There is so much history around this sprawling place that sometimes a milestone or two worth mentioning will slip beneath the radar. The Politico reported that yesterday (Nov. 1) was the 110th anniversary of the opening of the Library of Congress?s Thomas Jefferson Building on Capitol Hill (although the ?TJB? moniker wouldn?t come until many …
Chances are that if you watched made-for-TV movies on CBS from 1979 into the ?90s, you might remember ?Read More About It.? A joint project of CBS and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the segment involved celebrities offering recommendations about books that viewers could find at their local library to …
It was 50 years ago today that ham-radio enthusiasts had the first opportunity to hear an odd beeping sound coming from the heavens: It was Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. A recent CBS Sunday Morning segment reminded us that today (Oct. 4, 2007), marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet …
A staff member here at the Library pointed me to this article in The New York Times about a revamped test immigrants must pass before they may become citizens. The article talks about the pros and cons of both the old test and the new.? The aim, according to the story, was to get away …
Beginning this Sunday, Sept. 23, many Americans will be rapt as they watch the stories from Ken Burns? latest series, ?The War,? on PBS. The series focuses on firsthand accounts of those who were affected by World War II?much like the goal of the Library?s Veterans History Project. If you get a chance, check out …
A pair of senators have gone ?on the Record??the Congressional Record, that is?to praise the 20-year tenure of Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, which was marked on Sept. 14, 2007. Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts each made statements in the past several days in honor of the milestone.? …
The U.S. Constitution is turning 220 years old, having been ratified at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on Sept. 17, 1787. Some believe this historic document has been a bit bruised and battered in the post-9/11 era. This is the subject of a bipartisan discussion in the Library?s James Madison Building at 12:30 p.m. on …
While we prepare for the last long weekend of the summer ? or shop for school supplies ? let us pause to remember the historic significance of Labor Day and the men and women who fought for workers? rights. In 1894, Congress passed legislation making Labor Day ? the first Monday in September ? a …
Ever wonder what you might find if you had the opportunity to browse through some of the Library of Congress’s vast and long-forgotten copyright deposits?? (Since 1870, two copies of virtually every creative work published in America must be submitted to the Copyright Office, which is part of the Library of Congress.) For the past …