3: In 1864, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day would be recognized as a national holiday. George Washington has set aside November 26th as a day of prayer and thanks; however, Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as the official day for "Thanksgiving". For seventy-five years this tradition was followed until 1941 when Franklin D. Roosevelt changed "Thanksgiving" day to the fourth Thursday in November in order to prompt early shopping for the Christmas season. Submitted by Melissa Adams, student,University of North Carolina at Pembroke
4: In 1970, Janis Joplin was found dead in a motel room at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood, California. Janis Joplin was a "Rock-n-Roll" goddess whose voice fluctuated between velvety softness and loud ravage-like screaming. Joplin was working on her upcoming album titled "Pearl", with her newly joined backup band "Full Tilt Boogie" at the time of her death. The cause of death was a heroin overdose for the twenty-seven-year-old Joplin. Submitted by Melissa Adams, student,University of North Carolina at Pembroke
5: In 1813, near Thamesville, Ontario, the leader of the Indian alliance, Tecumseh, was killed in battle. General William Henry Harrison (who later became the 9th President of the United States) was the leader of the American troops that defeated the Indians and British troops. After the British troops had retreated from the battle, Tecumseh suffered the wound that killed him and marked the end of the four year old "Indian Confederacy". As the leader of the "Indian Confederacy", Tecumseh prompted Native Americans to fight the American troops as they seized property and sacred lands from the Indians. Submitted by Melissa Adams, student,University of North Carolina at Pembroke
6: In 1683, the first Mennonite settlers came to America seeking religious freedom. Because of a break-first with the Catholics then with the mainstream Protestants and finally with the more radical Anabaptists-they faced a great deal of persecution. Unconventional beliefs forbidding a state church, infant baptism, violence, holding public office, and slavery set them apart from other denominations. William Penn (founder of Pennsylvania) offered five thousand acres to settle and practice their beliefs freely. The original thirteen German and Dutch families founded Germantown and were soon joined by more of their brethren. The Mennonites and the Amish (a Mennonite sect) succeeded in their quest for freedom, simplicity, and reverence—many communities in New England still practice these ideals. Submitted by Angela Heck, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
7: Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849 at forty-years-old depriving the world of further poems and short stories exalting the metaphysical and strange. Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was orphaned as a baby and then taken into the John Allan household. The Allans moved to England when he was six and remained there until Poe was ten. He attended private schools in England and America, but was only allowed to attend one year of college at the University of Virginia. Mr. Allan refused to support Poe’s dissolute lifestyle of drinking and gambling and made him work as a clerk. Poe soon grew tired of the work, moved to Boston, and began his literary career. His fame is firmly established as the perfecter of the short story and the master of all things arcane. His constant state of drunkenness and drug abuse probably committed him to his early grave. Submitted by Angela Heck, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
8: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 caused three hundred deaths, two million dollars in damages ,and made 100,000 people homeless. Legend says a cow in Mrs. O’Leary’s barn knocked over a lamp and started the inferno that consumed seventy-three miles of streets. Nearly the whole city was destroyed because of the hot summer, bad city planning (wooden construction), and a series of errors in the city’s fire alarm system. After the fire burned for twenty-nine hours and was allowed to cool for two days, Chicagoians started picking up the pieces. The nation mobilized behind them, sending relief funds and manpower. Nineteen years later Chicago had completely recovered and was America’s second largest city. Submitted by Angela Heck, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
9: Leif Erickson landed on North America in 1000 AD, 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Inspired by his father (Eric the Red, who explored and settled parts of Greenland) and by reports of new land by a timid sailor that never set foot on its shores, Leif set off to make history. He and his men sailed from Scandinavia in their Viking ship, crossed the Atlantic, and landed three times in North America. Although colonization attempts were unsuccessful because of native tensions, Leif Erickson has finally been recognized as the first European to set foot on this continent. President Lyndon B. Johnson commemorated October 9th as “Leif Erickson Day” in 1964, in recognition of Erickson’s achievement. Submitted by Angela Heck, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
10: In 1973, Spiro Agnew resigned as vice-president of the United States (under President Nixon). He was investigated for allegedly accepting bribes while governor of Maryland. Agnew declared his innocence, yet resigned soon after--admitting to a lesser charge, 29,000 dollars of tax evasion in 1967. He was given three years probation and a fine of $10,000. Submitted by Angela Heck, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
11: In 1864, slavery was abolished in Maryland. At this time Maryland remained in the Union and many confederate soldiers were recruited in the state. At this time the state was held in line by Unionist sympathizes and then, in 1864, the Maryland Constitution was revised and slavery was abolished. Submitted by Robin Duncan, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
12: In 1901, United States President Theodore Roosevelt renamed the executive mansion. The mansion was painted white to cover the dirty look of the stone; therefore, it was referred to as the "White House" by Congressman Abijiah Bigelow in a letter wrote to a colleague on March 18, 1812. After that, other people called it the White House. Theodore Roosevelt made it official by Submitted by Robin Duncan, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
