 You've
Got to Pay to Play That Song
February 13, 1914 -
American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Was Founded
What do Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Madonna, Metallica, Tom
Waits, the Dixie Chicks, and Tito Puente all have in common?
Yes, they are all Grammy award winners, but they are also
members of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and
Publishers (ASCAP).
ASCAP was founded in New York City on February 13, 1914, to
protect the rights of the more than 80,000 composers,
songwriters, lyricists and music publishers who are its
members. ASCAP's function is to make sure that a writer's
work is not used by another artist without paying the proper
fee (called a royalty) or acquiring the proper permission.
An author's right to protect his work is called copyright.
ASCAP's first director was Victor Herbert, a composer and
musician who strongly supported artists being paid for their
work. How do you think Herbert got the idea for ASCAP?
The story goes that Victor Herbert became aware of the need
for protection of musical creators' copyrights and
performance rights when he was in a hotel and he overheard
someone performing a piece of music he'd written. He knew
that he hadn't been paid for the use of his music in
performance, and he felt that was unfair, since he had
written the music. From then on, he worked hard to see that
musicians received a royalty for the use of their work.
Herbert was born in Ireland and studied music in Germany,
where he became a cellist and composer. In 1886, he and his
wife, opera singer Therese Foerster, immigrated to New York.
Herbert became well known as a composer of light operettas
(romantic comedies with singing and dancing). His best-known
work is Babes in Toyland, which opened in 1903 and was
inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Today, ASCAP's main function continues to be to protect the
rights of its members by licensing and paying royalties for
public performances of their copyrighted works. Next time
you hear a Madonna song that isn't performed by Madonna, you
can be sure she is getting a royalty for it. |
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Reindeer Skating
March 20, 1914 -
"International Style" Figure Skating
Championship
Humans may have skated across the ice on a pair of rib bones
from a local reindeer as early as 1000 B.C. Some 2,800 years
later, just before the start of the Civil War, an ice
skating craze swept across the U.S. In big cities and small
towns, people strapped skates over their shoes and took to
the ice.
Unlike today's competitors, skaters who participated in ice
skating championships in the mid-1800s had a limited number
of moves, made in a stiff and rigid style. It took the
father of figure skating, and a new century, to add grace
and flair to the sport.
Jackson Haines, the father of figure skating, originated the
type of figure skating you see on TV today. In the 1860s he
brought ballet style and techniques to the sport. Although
he won the U.S. men's championship, his expressive style did
not yet catch on in the U.S.
Haines went to Europe in 1865 and became a popular success
but died before his style of skating caught on. Called the
"International Style," Haines's form of skating eventually
overcame resistance in the U.S., and on March 20, 1914, the
first national figure skating championships in the
"International Style" were held at New Haven, Connecticut.
Have you developed your own personal style of skating? Would
a pair of reindeer rib bones help? |
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Celebrating Mom
May 9, 1914 -
The First Mother's Day
Think of all the work that mothers do in raising their
children. Mothers need to be celebrated! President Woodrow
Wilson proclaimed May 9, 1914, the first Mother's Day. He
asked Americans on that day to give a public "thank you" to
their mothers and all mothers. What do you do for your
mother on Mother's Day?
Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia wanted to remember her own
mother along with all mothers. Anna's mother had been very
active in working to improve the health of people in her
community. Jarvis's mother also organized a Mother's
Friendship event in her community to bring confederate and
union soldiers together for a peaceful celebration. Many
other women such as Julia Ward Howe, Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and Elizabeth Smith also fought for peace and encouraged
mothers to speak out. Anna Jarvis convinced her mother's
church to celebrate Mother's Day on the anniversary of her
mother's death, and campaigned for a national day honoring
mothers. Because of Jarvis's hard work, Woodrow Wilson chose
that date for the national holiday.
Mother's Day is now celebrated with gifts, visits, and
flowers. Around the world in England, France, Sweden,
Denmark, India, China, and Mexico, they celebrate moms. Of
course, if you ask your mom, she might tell you that every
day is Mother's Day. |
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Lady Sings the Blues
April 7, 1915 -
Billie Holiday Was Born
This lady could sing the blues! Jazz singer Billie Holiday,
later nicknamed "Lady Day," was born on April 7, 1915, in
Baltimore, Maryland. In her autobiography, Lady Sings the
Blues, Holiday says, "Mom and Pop were just a couple of kids
when they got married; he was 18, she was 16, and I was
three." Despite a challenging childhood and no formal
musical training, Billie Holiday made her professional
singing debut in Harlem nightclubs in 1931. By 1933, she had
made her first recordings. Do you think her parents really
named her "Billie?"
