An outcast among the other Founding Fathers, Thomas Paine lived a fascinating life and sought to reach a wide audience through his writing.
Tag Archives: Historic Figures
Nellie Bly: Google Doodle’s 1st original song (Karen O) salutes an American original
In the late 1800s, investigative journalist Nellie Bly reported on issues that shed light on people who were disadvantaged and voiceless. Recently Google paid tribute to her by featuring an original song about her contributions as its daily Google Doodle.
Genghis Khan
The Mongol ruler Genghis Khan, who lived during the time of Macbeth, could have taught Shakespeare’s Scot a few things about ruthlessness. Get the full picture of one of the most powerful men in history.
Stanley Meets Livingstone
Nineteenth-century Scottish missionary and abolitionist David Livingstone gained fame by trekking across Africa and becoming the first European to see many of its sights. When he went missing, the intrepid Henry Morton Stanley was sent to find him.
Harriet Tubman Wins Unofficial Vote to Be on $20 Bill
With more than 33 percent of ballots cast in an online poll, Harriet Tubman emerged as the face that people want to see on a new $20 bill.
Who Was Edmund Pettus?
Just who was Edmund Pettus, and why was the famous bridge in Selma named for him? Find out here.
The Don’s Don: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Beowulf translation finally arrives.
Katy Waldman, a correspondant for Slate, reviews J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf, published in 2014.
Edith Wharton Reveals the ‘Deeper Processes’ Behind Her Art
In 1933, author Edith Wharton revealed her writing process in an article published in The Atlantic.
Thoreau’s Walden, Present at the Creation
Listen to the radio piece to learn what inspired Thoreau to live at Walden Pond and what he experienced while he was there.
Mystery of Anne Frank’s informer revealed by Dutch author
A newly published book adds another suspect to the list of people who might have betrayed the Frank family.
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson arranged to buy the Port of New Orleans and over 800,000 million square miles of land from France, which doubled the size of the country.
Finishing the Dream
Great civil rights advances have been achieved in the United States, but there is still much to be done for the full equality of all. Explore this NBC site to learn about how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.
Ferdinand Magellan
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan is credited with the first journey around the world. Learn about how he—and his crew after his death midway through the journey—achieved this incredible feat.
The Man Who Invented Mars
Sometimes, we only see what we want to see. For the influential astronomer Percival Lowell, this meant seeing signs of advanced civilization in Mars’s ancient water channels. In spite of evidence to the contrary, Lowell’s vision of an inhabited neighbor in our solar system inspired years of speculation.
Film Review: ‘Selma’
The Academy Award-nominated film Selma centers on a key struggle in the American civil rights movement. Read one reviewer’s appraisal of its artistic and narrative achievement.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is well known for her decision not to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated bus during a time when a racist law forced African Americans to do this. Learn more about the life and efforts of this unassuming hero.
Richmond will fall again for 150th anniversary
Read about a four-day commemoration in Richmond, V.A. which will mark the 150th anniversary of the fall of the Confederacy’s capital on April 3, 1865.
Congress Passes 13th Amendment, 150 Years Ago
Read about the journey of the passage of the 13th Amendment, which ensured that slavery would not exist in the United States.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Funny Civil War
In the second year of the Civil War, Nathaniel Hawthorne published an article in Atlantic Monthly outlining his unconventional views on the war. American Studies professor Cynthia Wachtell offers her opinion about the piece.
Malala Yousafzai’s Courage
Much has been written about Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning teen from Pakistan’s rugged mountain region who continues to push for education for girls despite death threats. Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion columnist Leonard Pitts shares his thoughts.