This is my third spring in Washington, DC, and therefore my third opportunity to see the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin. However, that anniversary is much less of an historical event compared to the fact that today, March 27, 2012, marks the 100th anniversary of the planting of the first trees. This occasion, and …
Last year, Kurt looked into the origins of Saint Patrick’s Day and examined some of the Law Library’s Rare Book Collection holdings that relate to this day. I thought that I would do a slightly different take on the day and see how, despite the volatile history, it is celebrated in England. The celebrations are, …
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” ~Harper Lee, …
The following is a guest post by Jeanine Cali, a writer for the Law Library’s Outreach Team on the upcoming presentation by Professor Katherine Aron-Beller about her new book, Jews on Trial: The Papal Inquisition in Modena, 1598-1638. On Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 12:00 p.m., the Hebraic Section of the African and Middle Eastern …
Last year Christine wrote about some of the laws and history relating to African American History Month, which is observed every February. We thought we’d take a closer look and expand on some of the information in that post. Although a law designating February as African American History Month was not passed until 1986 (more …
It would be wonderful if this post were about all kinds of laws drafted by the Ministry of Magic. It’s not. I’m sorry. While England did at one point have laws regarding witchcraft on the books, those days are long gone. Instead, in what can only be considered to be the highlight of my social calendar …
The following is a guest post by Megan Lulofs, a Legal Information Analyst in the Public Services Division. It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday, a quasi-national holiday when hundreds of millions of Americans (111 million last year) watch the NFL’s championship game. This year’s big game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots in …
The United Kingdom is renowned as a nation of animal lovers. Our laws protecting animals are extensive, and range from prohibiting sheep from riding in the backseat of cars (even if they are the family pet) to the controversial ban on hunting with hounds that outlawed fox hunting across the nation. Animals are an integral part …
Sunday (January 22) was the 451st birthday of the English philosopher and politician, Francis Bacon (1561-1626). Francis Bacon is usually remembered as the father of modern science and the founder of the empirical method of inquiry. Opinions vary on how important he was for any particular science, but he is generally held to have been …