Born Eleanora Fagan, she gave herself the stage name Billie
after Billie Dove, an early movie star. While becoming a
star, Holiday faced racism. Some laws created separate
facilities, public spaces, and seats on buses for blacks,
and some restaurants would serve only white people. As a
result, Holiday sometimes found herself singing in clubs
that refused service to blacks. Her 1939 version of "Strange
Fruit," a song about lynching, was described as the most
haunting and sad "expression of protest against man's
inhumanity to man that has ever been made in the form of
vocal jazz."
Billie Holiday worked with many jazz greats including Count
Basie and Benny Goodman. She sang in small clubs, large
concert halls, and the film New Orleans. She even arranged
and composed her own songs such as "I Love My Man" and "God
Bless the Child." Many people mourned the loss of "Lady Day"
when she died in New York at the age of 44. Have you ever
heard a Billie Holiday recording? Ask your family if they
have. |
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 When the Boys Were "Over There"
April 6, 1917 -
U.S. Entered World War I
On April 6, 1917, the U.S. joined its allies--Britain,
France, and Russia--to fight in World War I. Under the
command of Major General John J. Pershing, more than 2
million U.S. soldiers fought on battlefields in France. Many
Americans were not in favor of the U.S. entering the war and
wanted to remain neutral. However, the U.S. eventually did
enter the war. Do you know how the war began and why the
U.S. became a part of it?
Disagreements in Europe over territory and boundaries, among
other issues, came to a head with the assassination of the
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian zealot on June
28, 1914. Exactly one month later, war broke out. In 1915,
the British passenger liner the Lusitania was sunk by a
German submarine, killing 128 Americans and futher
heightening tensions. By the end of 1915, Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire were battling the
Allied Powers of Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Belgium,
Serbia, Montenegro and Japan. In 1917, the U.S. entered the
war. Germany formally surrendered on November 11, 1918, and
all nations agreed to stop fighting while the terms of peace
were negotiated.
The war brought about change in America. For example, women,
many of whom had been active supporters of the war to
preserve democracy (like the dedicated Moms in this photo),
finally got the right to vote with the ratification of the
19th Amendment in 1920. How else does war always change a
country? |
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President Tips his Hat to the Lady
Picketers
August 28, 1917 -
Ten Suffragists Arrested While
Picketing at the White House
Women started parading in front of the White House for
"woman suffrage," women's right to vote, during January
1917. On August 28 of that year, 10 suffragists were
arrested. The women wanted President Woodrow Wilson to
support the proposed Anthony amendment to the Constitution,
which would guarantee women the right to vote. They started
off standing silently, holding picket signs reading, "Mr.
President, what will you do for Woman Suffrage?" and "How
Long Must Women Wait for Liberty?" Riding through the White
House gates, his wife by his side, President Wilson
customarily tipped his hat to the protestors.
Between June and November 1917, 218 protestors from 26
states were arrested and charged with "obstructing sidewalk
traffic" outside the White House gates. During that time,
messages on the picket signs became more demanding. The
women took advantage of the United States' entry into World
War I on April 6. When Russian envoys came through
Washington, posters proclaimed that the United States was a
democracy in name only. Bystanders erupted in violence. What
was the suffragists' next move?
The leader of the National Woman's Party, Alice Paul, staged
a hunger strike in jail after her arrest. Prison doctors had
to force-feed her and others. With all the pressure from
publicity generated by the White House pickets, the arrests
and forced-feedings of women protestors, President Wilson
finally lent his support to the suffrage amendment in
January 1918. Congress approved it, and on August 18, 1920,
with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, women
achieved the right to vote. That date is now commemorated as
Women's Equality Day. |
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Skee-ba-doobie-do-wah!
April 25, 1918 -
Ella Fitzgerald Was Born
Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald could sing like a saxophone.
