Operation Market Garden

Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful British-American airborne invasion of the Netherlands (Holland) during World War II that lasted September 17-25, 1944. It was the largest airborne operation of the war, involving more than 34,000 airborne troops. Background Operation Market Garden was intended to advance the Allies across the Rhine River into Germany’s industrial heartland. …Read More

Battle of Yorktown

The Battle of Yorktown (September 28 – October 19, 1781; also called the Siege of Yorktown) was the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. After almost 2 weeks of being under siege, the British troops at Yorktown, Virginia, surrendered to combined American and French forces, signaling the beginning of the end of …Read More

1900 Galveston Hurricane

Summary On September 8, 1900, Galveston, Texas, was struck by a category 4 hurricane that decimated the island and killed thousands of people, making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Great Galveston Hurricane The day before the hurricane struck, heavy swells were noticed in the Gulf, and by the early morning of the …Read More

Founding of the Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution (a complex of national museums and research centers in the United States) was founded on August 10, 1846, through legislation signed by President James Polk. The cornerstone of the main building was laid in 1847. Smithson Bequest The initial money for the Smithsonian was provided by a bequest in the will of …Read More

Booker T. Washington

Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and speaker. One of the most influential Black leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Washington was also a pivotal figure at the Tuskegee Institute. Childhood & Education Booker was born in Virginia in 1856 to an enslaved …Read More

442nd Regimental Combat Team

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was a World War II U.S. Army regiment composed almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans, known as Nisei. It was the most decorated unit relative to size and service length in U.S. military history. Formation The predecessor of the 442nd was the 100th Infantry Battalion, formed in June 1942 predominantly …Read More

Beatrix Potter

Helen Beatrix Potter (July 28, 1866 – December 22, 1943) was a naturalist, conservationist, illustrator, and author known primarily for her children’s books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Early Life Beatrix Potter was the only daughter of Rupert Potter and Helen Leech. She and her brother, Walter Bertram, were taught by governesses at …Read More

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass (c. 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American activist, speaker, and author who advocated for the abolition of slavery, for women’s rights, and for other causes. Early Life, Enslavement & Escape Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore around 1818 and was raised primarily by his maternal …Read More

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth (c. 1797 – November 26, 1883) was an American activist for abolitionism, women’s rights, universal suffrage, and other causes.  Early Life Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree (or Bomefree) around 1797 in Dutch-speaking New York to enslaved parents. Sold away from her family in childhood, Isabella was owned by several abusive enslavers. In …Read More