Top of page

Category: History

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Celebrating Books and Reading for 30 Years

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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 …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep …

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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 …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Citizenship Test and the 'Answer Key'

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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 …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

'The War,' a Companion

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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 …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Senators Praise Billington's Tenure

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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.? …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Constitution Day Coming Up on Monday

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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 …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Lore of Labor

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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 …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Interns Find Hidden Copyright Gems

Posted by: Matt Raymond

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 …