History As It Happened

Earth Day takes place every year on April 22nd, and has for decades been a day for people to get outside and help Mother Nature. Many communities will come together to plant trees or pick up trash alongside the highways to celebrate. One writer at The Times Record, published in Fort Smith, Arkansas, applauded the […]

On April 13th, 2002, in Bound Brook, New Jersey, hundreds of people gathered to re-enact the Revolutionary War battle that happened there decades ago. The Battle of Bound Brook took place on April 13th, 1777, where British forces used the element of surprise to attack the Continental Army. Now, in Bound Brook, New Jersey, residents […]

The August National Golf Club was founded by famous golfers Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts in 1932. The 365-acre course was built after the two purchased a property which was previously a plant nursery (and an antebellum plantation) called Fruitland Nurseries. The course first opened to limited members in December of 1932 and formally opened […]

Our first “This Day in History” comes from The Daily Freeman Journal, published in Webster City, Iowa. I pulled two segments out of the Hamilton County Community History Archive, one published on March 24th, 2009, and the other on March 27th, 2009. On March 24th, they highlighted the 1989 Exon Oil Spill in an Alaskan […]

On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku Region of Japan shook with forces stronger than any earthquake they had experienced before. A 9.1 Magnitude earthquake with an epicenter just off the coast of the mainland struck in the afternoon of an otherwise normal day. The earthquake was so powerful that it was felt all the way […]

Even if you don’t follow college women’s basketball, you almost certainly know the name Caitlin Clark. The record-breaking player from the University of Iowa quickly made a name for herself in the world of sports, and has since brought thousands of new fans to the WNBA. On March 3, 2024, Clark broke the NCAA Division […]

Our first topic is surprisingly similar to something we may see happening again this year. On February 28th, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI resigned as his health would no longer allow him to keep up with the demands of the role. As published in The Quincy Herald-Whig, he announced his decision on February 11th, 2013, noting […]

The Tonight Show is one of the most popular late-night television shows, and on February 17th, 2014, Jimmy Fallon became the new host. After a long television career as a cast member on shows like Saturday Night Live, Fallon took over from Jay Leno as the host of The Tonight Show. Fallon brought a new […]

A common theme I found in these articles about Valentine’s Day is reflecting on the history of the holiday. For example, I found a page in The Highland News Leader from February 9th, 2004, talking all about saving memories from the past and the history of Valentine’s Day! They visited a special display at the […]

As we approach Superbowl Sunday, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at a superbowl that was unlike any before. The 2017 Super Bowl was played on February 5th, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots met up for a memorable game that made NFL history. At […]

The UK originally voted to leave the European Union – often referred to as Brexit– back in 2016. However, it wasn’t until January 31st, 2020 that they officially left. Even then, things didn’t instantly change. They had until December 31st, 2020 to agree on how they would continue to operate and interact separately from the […]

The inauguration of President Barack Obama was a historic moment that many Americans had been dreaming of. President Obama was the first president of African American descent, a milestone that made him a role model that it is possible to hold any position, regardless of your race. In The Enterprise, published in Leonardtown, Maryland on […]

Procrastination is a college student’s best friend and worst enemy. It allows us to ignore the assignments we don’t want to do yet, and then once we can’t put them off any longer, the adrenaline rush of it being due in a couple of hours powers us through the entire thing. The problem of procrastination […]

First, let’s get a look at what kids today are asking for. It seems that each year, more and more kids are asking for technology instead of toys. In the Seward County Independent, published in Seward, Nebraska, on December 20th, 2023, they shared letters from local first-grade children to Santa. Among some of the most […]

Every year, children around the world write their letters to Santa, telling him what they want the most that year. In The Daily Record, published in Lawrenceville, Illinois, on December 21st, 2006, they shared the letter to Santa written by local elementary school students. A common question from many of the children was asking how […]

Our first gift idea comes from The New Castle Weekly, in New Castle, Delaware, published on December 11th, 2002. They shared a couple of different gift ideas, but the one that stood out the most to me was these chocolate and cappuccino jars. They are a dry mix that can be used to make either […]

I thought it would be useful to start with a recent piece that gives us a lay of the land of Black Friday shopping. On November 24th, 2015, the Quincy Herald-Whig published an article titled “SCORE BIG SAVINGS; 9 TIPS TO HELP YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING POWER”. This article gives an in-depth list […]