Off The Shelves: History

Fri, 21 Feb 2003 17:09:38 GMT

Even though President's Day was celebrated last Monday, George Washington's Birthday isn't until Saturday. So - here are some sites where you can read more about our first president.

Rediscovering George Washington from PBS

George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress

George Washington's Mount Vernon

Wed, 12 Feb 2003 18:53:03 GMT

Happy 194th Birthday to Abraham Lincoln!

Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project From Northern Illinois Univ.

Abraham Lincoln Papers From the Library of Congress

Abraham Lincoln Bookshop

Mon, 03 Feb 2003 23:28:18 GMT

Did Shakespeare write Shakespeare?

Some of our local students have become interested in the Shakespeare authorship controversy. Here are some sites to help them find more information.

Much Ado About Something from Frontline (PBS)

The Shakespeare Mystery also from Frontline (PBS)

Shakespeare Resouce Center

Shakespeare Authorship Round Table

Shakespeare Authorship Information Centre

Brief History of the Shakespeare Authorship Question

Thu, 19 Dec 2002 16:26:46 GMT

Southern Illinois' Cahokia Mounds in the News

New clues to ancient Mississippi culture. Archaeologists are revising the role Cahokia played in the cultural revolution of Indians up and down the Mississippi. [Christian Science Monitor | Sci/Tech]

Tue, 17 Dec 2002 20:32:15 GMT

Vatican Library Goes Virtual.

Vatican Library Goes Virtual:

"No Longer for Scholars' Eyes Only. With the help of Hewlett-Packard, the Catholic Church makes historic documents accessible on the Web that only academics and church officials shared before. By Chloe Veltman. [Wired News]"

[Chi Lib Rocks!]

Sat, 07 Dec 2002 16:42:26 GMT

December 7, 1941

Remembering Pearl Harbor from National Geographic

USS Arizona Memorial from National Park Service

Air Raid on Pearl Harbor from American Memory; Library of Congress

Franklin Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech

Tue, 03 Dec 2002 18:07:51 GMT

- "A 37-volume collection of George Washington's p .... - "A 37-volume collection of George Washington's papers is now available online, giving unprecedented access to the Founding Father's personal documents and correspondence."

More than 17,400 papers in John C. Fitzpatrick's "The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799" were recently posted on the University of Virginia's Electronic Text Center, a searchable Web-based database." (from CNN) [Library Stuff - Updated daily by Steven M. Cohen]

Thu, 28 Nov 2002 00:04:06 GMT

Thanksgiving Proclamations

Governing Council of Charlestown, Massachuetts - 1676

President George Washington - 1789
This was the first presidential proclamation of a day of thanksgiving

President Abraham Lincoln - 1863
This proclamation made the day an offical holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November

President George Bush - 2002

Sat, 19 Oct 2002 17:40:23 GMT

Here’s the story from the Chicago Tribune about Gerald McDonald from Lyons who went to Prague to recover an art collection taken by the Nazis during World War II. The online version also has video clips.

Confronting the ghosts of a looted past
First of two parts

By Howard Reich
Tribune arts critic
Published October 17, 2002

Gerald McDonald was sick with Hepatitis C, awaiting a liver transplant and low on cash.

Living alone in a tiny frame house in Lyons, just south of Chicago, he was playing out his last days watching cable TV and listening to heavy metal records, another decorated Vietnam vet squeaking by on disability checks.

But when he learned that he was heir to a multimillion dollar art collection looted by the Nazis in Prague -- and that the Czech government was going to take it from him before he even laid eyes on it -- he figured he couldn't sit around the house anymore.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0210170006oct17.story

Retracing a tragic course
Second of two parts

By Howard Reich
Tribune arts critic
Published October 18, 2002

Gerald McDonald barely slept the night before he went to Poland for the first and probably last time.

He already was weak and sick from his journey to Prague, where he had gone to see the artworks that belonged to his great-great uncle, Emil Freund, who was killed in the Holocaust.

Startled by the beauty of the artworks that belonged to Freund and shattered by the sight of Freund’s name among 80,000 painted on a synagogue wall memorializing the dead, McDonald decided that he had to pay his respects at Freund’s grave - if he could find it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-021018macsjourney.story

To register at the Tribune website, just use the login and password to the left.

Wed, 09 Oct 2002 19:42:50 GMT

State quarter has honest face

Abe Lincoln is Illinois' symbol

By Shia Kapos
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 9, 2002

While deciding on a design for the commemorative Illinois quarter that was unveiled Tuesday, a selection committee passed up those depicting natural or agricultural scenes, opting instead for a familiar face--one belonging to a young Abraham Lincoln.

"His resolve and example mean a great deal to people in Illinois and throughout the world," Gov. George Ryan said Tuesday during an announcement ceremony at the Federal Reserve Bank.

"It's a good choice," said Harlan J. Berk, a Chicago coin expert who earlier this year helped narrow the field to five finalists.

To register for the Tribune site use the login and pasword to the left.

Tue, 08 Oct 2002 16:26:40 GMT

The Rockford Register Star has printed a transcript of the first governor's debate that took place Monday night.

http://www.rrstar.com/specialreports/debate/1008transcript.shtml

Tue, 08 Oct 2002 16:19:08 GMT

If you missed President Bush's speech Monday night, here's the transcript from the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-iraq-text1008oct07.story

You can use the login and password on the left to register at the Tribune site.

Tue, 08 Oct 2002 16:16:11 GMT

Today is the anniversary of The Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

The Chicago Historical Society has a great website about the fire: http://www.chicagohistory.org/fire/index.html

Thu, 19 Sep 2002 22:06:41 GMT

Happy Birthday!

Online smiley face :-) turns 20 [USA Today : Front Page]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — It was 20 years ago Thursday that Scott Fahlman taught the Net how to smile.

The IBM researcher has devoted his professional life to artificial intelligence, the practice of teaching computers how to think like humans.

On Sept. 19, 1982, Fahlman typed :-) in an online message.

Thu, 12 Sep 2002 19:55:38 GMT

Barnes and Noble's Top Picks for Fall A recommended reading list of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles for fall, as well as other book lists can be found on www.barnesandnoble.com Finally- An award winning website for students, history educators and general history enthusiasts is Best of History Web Sites, at www.besthistorysites.net

Fri, 30 Aug 2002 17:49:21 GMT

September 11 Photo Project.

September 11 Photo Project:

The Chicago Tribune has this article on the September 11 Photo Project that is on display at the Harold Washington Library Center. The exhibit will be on display through September 21, 2002.

[Chi Lib Rocks!]

You can use the login and password to the left to register at the Chicago Tribune website