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Archive: July 2010 (8 Posts)

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Americans with Disabilities Act 20th Anniversary

Posted by: Donna Scanlon

Our guest author today is Ellen Terrell, Business Reference Specialist. According to the U.S. Census in their report Americans with Disabilities: 2005, there are roughly 54 million Americans with a disability. 11 million people age 6 and older need personal assistance with everyday activities and 46% of the people ages 21 to 64 having some …

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Today’s Scoop

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Most would agree that summer is the peak season for ice cream consumption. Therefore it makes perfect sense that, in the United States, July was proclaimed National Ice Cream Month. It was President Ronald Reagan’s Proclamation 5219  promoted this national observance, designating July 1984 as National Ice Cream Month. Today  ice cream manufacturers carry on this tradition …

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Disneyland

Posted by: Donna Scanlon

Disneyland opened in Anaheim, CA on this date in 1955.  Having worked for The Walt Disney Company at various points in my career, I have a special fondness for all things Disney. A recent vacation took me to Germany where I was able to visit Neuschwanstein, a castle that was “a tremendous inspiration to Walt …

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Stumbled upon in the Stacks

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Today’s guest post  was written by our summer intern Brian Horowitz from Montgomery College, Maryland. As an intern at the Library of Congress, Science Business and Technology Division, I have been able to wander in the books stacks of the Library of Congress.  It was there that I met Brevet Major Alfred Mordecai, a man …

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“Resolved, That the money unit of the United States of America be one dollar.”

Posted by: Donna Scanlon

On today’s date in 1785 the Continental Congress set the dollar as the official currency of the new United States. Also on this date it was Resolved “That the several pieces shall increase in a decimal ratio.” As a side note Thomas Jefferson wrote on this very topic in “Notes on the establisment[!] of a …

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Is there a pyrotechnic display in your future?

Posted by: Donna Scanlon

234 years ago the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain.  It has been estimated that there were approximately 2.5 million people in this new nation at that time. [1] Today a celebration of our independence takes place every year on the anniversary of the signing of …