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 […]

For all these events, I utilized the new directory page on our website. There, you can zoom in on the map to search for Community History Archives in that area. I did this in different areas of the state to find different CHAs to search in. Each archive is listed on the side with the […]

The method I used to find these events is also my search tip of the week. In the past, we have covered a lot of ways to narrow down specific results. Did you know that there is also a way to look at specific papers without having to search for keywords or phrases? It is […]

Barack Obama made history, as do all presidents, but specifically because he was the first African American president. Before he was elected to the presidency, he had a political career in both the state and US Senate. In 1996, Obama was elected to his first term in the Illinois State Senate, where he was re-elected […]

The Twin Towers were some of the most recognizable buildings in the World Trade Center Complex as well as the New York City Skyline, before they tragically became the target of a terrorist attack in 2001. They were an iconic feature of New York City and featured in various media forms, including television shows and […]

The mid-20th century was crucial to the fight for equality in America. The civil rights movement lasted from 1954 to 1968 and had an incredible impact on the history of the United States. Some of the most notable figures from the civil rights movement include Martin Luther King Jr, A. Phillip Randolph, Ida B. Wells, […]