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On the afternoon of February 28, 1844, President John Tyler and roughly 400 guests were enjoying a cruise down the Potomac River on the new US Navy warship USS Princeton, when the mammoth, 13-ton naval gun on board, known as the “Peacemaker,” exploded. The disaster came close to costing the president his life, but instead it led to his marriage.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
On January 10, 2024, “Headlines and Heroes” published a blog post highlighting new stories about technology and inventions during the Gilded Age. Although we are proud to enhance discoverability of the Library’s Chronicling America newspaper collections, the blog post lacked appropriate citations. After considering concerns raised with the post, the Library made the decision to …
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
Thanksgiving is the one American holiday defined by its cuisine. Here is a brief history (and recipes!) of some of the dishes that have come to represent a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
This blog post was taken down for review after concerns were raised that the author used content in several posts from other sources without providing appropriate citations. Headlines and Heroes apologizes both to any authors whose important work we did not appropriately recognize, and to its readers.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
This blog post was taken down for review after concerns were raised that the author used content in several posts from other sources without providing appropriate citations. Headlines and Heroes apologizes both to any authors whose important work we did not appropriately recognize, and to its readers.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
February 20 is Presidents Day--officially Washington's birthday--and what better way to celebrate than with some presidential trivia! You may have aced round 1 in 20 Questions: U.S. Presidential Trivia Quiz, but below are twenty more trivia questions to test your POTUS knowledge.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
This blog post was taken down for review after concerns were raised that the author used content in several posts from other sources without providing appropriate citations. Headlines and Heroes apologizes both to any authors whose important work we did not appropriately recognize, and to its readers.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
This blog post was taken down for review after concerns were raised that the author used content in several posts from other sources without providing appropriate citations. Headlines and Heroes apologizes both to any authors whose important work we did not appropriately recognize, and to its readers.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
On a peaceful Sunday in 1859 in the nation's capital, Congressman Daniel E. Sickles shot and killed U.S. District Attorney Philip Barton Key in broad daylight on Lafayette Square. The murder and subsequent trial captivated antebellum America and sparked nationwide debates about male honor, female virtue, insanity, and the rule of law.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes
When President Warren G. Harding died suddenly in 1923, the newsboys of Massachusetts jumped into action. The newsboys had considered the president a friend; before Harding was president, he was a newspaperman and he had supported the causes of newsboys while in office. To honor the late president, the newsboys pledged to have a bronze statue commissioned of Harding’s beloved dog, Laddie Boy, paid for and made by the donated pennies of newsboys from across the United States.
Posted in: Headlines & Heroes