Today’s post comes from Jim Worsham, editor of Prologue, the quarterly magazine of the National Archives. As the nation began assembling its troops to fight World War I in Europe, Capt. Dwight D. Eisenhower desperately wanted a combat assignment. And “Ike” never passed up an opportunity to put in for one, even being reprimanded for … Continue reading Where were our World War II leaders during World War I?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation establishing the National Archives as an independent agency on June 19, 1934, which is our agency's official "birthday." But, we also celebrate April 1, 1985, as our "other birthday." Why? Read on. Although the National Archives was created as an independent agency, Congress transferred it to the newly created General … Continue reading Happy “Other” Birthday, National Archives!
The GI Bill is on display in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Building from June 6 through July 14. Today's post comes from education and exhibit specialist Michael Hussey. “With the signing of this bill a well-rounded program of special veterans' benefits is nearly completed. It gives emphatic notice to the men … Continue reading On display: GI Bill of Rights
The best thing about Thanksgiving is gathering around the table, stuffing your faces with turkey, and enjoying the pleasant and agreeable conversation with your extended family. Right? Well, to keep the happy conversation flowing, here's some fun facts about Thanksgiving to keep your family distracted from explosive topics (you know what they are at your … Continue reading Tasty tidbits for your Thanksgiving table
Steven Spielberg is being honored by the Foundation for the National Archives for his film legacy, which has brought history to life on the big screen. The National Archives is celebrating the award with a film festival, and Saving Private Ryan is the first film to be screened. Join us tonight, Friday, November 15. For … Continue reading Spielberg Film Festival: Saving Private Ryan
In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Liberties Act, the original Executive Order 9066 as well as the 1988 law are on display in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, from June 16 to August 19, 2013. Today's blog post comes from curator Bruce Bustard. “Here we admit a … Continue reading On display: Executive Order 9066 and the Civil Liberties Act of 1988
Today's guest post comes from Susan Donius, Director of the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives. This post originally appeared on the White House blog. Did you know that before the 1940s, Thanksgiving was not on a fixed date but was whenever the President proclaimed it to be? George Washington issued the first … Continue reading Thanksgiving with the Presidents
Nothing is sweeter than a girl and her dog . . . competing for treats? We enjoyed your captions suggesting the competition between a girl and her same-size canine companion, but like this little girl, the winner seemed just out of our grasp. So we turned to guest judge Sarah Malcolm, who writes for the … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest: June 21
The National Archives holds many records that tell the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of that day, we've gathered links from across our blogs and on Tumblr to show you some of these moving documents that we hold in safekeeping. Memo to the President This memorandum was one of the … Continue reading Records from the Day of Infamy
In the early afternoon of December 7, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt was just finishing lunch in his oval study on the second floor of the White House, preparing to work on his stamp album. The phone rang, and he was informed that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, shortly before 1 p.m. Washington time, … Continue reading Crafting a Call to Arms: FDR’s Day of Infamy Speech