Today, April 25, 1918, is the day she was born in Newport
News, Virginia. She mastered a technique called "scat" in
which the singer makes up nonsense syllables to imitate
musical instruments: Skee-ba-doobie-do-wah.
Ella Fitzgerald first showcased her amazing talents during
Amateur Night at Harlem's famous Apollo Theater. The crowds
loved Ella, who went on to sing with several groups and many
well-known artists such as Duke Ellington and Dizzy
Gillespie. She made her first recordings in 1935, then went
on to record 19 albums from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s!
In recordings, concerts, and television appearances, Ella
Fitzgerald recorded hundreds of songs by great American
songwriters such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Johnny
Mercer, and Irving Berlin. Her unmatchable style became
nationally recognized and still is.
Though scatting may date back to West Africa, Fitzgerald,
along with Louis Armstrong, made it popular in the United
States. Ask your family if they have heard scat performed,
or listen to a sample of jazz music. |
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Pershing's Push to Victory in WWI
September 12, 1918 -
American Forces under General
Pershing Launched First Major Offensive in WWI
Since 1917, when the U.S. declared war on Germany and
entered World War I, American divisions had fought in
Europe. But they had only fought in support of the major
French or British units already firmly entrenched in the
effort. On September 12, 1918, the American Expeditionary
Forces (AEF) under General John J. Pershing launched their
first major offensive in Europe as an independent army.
Their successful campaign was a major turning point in the
war for the Allies. Ultimately, U.S. forces helped to defeat
Germany earlier than expected.
Pershing's first target was a triangular piece of land
between the fortified French cities of Verdun and Nancy
known as the St. Mihiel salient. German troops occupied the
St. Mihiel salient as a base for their planned push toward
Paris. The occupation of Paris would have been devastating
to the Allies. The U.S. First Army under Pershing bombarded
the fortress, and in only four days, had destroyed the
Germans' hold on the area. Though Pershing was determined to
maintain the integrity of the AEF as an independent army, he
allowed Allied commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch to take the
lead in another battle, the Meuse-Argonne offensive. What do
you think was the result?
In the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the combined Allied
offensive against the Western Front successfully forced the
German retreat. By October, Germany's defeat was certain,
and the war came to an end earlier than expected. Leaders
signed the Armistice on November 11, 1918.
Before this outcome, Pershing spoke to American citizens at
home in a recorded broadcast from the battlefields of
France. He called for support in "the spirit of our
forefathers." President Woodrow Wilson encouraged this call
for support, because Pershing had earlier estimated the need
for 3 million American troops on European soil by 1919, a
larger force than Wilson intended to send. Undoubtedly, the
strength of Pershing's army in 1918 saved the lives of those
men who would have come after. |
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The War to End All Wars
January 18, 1919 -
The Paris Peace Conference
In the fall of 1918, World War I had not officially ended,
but the fighting had stopped. The different countries had
agreed to a series of armistices (temporary agreements). On
January 18, 1919, diplomats from more than two dozen
countries gathered in Paris for a conference to discuss how
to end the war permanently.
The conference lasted a little more than a year. The
discussions produced treaties (formal agreements) with
Germany, Austria, and Bulgaria.
Who were the leaders at the conference?
British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, President Woodrow
Wilson of the United States, French Premier Georges
Clemenceau, and Premier Vittorio Orlando of Italy became the
leaders of the conference. They were called the Big Four.
The conference leaders also discussed a more difficult
problem. What could they do to prevent another war involving
so many countries?
President Wilson suggested a plan for peace, called the
Fourteen Points plan. Part of the plan called for forming
the League of Nations to solve disagreements between
countries by talking about the problems instead of fighting
wars.
The League of Nations was formed, but it did not prevent
another big war. Just twenty years later, in 1939, World War
II began. It lasted until 1945.
After World War II, the United Nations replaced the League
of Nations. The United Nations included more countries than
the League of Nations. The United States joined the United
Nations in 1945 and is still a member today. |
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A Canyon of Time
February 26, 1919 -
The Grand Canyon Became a National
Park
Have you seen the Grand Canyon? Whether you have visited the
park or seen photographs of it, it is unlikely that you have
seen the entire canyon. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long,
ranges from 4,000 to 6,000 feet deep, and is 18 miles across
at its widest point.
