Library of Congress Transcription Campaign for Post-Civil War Petition
The Library of Congress By the People program uses the power of the internet to make historical documents and historical research more accessible, readable, and searchable. In March 2023, the Library of Congress began a new campaign to learn more about a post-Civil War petition calling for equal rights for African Americans. A petition is […]
New Theory on the Vikings’ Disappearance from Greenland
In April 2023, scientists from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania proposed a new theory for why the Vikings abandoned Greenland in the fifteenth century. The Vikings’ disappearance has puzzled scientists, historians, and archaeologists. The new research, which was published in a scientific journal, shows that sea-level rise and flooding may have contributed to […]
A History of Venice and its Flood Wall
Venice, Italy, is fighting a battle against the ocean that surrounds it. Rising sea levels and sinking land means that the city faces the constant threat of devastating floods. Luckily, Venice has developed a solution: the Experimental Electromechanical Module, or MOSE. But this system, which was fifty years in the making and cost five billion […]
Little-Known Writing System Highlights African Voices
Much of what we know about the African continent’s history has been shaped by foreign perspectives. Available records such as travel diaries and colonial archives are typically written in European languages and Arabic. However, a discovery of a little-known West African writing system, known as Ajami, is helping to bring African voices to the forefront. […]
Missing American Soldier Identified and Honored
Imagine having a loved one disappear, and not knowing what became of them until fifty-four years later. That happened to the family of U.S. missing in action in North Vietnam on March 21, 1967. After more than a half a century without answers, Charvet’s remains were finally identified and returned home to his family. Here, […]
Fox News Agrees to Legal Settlement with Dominion Voting Systems
On April 18, 2023, Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems in a legal settlement. This agreement prevented a long court trial and ended a much-watched battle that involved media reporting and the First Amendment. Dominion is a company based in Denver, Colorado. It sells electronic hardware and software, such as […]
Navy Ship Renamed to Honor American Hero Robert Smalls
Have you ever heard of Robert Smalls? The U.S. Navy just renamed a ship, the USS Robert Smalls, in his honor. Robert Smalls was an African American man who captured a Confederate steamer loaded with guns during the Civil War. Smalls surrendered the vessel to the Union Navy. By reaching Union lines, this act also […]
Roman Coins Discovered on Swedish Island
Archaeological excavations on an island in the Baltic Sea found 2 denarii, or ancient Roman silver coins. Gotska Sandön is a small, uninhabited island that is part of Sweden. The island is located between Sweden and Estonia. Archaeologists at Södertörn University in cooperation with Uppsala University’s Campus Gotland and the Gotland Museum began excavations in […]
Earth Day 2023: “Invest in Our Planet”
Saturday, April 22, 2023, is Earth Day—a day to focus on the ongoing worldwide environmental movement. Earth Day began in 1970, when thousands of colleges and communities across the United States came together to protest industrial practices that created pollution and threatened the health and safety of people and the environment. Fifty-three years later, more […]
Former President Trump Charged with Felonies
On March 30, 2023, former president Donald Trump was charged with falsifying business records at his private company. Falsifying business records includes entering inaccurate information on a business document for one’s own benefit. It is illegal under New York state law. The records in question are related to money Trump sent to his personal lawyer, […]