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Category: LCM

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

World War II: The Debut of G.I. Joe

Posted by: Neely Tucker

David Breger, a successful freelance cartoonist, drafted into the Army in 1941, created the "Private Breger" cartoon during his off-duty hours at Camp Livingston. Once it caught on, the name (but little else) was changed to "G.I. Joe." From there, it became a cultural icon.

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

China’s Colossal Encyclopedia

Posted by: Neely Tucker

China's colossal Yongle encyclopedia, published in the 15th century, comprised 22,937 hand-copied sections bound into 11,095 volumes. It was intended to comprise all knowledge available to Chinese civilizations.

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

The Islamic World Map of 1154

Posted by: Neely Tucker

In 1154, Arab Muslim geographer al-Idrisi, working at the behest of King Roger of Sicily, created a huge map of the known world. The map was more than 9 feet long and composed of 70 separate section maps. The Library preserves a 1928 recreation of this map.