5 February marks the birthday of Adlai E. Stevenson, the 31st Governor of Illinois and two-time Democratic nominee for President. Raised in Bloomington, Illinois he would later buy a 70-acre property in Libertyville, northwest of Chicago. …
American History
In the Line of Duty
It was on 3 February, in 1971, that New York City plain clothes police officer Frank Serpico, was shot in the face while on assignment with the Narcotics Bureau. Serpico had been outspoken about police …
Play Ball!
It was on 20 December, 1881, that legendary baseball executive Branch Rickey was born in Ohio. He earned an L.L.B. at the University of Michigan and served in the First World War as a Major …
Occupy NY
On 15 November, in 2011, New York City police removed those who had been camping in Zuccotti Park since September 17th of that year. The so-called ‘occupation’ protesting income inequality made news around the world. At …
Price on her Head
2 November marks the day in 1979 that African-American activist Assata Shakur escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey. Shakur, a New York City native, earned her GED and attended the …
The Speech
It was on 27 October, 1964, that Ronald Reagan, viewed by many at that point as a semi-washed up ‘B-Movie’ actor, delivered a nationally televised political address that changed his career. Reagan’s speech, titled, “A …
Sign Here
8 October marks the death of Revolutionary American Patriot, John Hancock in 1793. Hancock, a prominent Boston merchant, and one of the wealthiest men in the thirteen colonies, was a generous benefactor to those advocating …
Storming the Gates
On 13 September, 1971, 43 people were killed when New York State Police stormed the Attica Correctional Facility. The prison had been seized by prisoners on 9 September, when about half of the 2,200 inmates …
Lonesome Traveler
5 September, marks the date that the book, ‘On the Road’ was published in 1957. The book was the result of numerous cross country travels by Kerouac, who kept notebooks in which he recorded the …
Peace is Restored
It was on 2 September, 1945, that General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender of Japan, aboard the USS Missouri. On this occasion, MacArthur would deliver a memorable address to those gathered, which he began by …