Today in History
October 07
1944: The Dumbarton Oaks conference ended in Washington D.C., a conference that would form the foundation of the United Nations after World War II.
1868: Cornell University welcomed its first 412 students to the rural campus overlooking Lake Cayuga in Ithaca, New York. Cornell is one of the original institutions funded as a result of landmark federal legislation, the Morrill Act of 1862. (Source: Library of Congress)
1765: American colonists met to voice their grievances of the Stamp Act passed by English Parliament to tax the American colonies. The Stamp tax would be one of the issues that ultimately led to the formation of the United States and a declaration of independence from England in 1776.
STAY CURRENT
25th Anniversary of 9/11 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Editor’s Note: Sept. 14, 2026 – On September 11, 2001, I was producing a student news section within a major broadcast network’s website. While...
Independence One Draws Thousands at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh
Aug. 10, 2026 – Independence One, Southwest Airlines’ tribute to the nationwide America250 celebration, recently attracted thousands of visitors when it was on display...
SCIENCE IN HISTORY
Pathfinder Pilot Recalls D-Day
Editor's Note: In May 2019 I traveled to Oxford, Connecticut for media day hosted by the D-Day Squadron as they prepared to depart to...
See the Forest AND the Trees at Redwood National Park
Editor's Note: In 2015, I visited a redwood forest in northern California for the first time. Before arriving at the edge of the forest,...
Take a Hike – Into a Cauldron!
Editor's Note: In 2015, I visited Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. Its history is the history of the National Park Service because...
Glass: a Hot and Cool Combo of Art and Science
Editor's note: One of the hottest and coolest stories I have covered was my 2016 visit to the Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion...
Sneakers Have Soles – and Soul
Editor's note: In December 2015 I learned of a new exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art - The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Curated...
A Graphic Novel: On the Front Lines with Larry Lather*
Editor's note: Feb. 11, 2026 - In 2020 as the pandemic unfolded, I decided to create a graphic novel about the importance of handwashing...
RECOMMENDED READING
Nancy Love: WASP Pilot
May 22, 2026 - Nancy Love: WASP Pilot by Sarah Byrn Rickman (2019) is the story of...
Book Recommendation: The Berlin Candy Bomber
March 20, 2026 - The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail Halvorsen (2010, 244 pages) is Halvorsen's autobiography...
Book Recommendation: Rosa Parks: A Life
March 17, 2026 - In the 1990s, Douglas Brinkley, author and historian, was searching for a definitive...