Today in History
August 18
1959: Hawaii was admitted to the United States becoming the 50th state.
1920: The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It gave women the right to vote. The movement to pass the amendment was called "women's suffrage."
1795: The Jay Treaty went into effect upon President George Washington signing the treaty between the United States and Great Britain. It was negotiated by Supreme Court Justice John Jay to help reduce trade conflicts between the two countries that fought the Revolutionary War beginning in 1776.
STAY CURRENT
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...
Big Boy 4014 is a Big Deal
June 24, 2026 - Hundreds of thousands of railroad fans and history buffs from coast to coast are grateful to Union Pacific for their...
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...