On February 26, 1919, Congress passed the act that
established the Grand Canyon National Park in the state of
Arizona. But what created the canyon?
For millions of years, the Colorado River has cut through
rock on the high plateau of northern Arizona to create one
of the largest canyons in the world. This process is called
erosion. The colors of the canyon rock range from black and
red to lavender and cream. The park contains more than 1
million acres. Visitors come from all around to stand on the
edge of the great chasm and stare in awe at the amazing view
before them. |
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We Shall Overcome
May 3, 1919 -
Pete Seeger Is Born
You probably know that the Beatles, Supremes, Rolling
Stones, Michael Jackson and Aerosmith, among many others,
are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You may never have
heard of Pete Seeger, but he is no less an important member.
Pete Seeger is one of America's greatest folk singers and
composers. Folk songs are usually simple in melody and are
often played on acoustic guitar. Can you name any folk
singers of today? How about Jewel or Tracy Chapman?
Many folk singers write songs about current events, and
Peter Seeger was no different. "We Shall Overcome," which he
co-wrote, was a song often sung during civil rights protests
of the 1960s. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" a song popularized by the
Byrds in 1965, draws its lyrics from the Bible's Book of
Ecclesiastes. It says that there is a time and a place for
everything - even war. The song was released during the
height of the Vietnam War. Its last line is "A time for
peace, I swear it's not too late."
Pete Seeger was born in 1919 and has received many honors
during his long career. He is still very active today. In
2000, he helped the Library celebrate its 200th birthday by
performing during a concert. During the celebrations, he was
named a Living Legend by the Library. A legend is someone
who inspires others. Can you name any living legends? |
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One Woman, One Vote
June 4, 1919 -
Nineteenth Amendment Granting Women's
Suffrage Was Sent to the States
Do you ever hear people talking about voting or elections?
Could you imagine if only men could vote but women could
not? More than likely, when your great grandmother was
young, she wasn't allowed to vote, even though your great
grandfather could.
Today, your mother and grandmother can participate in
electing public officials because of the hard work of a lot
of women. More than eighty years ago, women were on their
way to gaining the right to vote after Congress approved the
women's suffrage amendment. On June 4, 1919, Congress sent
the potential amendment to the Constitution to the
individual states for ratification, or approval. It took
more than a year to complete ratification.
Once three-fourths of the states had ratified the 19th
Amendment, women were granted the right to vote in 1920. A
woman named Alice Paul, who had fought for suffrage,
stitched the final star in a banner celebrating the victory
of the suffrage movement. Women like Alice Paul were called
suffragettes, and they fought for more than seventy years
for the right to vote alongside men on Election Day. |
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No More Over There
June 28, 1919 -
World War I Ended With the Treaty of
Versailles
World War I (1914-1918) was finally over. This first global
conflict had claimed from 9 million to 13 million lives and
caused unprecedented damage. Germany had formally
surrendered on November 11, 1918, and all nations had agreed
to stop fighting while the terms of peace were negotiated.
On June 28, 1919, Germany and the Allied Nations (including
Britain, France, Italy and Russia) signed the Treaty of
Versailles, formally ending the war. (Versailles is a city
in France, 10 miles outside of Paris.) Do you know what
triggered the conflict, sometimes called the "Great War"?
Disagreements in Europe over territory and boundaries, among
other issues, came to a head with the assassination by a
Serbian zealot of the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria on June
28, 1914. Exactly one month later, war broke out, and by the
end of 1915, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and the
Ottoman Empire were battling the Allied Powers of Britain,
France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Montenegro and
Japan. In 1917, the U.S. entered the war after the British
passenger liner the Lusitania was sunk by a German
submarine, killing 128 Americans.
The Treaty of Versailles imposed very rigid restrictions
against Germany, including limiting its army to 100,000
members. President Wilson, who opposed the treaty, had
developed his own form of reconciliation, called the
"Fourteen Points." The Points included a provision for a
League of Nations to prevent "the crime of war." Wilson also
wanted all terms of settlement to be openly negotiated. But
the actual terms of the treaty included secret arrangements
for distribution of conquered German territories among the
Allied Nations. Many historians believe these terms
eventually led to World War II. |
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The Evil Weevil
December 11, 1919 -
The Boll Weevil Honored in Alabama
Can you imagine erecting a monument honoring an insect?
