The following is a guest post by Arlene Balkansky. Arlene recently retired from being a librarian in the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room, and was a regular writer for Headlines and Heroes. The late 19th century was a time of great change and difficulty for Native Americans navigating challenges to their livelihoods and culture as […]
Thanksgiving has long been celebrated at the White House, but in addition to giving thanks, the presidency has a long history with the holiday.
Is there anything more satisfying than sitting down with a good cup of coffee or tea and working your way through the Sunday crossword puzzle? Or perhaps you carry a book of puzzles with you when you travel, or even have a crossword puzzle app on your phone. If you enjoy a good crossword puzzle, […]
Carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and wearing scary costumes are some of the time-honored traditions of Halloween. Yet, the Halloween holiday has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”), a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints. Soon after, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows Eve, and later, Halloween. Here is a look at the origins of some of the classic Halloween traditions we know today.
During the 19th century, people read serialized novels the way we watch episodic TV. Momentum was built with each installment and readers tuned in each week (or month) to find out what happened after the last cliffhanger. This is part 1 of a 3-part series that spans the history of serialized fiction in periodicals.
This weekend will bring an exciting 10-day, extended National Book Festival, as well as the 2021 Small Press Expo. Learn about these events and the many exciting comics presentations from the Library in the past.
On the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, we revisit the Library of Congress historic newspaper collection.
Simple lines and ready-to-wear clothing dominated women’s fashion in the 1940s, heavily influenced by clothing rationing and Utility attire during World War II. By the end of the war, women desired more extravagant and stylish things. A “New Look” created by Dior in the late 1940s led to a focus on femininity, elegance, and formality that defined women’s fashion throughout the 1950s. This is part 3 of a 3-part series that spans fashion history from 1900 to 1960.
Started in small-town Williamsport, PA, as a pastime for boys, Little League’s popularity exploded after WWII as hundreds of leagues started up and the Little League World Series became a major event.
Like the bicycle, the marathon, and the roller-skating crazes that came before it, the pickleball (sometimes “pickle-ball” in newspapers) craze is sweeping the nation. Though it has elements of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton, it is a unique sport of its own. According to USA Pickleball’s website, three neighbors “Congressman Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum, and Bill Bell […]