2017 has been a year of important anniversaries. This month was the centennial of the October Revolution (by the old calendar), when the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the fledgling Russian Republic, after which it became the Soviet Union. The New York Times published a series of articles commemorating this revolution. Like many on […]
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “two left feet” to describe someone who’s awkward or clumsy. Back in the 1800’s, this was, in a way, literally true. As late as the 1850’s, the two shoes in a pair were interchangeable. The owner had to break them in order for them to be wearable. Most shoes […]
At this time of year, people often complain that the original meaning of the holidays Thanksgiving and Christmas have been lost to commercialism. It’s the same for Veteran’s Day, formerly as Armistice Day. Armistice Day celebrates the treaty ending World War I, signed 99 years ago today. It was a celebration of peace, though there […]
In 1971, Paul Revere & the Raiders released the song “Cherokee Nation,” which bemoaned the loss of the Native American way of life. It was a major hit, but they should have sung about the Dakota or Apache because the Cherokee had already adopted white culture in the early 1800’s. They lived in houses, […]
“Remember, remember, the fifth of November and the gunpowder treason and plot.” – English nursery rhyme Today in the UK is Guy Fawkes Day, which commemorates the 1605 foiling of a plot by Roman Catholic rebels to blow up the British Parliament building. It’s traditionally celebrated with fireworks, bonfires, and the burning of effigies of […]
* Slogan is from a hat company advertisement, circa 1897 Hats were crucial to a respectable appearance for both men and women in Victorian times. To go bareheaded was simply not proper. The top hat, for example, was standard formal wear for upper- and middle-class men. Women’s hats were designed to match their outfits and […]
On this day in history in 1889, North and South Dakota were created. Formerly they were a single territory called Dakota, but the residents had a knock-down drag-out fight about the location of the capital city. Originally it was at Yankton, way down by Omaha. Northerners hated Nebraska so they moved it up the Missouri […]