Well, that's exactly what the people of Enterprise, Alabama,
did on December 11, 1919, when they built a monument to the
boll weevil, a tiny insect pest that devastated their cotton
fields and forced farmers to pursue mixed farming and
manufacturing.
This photo of a cotton field is called "King Cotton," a
phrase that was frequently used by Southern politicians and
authors before the U.S. Civil War, indicating the high
economic and political regard in which cotton production was
held. How big do you think a boll weevil is?
The boll weevil is a beetle measuring an average length of
six millimeters (shorter than the average length of the nail
on your pinky finger). It's called the boll weevil because
it destroys the cotton boll, the seed pod that contains the
cotton. The parasite entered the United States via Mexico in
the 1890s, and reached southeastern Alabama in 1915. Today
it is still the most destructive cotton pest in North
America.
The boll weevil forced farmers to switch to growing
different crops, such as peanuts, which not only returned
vital nutrients to soils depleted by cotton cultivation, but
also was a successful cash crop for local farmers. Some
farmers stubbornly refused to plant anything but cotton and
they suffered for it, sometimes losing their farms.
By mid-1921, the boll weevil had entered South Carolina. The
tiny pest played a big part in the economic troubles of
Southern farmers during the 1920s, and particularly during
the Great Depression of the 1930s.
As late as 1939, Farm Security Administration photographer
Marion Post Wolcott, on assignment in Wake County, North
Carolina, noted the damage that the insect caused. Why do
you think the people in Alabama built a monument to this
pest? One reason is because it forced residents to end their
dependence on cotton and to pursue the farming of other
crops as well as manufacturing. |
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The "Golden Age" of Radio
February 8, 1922 -
President Harding Installed a Radio
in the White House
February 8, 1922, was a big day at the White House. On this
day President Harding had a radio installed. At the time,
radio was the hottest technology there was, and the White
House was on the cutting edge. Almost two years later,
Calvin Coolidge, who followed Harding, was the first
president to broadcast from the White House. Coolidge's
address for Washington's Birthday was heard on 42 stations
from coast to coast.
Before that historic broadcast, radio had played a big role
in Coolidge's victory in the 1924 presidential election. The
night before the election, Coolidge made history when the
largest radio audience ever tuned in to the broadcast of his
final campaign speech. Coolidge won the election easily, and
in March, Americans listened for the first time to their
president take the oath of office on the radio.
Back in the 1920s, radio was in what is now called its
"golden age." Broadcasting was more than a business or a
job--it was considered to be a very glamorous profession.
Radio was a formal affair; announcers dressed up for work in
tuxedos and evening gowns, even if there was no studio
audience. Many local stations had a staff orchestra, and
some had their own dramatic groups. Each station had its own
group of fans who tuned in each week to listen to their
favorite programs. Radio was at its peak then, and its
influence is much like that of TV or the Internet today.
Starting in the 1920s, people gathered around the radio to
listen to programs or the news, much like we gather around
the TV. With its new popularity, radio became a powerful
communication tool in politics. Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
who became president in 1933, used the radio to deliver
regular updates to the American public. In his first
address, he explained his plan for fighting the Great
Depression, "My friends, I want to tell you what has been
done in the last few days, why it has been done, and what
the next steps are going to be." The talks became known as
"fireside chats," named by Harry Butcher, a CBS station
manager in Washington.
Today, although we still have radio addresses by the
president, more people see the president speak on television
than listen to him on the radio. In 1939, Roosevelt was the
first U.S. president to deliver a televised speech. The
"golden age" of radio was about to fade as television
entered its "golden age." |
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First Woman Senator
November 21, 1922 -
The First Woman Senator Takes Office
Rebecca Latimer was born in Georgia on June 10, 1835. She
graduated from college and was married to William Felton
before she was twenty. She worked as her husband William's
campaign manager when he ran for Congress in 1874. She later
became one of the most politically active women of her day.
Still, her day was yet to come ' literally! On November 21,
1922, Rebecca Felton became the first woman in the U.S.
Senate.