13: In 1792, President Washington laid the cornerstone of the Executive Mansion (White House). James Hoban designed the White House. His design was a virtual copy of a building sketch in James Gibbs's Book of Architecture. Washington never lived in the Executive Mansion, but John Adams did move into the house in 1800. The house was burned to the ground during the war of 1812, but was soon rebuilt. By the early 1940's, the beams were rotting, the plaster was crumbling, and the house was declared unsafe. There was talk of scrapping it, but after three years of renovations, President Harry S. Truman celebrated it's reopening. Submitted by Robin Duncan, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
14: In 1884, George Eastman patented photographic film. Eastman was a United States entrepreneur who started Kodak and Brownie, two well-known camera companies. Later, Eastman became famous for his slogan, "You press the button - we do the rest". Submitted by Robin Duncan, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
15: In 1860, Grace Bell, an 11-year-old, girl advised Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard. Grace wrote a letter to Lincoln, explained that women liked whiskers and would tease their husband to vote for him if he would grow his whiskers out. She also wrote that she had four brothers and some of them were going to vote for him in the upcoming election, but if he would grow out his whiskers, she would try to get the others to vote for him. Mr. Lincoln did write her back telling her that he was concerned that people would think it was silly of him to grow whiskers now because he had never worn them before. The rest is history. Submitted by Robin Duncan, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
16: On this day in 1984, an operation involving the replacement of a diseased human heart with a baboon heart was performed at Loma Linda University Medical Center with the patient being only fifteen days old. Dr. Leonard L. Bailey, the doctor who performed the operation, had high hopes for the success of the transplant and it caught the attention of nation. The patient was dubbed “Baby Fae”, but after a month of struggling, her system rejected the baboon's heart and “Baby Fae” died. Submitted by Jennifer Winborne, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
17: On this day in 1989, at the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics, millions of people both saw and experienced the deadliest United States earthquake since 1902. In the stadium, chaos broke out as the earthquake hit moments before the start of the game. The earthquake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale and killed sixty-seven people. It caused over three thousand injuries and extensive damage to the city. Submitted by Jennifer Winborne, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
18: On this day in 1931, Thomas Edison died in New Jersey at his home. He was the inventor of the light bulb, the phonograph, and the gramophone. He was in his early eighties and in his lifetime was responsible for obtaining 1,093 patents. With little or no education Thomas Edison was able to get work as a telegraph operator that led to some of his greatest inventions. He also worked with the creation of the electron tube, electricity, and the storage battery. Submitted by Jennifer Winborne, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
19: On this day in 1781, Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. Two weeks before the end of the Revolutionary War, British General Cornwallis faced a siege from Washington at Yorktown, with French armies on the shores of Virginia, and American armies to the west and south. In view of all this Cornwallis was forced to surrender his troops after just eight days of siege. This surrender ended the last major battle of the Revolutionary War and gained independence for America. Submitted by Jennifer Winborne, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
20: On this day in 1968, "Jackie O" remarried, five years after the fatal shooting of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Her suitor was Aristotle Onassis, a prominent Greek shipping mogul. The wedding was touted as both controversial and glamorous, and it was held on Onassis' private island of Skorpios. The public opinion on the marriage was split, with many feeling it was inappropriate for Jackie to remarry, while others thought that she should get on with her life. Submitted by Jennifer Winborne, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
21: On this day in 1959, Dr. Werner Von Braun was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to design rockets for NASA. Submitted byCarrol Hammonds, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
22: On this day in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis began. President John F. Kennedy learned, from spies, that Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev had placed missiles in Cuba. The United States took immediate action and enacted a blockade against Cuba. For six days the U.S. and Russia stood at the brink of nuclear war. Finally after six days, on October 28, the U.S. and Soviet Union worked out an agreement. The Soviet Union agreed to move the missiles out of Cuba and the U.S. lifted the Cuban blockade. Submitted byCarrol Hammonds, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
23: On this day in 1855, in Kansas, the Kansas Free State Forces set up a government under their Topeka Constitution in opposition to the pro-slavery legislation that was passed. On election day in 1855, the Border Ruffians turned the elections into a bloody affair known as "Bleeding Kansas." In 1861, the Civil War began and the incident was overshadowed by the current events. Submitted byCarrol Hammonds, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
24: On this day in 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over the Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. Submitted byCarrol Hammonds, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
25: On this day in 1983, U.S. Marines invaded the small island of Grenada after a coup of the Communist government. President Ronald Reagan called the invasion to restore order and provide protection to US citizens. More than 7000 troops invaded the island. By mid-December, the island was under U.S. control and the soldiers returned home. Submitted byCarrol Hammonds, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
