Leap Day in the Press
Posted by: Amber Paranick
Read about the history and traditions of Leap Day in the pages of Chronicling America, our historic collection of digitized newspapers.
Posted in: Newspapers
Archive: February 2024 (5 Posts)
Mary McLeod Bethune: Newspapers and Comic Books
Posted by: Joanna Colclough
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) dedicated her whole life to advocating for civil rights, especially the education of youth. You can find her work making headlines in Chronicling America newspapers, as well as her friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and other high profile people of the day. Even some comic books featured her biography.
Posted in: African American History, Comic Books, Digitized Newspapers, Women's History
How Tragedy Led to Love for John Tyler and Julia Gardiner
Posted by: Heather Thomas
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: Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers, U.S. Presidents
The Spanish American War and the Yellow Press
Posted by: Malea Walker
When the USS Maine mysteriously exploded, the American “yellow press” published outrageous accusations against Spain and demanded war. Read more about the beginnings of yellow journalism and the rivalry between Pulitzer and Hearst that brought their newspapers to print some of the most preposterous pages in journalism history.
Posted in: Digitized Newspapers, Journalism, Newspapers
Capote & The Swans Make Headlines
Posted by: Meg Metcalf
Acclaimed author Truman Capote was born in 1924 in New Orleans. An openly gay man from the deep south, Capote defied social expectations and lived his life authentically despite the risk. Known for his small stature and large personality, he surrounded himself with the most famous, fashionable, and wealthy women in New York, whom he …
Posted in: Fashion, LGBTQ+, Women's History