Rebecca helped her husband plan his strategies. William won
the election. He served in the House of Representatives for
six years. Rebecca continued as one of her husband's closest
advisors. Women were not allowed to vote then, and few women
had roles in politics. People criticized William Felton for
including Rebecca in politics.
Rebecca did not stop working in politics. She worked for
many different issues such as allowing women to vote and
improving public education. After her husband died in 1909,
she was still active. She wrote books about life and
politics. The books increased her popularity.
Rebecca got one more chance at national politics. In 1922,
Georgia senator Tom Watson died. Georgia governor Thomas
Hardwick had to appoint someone to fill the seat. Women had
just won the right to vote, and Hardwick saw a chance to be
popular with women voters.
First, he offered the seat to Watson's widow. She said no.
Next, Hardwick appointed Rebecca. She could only be a
Senator until the elections in October 1922, but for one
day, she became the first woman in the Senate. She was also
the oldest senator! |
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Coolidge and the Consumer
August 3, 1923 -
Calvin Coolidge Became President
President Harding died unexpectedly while in office, so the
vice president, Calvin Coolidge, stepped up. Coolidge
succeeded to the presidency on August 3, 1923. He went on to
win the next election and therefore served as president of
the U.S. for six years. In this photo Coolidge wears a black
armband in mourning for Harding. While he mourned the man,
he set out to rebuild his government. These were years of
prosperity for the United States. On what did Coolidge focus
his efforts?
Coolidge focused on business. During the Coolidge years,
people in the U.S. invented all kinds of new products and
industries. His policies allowed businesses to mass-produce
and distribute these new innovations to the public. New
production meant new jobs and more Americans with money to
spend. And spend they did, more than ever before. Americans
became consumers. Vacuum cleaners, washing machines, cars,
radios and clothing practically flew out of stores. Does
this sound familiar? The advertising industry took off as a
result of all this buying. This theater commercial makes fun
of all the new products and ads like this one trying to sell
a metal corset (a girdle) that won't rust. Ouch!
Those who purchased vast amounts of goods (what one critic
called an "empire of things") were getting out of hand. Some
Americans were getting into debt with new credit plans. In
reaction to all this buying and debt, the Thrift Movement
tried to educate Americans about the importance of saving
and spending wisely. President Coolidge became a symbol of
New England simplicity and thrift and appeared in widely
seen photos like this one.
Are you a consumer? Ask your parents about the consumer
economy today. |
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Natives Finally Citizens
June 2, 1924 -
Congress Granted Citizenship to All
Native Americans Born in the U.S.
Native Americans have long struggled to retain their
culture. Until 1924, Native Americans were not citizens of
the United States. Many Native Americans had, and still
have, separate nations within the U.S. on designated
reservation land. But on June 2, 1924, Congress granted
citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. Yet
even after the Indian Citizenship Act, some Native Americans
weren't allowed to vote because the right to vote was
governed by state law. Until 1957, some states barred Native
Americans from voting.
At the time of the Indian Citizenship Act, an act called the
Dawes Severalty Act shaped U.S. Indian policy. Since 1887,
the government had encouraged Native Americans to become
more like mainstream America. Hoping to turn Indians into
farmers, the federal government gave out tribal lands to
individuals in 160-acre parcels. Unclaimed or "surplus" land
was sold, and the money was used to establish Indian
schools. In them, Native American children learned reading,
writing, and social habits of mainstream America. By 1932,
the sale of unclaimed land and allotted land resulted in the
loss of two-thirds of the 138 million acres Native Americans
had held prior to the Act.
A 1928 study known as the Meriam Report assessed the
problems of Native Americans. The report revealed to the
government that its policies had oppressed Native Americans
and destroyed their culture and society. The people suffered
from poverty, exploitation and discrimination. This study
spurred the passage of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act.
This Act returned some of the surplus land to Native
Americans and urged tribes to engage in active
self-government. The U.S. government invested in the
development of health care, education and community
structure. Quality of life on Indian lands improved. Today
some Native Americans run successful businesses, while
others still live in poverty. |
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Go Tell It On the Mountain!
August 2, 1924 -
Novelist, Essayist, and Playwright
James Baldwin Was Born
"He turned back to the window, looking out. 'All that hatred
down there,' he said, 'all that hatred and misery and love.