26: Legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson was born on this date in New Orleans, Louisiana. The actual year of her birth is debated, varying between either 1911 or 1912. Known as the "World's Greatest Gospel Singer," Jackson rose up from humble beginnings to achieve international fame. She was born to a Baptist preacher father and a mother who worked as a maid, and was the granddaughter of Louisiana slaves. Her mother died when she was only five years old, leaving Jackson to be raised by her large extended family. Many members of this family were entertainers, most musicians of some sort. Their musical influence, along with the growing blues and jazz movement of New Orleans, pushed Mahalia towards a career as a singer where her strong voice, powerful delivery, and deep religious faith made her an international star of gospel music. Jackson sang with church choirs all of her life, and even after she had become a successful singer she refused to sing more popular, and much more lucrative, secular music. This refusal to leave behind her religious roots helped bring gospel music back into the cultural mainstream, making it a viable career option for future singers. Her concerts were legendary, drawing both black and white audiences, and she, during her career, performed for royalty, heads of state, and several American presidents, including John F. Kennedy and Harry Truman. In the early 1960's, Jackson lent her name and support to Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights protests. She died in Chicago on January 27, 1972, of heart failure. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
27: On this day in 1787, the first of The Federalist Papers appeared in newspapers within New York City. Originally attributed to an author known only as "Publius," the Papers are a collection of political essays written to raise public support for ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America as the official model of the American government. After the first attempt, the Articles of Confederation, failed to unite the colonies. The Federalist Papers were named for the Federalist Party, a political movement that favored the strong, centralized government that the new Constitution offered. This party included such famous American patriots as George Washington and the three men who would come to be identified as the authors of The Federalist Papers, James Madison, a future president and major contributor to the U.S. Constitution; John Jay, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; and Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. Eventually these men went on to publish over eighty essays in the Federalist Papers series, seventy five of which were collected in the book The Federalist. The historical importance of these essays is often overlooked but cannot be denied; as these works helped turn a then unpopular political opinion into reality, shaping the government that we have today; thereby, affecting every aspect of American life. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
28: The Statue of Liberty was officially unveiled to the American public on this date in 1886. The ceremony took place on Liberty Island (then known as Bedloe's Island) in New York Harbor and ended with the monument's dedication by President Grover Cleveland. The Statue, whose official name is Liberty Enlightening the World, was the work of French artist Frederic August Bartholdi, who based the face of the Statue on his own mother's features. Costing approximately 1 million francs to build, it arrived in the United States in 1885 as a gift from the French people, honoring the two nations' devotion to liberty. It was delivered in 214 separate sections and later reconstructed by a team of American engineers. As the Statue has stood within sight of Ellis Island, for many years the main arrival point for European immigrants coming into the United States, it has taken on significance as both a classic piece of Americana and a symbol of freedom, hope, and opportunity for people from all around the world. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
29: On this date in 1929, the United States stock market crashed, signaling the start of the worst economic depression in American history. The economic collapse that followed, known as the Great Depression, affected Americans in all walks of life, causing an estimated loss of $50 billion dollars worth of stock over the next two years alone. The economic devastation was so severe that the date of the crash, Tuesday, October 29th, would come to be popularly referred to as "Black Tuesday." The most surprising thing about this collapse was that it occured right on the heels of unheralded finacial prosperity in America. The economy of the 1920's had been strengthened by the first World War, but the early 1930's would be marked by rampant unemployment, poverty, and hardship. Ironically, many cite this booming war economy, and the rapid increase in inflation, speculation and reckless stock trading that accompanied it, as the key causes of the market collapse. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
30: On this date in 1885, noted American poet Ezra Pound was born in Hailey, Idaho. Considered by some to be the father of the Modernist movement of poetry, Pound was one of dominant literary voices of the early twentieth century. Publishing such noted works as his Cantos books, Pound helped to forge a new style and aesthetic for American poetry that would become the standard for the next twenty years. However great an influence Pound had as a writer, his efforts as an editor, publisher, and mentor to younger writers earned him his greatest fame. He was one of the first established writers to notice the talents of a young James Joyce and campaigned to get his work more widely recognized. In the literary journal Poetry, he published the first poems of T.S. Eliot. He and Eliot would later develop a strong working relationship that lasted many years, with Eliot helping Pound refine his theories on poetry, and Pound editing much of Eliot's best known work, including "The Waste Land," which Eliot dedicated to Pound. Although criticized at times, particularly for his support of Mussolini in the years prior to World War II, Pound was seen as the respected elder statesmen of poetry toward the end of his life. Pound died on November 1st, 1972 in Venice, Italy, having served as American poetry's unofficial champion, organizer, and editor for over half a century. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
