The World War II-Era Actress Who Invented Wi-Fi: Hedy Lamarr

Today's post comes from Lori Norris, an archives technician a the National Archives at College Park. As we face the uncertainty of the current COVID-19 pandemic, one helpful invention has eased the anxieties of staying at home and assists us daily with our new teleworking lives. Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, allows us to stay plugged … Continue reading The World War II-Era Actress Who Invented Wi-Fi: Hedy Lamarr

Celebrating the life of an ancestor who was a “12 Years A Slave”

This past summer, Vera Williams attended her annual family reunion and Solomon Northup Day. The day honors her great-great-great grandfather, Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and forced into slavery in 1841. When Northup escaped, he wrote a book about his experiences and—most shockingly for that era—took his kidnappers to trial. The … Continue reading Celebrating the life of an ancestor who was a “12 Years A Slave”

George Clooney and the National Archives: One degree of separation

Today's guest post was written by Miriam Kleiman, who works in the National Archives Public Affairs Office. George Clooney’s next film—which he will write, direct, and star in—is based on holdings from the National Archives!  Clooney announced last weekend that his number-one priority is to make a film about the “Monuments Men,” a group of … Continue reading George Clooney and the National Archives: One degree of separation