It's a wonder it doesn't blow the avenue apart.'" So says
Sonny in Sonny's Blues, a short story by novelist, essayist,
and playwright James Baldwin. Baldwin had a terrific gift
for showing us human emotion.
Born the eldest of nine children on August 2, 1924, James
Baldwin grew up in the poverty of Harlem, New York. He went
on to become a major figure in both American literature and
the civil rights movement. Have you or your family read any
of his books?
Baldwin wrote his first and most famous novel, Go Tell It on
the Mountain published in 1953, about one day in the lives
of members of a Harlem church. It was inspired by his
experience as a young preacher. Following in his father's
footsteps, Baldwin stepped onto the pulpit when he was only
14 years old. About this time, Baldwin met a famous poet
named Countee Cullen. Cullen was Baldwin's middle school
French teacher. We all have people in our lives that help us
somehow get to the places we want to go. Cullen, a leader of
the Harlem Renaissance (African American expression through
the arts), did this for James Baldwin.
Cullen opened up a new world of literary and artistic
possibilities for Baldwin and other black youths in Harlem,
dedicating the last years of his life to the education of
children. The French that Cullen taught Baldwin to speak
came in handy too. Baldwin moved to Paris in 1948 and there
wrote more famous works such as the essay collection Notes
of a Native Son in 1955 in which he argued against being
classified as a "Negro writer." He "commuted" between France
and the U.S. the rest of his life, exploring issues of race
and identity in his writing. Baldwin found writing to be a
meaningful way to explore and share ideas. Try it. What
ideas will you explore? |
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Strike!
July 29, 1926 -
Bowling Great Don Carter Was Born
Do you like to bowl? Don Carter, born in St. Louis,
Missouri, on July 29, 1926, loved the sport. He became one
of the greatest bowlers of all time. Carter's fascination
with bowling started when he was a child. He had a job as a
pin-setter, resetting the 10 pins by hand before there were
machines to do so. He went on to dominate the professional
sport in its heyday. In 1961, Carter became the first bowler
to win the All-Star, World's Invitational, Professional
Bowlers Association of America (PBA) national championship
and American Bowling Congress Masters tournaments in the
same year. Where did Carter's favorite sport come from?
Articles found in the tomb of an Egyptian child buried about
3200 B.C. included nine pieces of stone, to be set up as
pins, toward which a stone "ball" was rolled. Bowling has
gone through many transformations, but the sport has been
around a long time. In Britain, lawn bowling is a popular
sport. Dutch explorers under Henry Hudson may have brought
pin bowling to America.
Bowling became a popular sport during colonial times. In
early games, the ball was often rolled down a wooden plank.
Author Washington Irving, in his short story "Rip Van
Winkle," referred to bowling in the U.S. as early as
1819-1820. However, the sport lacked rules and equipment
standards. At the end of the 19th century, things quickly
changed.
In 1895, bowlers in New York City organized the American
Bowling Congress (ABC) and set down rules. In 1901 they
started national tournaments. The Women's International
Bowling Congress (WIBC) formed in 1916. Technological
advances such as the introduction of the hard rubber ball in
1905 and the development of the automatic pin-setting
machine in the early 1950s made bowling more popular than
ever. League bowling peaked in the mid-1960s, when Don
Carter was at the peak of his game. Then, many people were
on bowling teams and professional tournaments were broadcast
on TV. Today, an estimated 70 million people bowl several
times a year in the U.S., but the sport is not as popular as
it once was. Some say professional bowling will make a
comeback as a broadcast and spectator sport. What do you
think? |
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That Magic Moment
February 10, 1927 -
Leontyne Price Was Born
Do you ever imagine yourself winning a Grammy award? Singer
Leontyne Price won 18 Grammy awards, but it wasn't winning
an award that first inspired her. When she was a little
girl, Price heard the legendary African American singer
Marian Anderson.
"When I saw this wonderful woman come from the wings in this
white satin dress," she said, "I knew instantly: one of
these days, I'm going to come out of the wings . . . The
light dawned. It was a magic moment."
Lyric soprano Leontyne Price was born on February 10, 1927,
in Laurel, Mississippi. She was only five or six years old
when she started performing. What toy do you think could
have started Price on the path to a singing career?
