National Zoo