Price caught the performance bug when her parents bought her
a toy piano. "I was center stage from the time I received
that toy piano . . . I had the disease then . . ."
Price attended the Julliard School of Music and sang the
role of Bess in the American opera Porgy and Bess in New
York City from 1952 to 1954. She was the first African
American to sing opera on television, but she still had to
fight racial prejudice. Despite the praise of European
critics and her enormous popularity at home, Price did not
appear at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City until
1961. One of her many awards is the Presidential Medal of
Freedom. Price came a long way from that day she heard
Marian Anderson sing. |
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Let's Fly to Paris for Dinner!
June 11, 1927 -
Lindbergh Received the Distinguished
Flying Cross
Today it may not seem very impressive to fly from New York
to Paris, but the first time it happened, it was
extraordinary!
The man who made that first solo trans-Atlantic flight was
Charles Lindbergh. In May 1927, he flew his monoplane,
Spirit of St. Louis, from New York to Paris, France. It took
him thirty-three and a half hours to make the trip.
Charles "Lindy" Lindbergh made his flight alone. He won a
prize of $25,000 and went from being a stunt pilot to an
American hero. When he landed back in the U.S., there was a
huge ticker tape parade in New York and a big reception in
Washington, D.C. On June 11, 1927, he received the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
Lots of people are fascinated by the idea of human flight.
Did you know that eight years after Lindbergh's trip, Amelia
Earhart became the first person to complete an even longer
flight from Hawaii to California? (She later apparently died
in a mysterious plane crash as she attempted to fly around
the world in 1937.) Today, some people fly across the
country for work and return home on the same day. Do you
think that someday we'll make the same sort of trips into
space? |
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Gotta Dance!
June 23, 1927 -
Robert "Bob" Fosse Was Born
When it comes to dance, there's ballet, there's tap, and
then there's jazz. The man credited with creating modern
jazz dance as we know it--the smooth and rhythmic style most
often seen in musical theater--is Bob Fosse. Today
considered one of America's greatest choreographers (a
person who directs dancers and how they move), Robert Louis
"Bob" Fosse, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 23,
1927.
During his almost 50-year career as a performer, writer, and
director, he created some of this country's most popular
musical theater and films. When you see a music video or a
musical do you know who created the dance moves? Whoever it
is probably learned a little from Bob Fosse's original
style.
By the time he was 13, Fosse had his own professional dance
act. In addition to dance, he also studied theater, and by
21, he was performing in road companies and then on
Broadway. Hip-hop, disco, and funk all borrow elements of
Fosse's style. The next time you watch a music video, check
out the dance steps. Try to imagine which ones were borrowed
from Fosse's choreography. |
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A Career High
July 18, 1927 -
Ty Cobb Made His 4,000th Hit
Who do you think are the greatest baseball players of all
time? If it were 1927, you might have named Babe Ruth or Ty
Cobb. On July 18, 1927, Cobb recorded his 4,000th career
hit. Can you imagine getting 4,000 hits? Cobb is considered
by many to be the greatest offensive player in baseball
history. He started his professional baseball career when he
was 18 years old. For 22 out of 24 seasons, he played with
the Detroit Tigers. In this baseball card from 1912, Cobb is
stealing third base.
Ty Cobb's nickname was the "Georgia Peach" because he was
born in Narrows, Georgia. Besides being a great player, Cobb
was a fierce competitor. He stole home 50 times, won 12
batting average titles, and managed the Detroit Tigers for
six seasons while also playing centerfield. There's some
debate about the exact figure for his lifetime batting
average, but for 23 years he batted at least .300. In this
photo, there are two of the greatest hitters in baseball--Ty
Cobb and Joe Jackson. Traded to the White Sox in 1915,
Jackson averaged .356. Both players were involved in
scandal. Do you know what they did?
Joe Jackson was banned from baseball after being involved in
a conspiracy to "throw" (fix the outcome of) the World
Series in 1919, known as the Black Sox Scandal. Cobb was
allowed to resign from professional baseball in 1926 after
supposedly being involved in gambling violations. Later,
baseball's first commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain
Landis, cleared Cobb of charges and allowed him to play
again. Cobb, a left-handed batter who threw with his right
hand, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Cobb's autobiography, titled My Life in Baseball, was
published in 1961. |
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