today’s holiday: Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C.)

Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C.)

In Washington, DC, April 16th is celebrated as Emancipation Day, commemorating the day in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the District of Columbia Emancipation Act, nine months prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. More than 3,000 slaves were freed under this agreement. Since 2005, the date has been a legal holiday in the District. Events are scheduled throughout the preceding week, and the observance culminates on the 16th in a day of festivities and entertainment, beginning with a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in the morning. More… Discuss

today’s birthday: Babe Ruth (1895)

Babe Ruth (1895)

George Herman Ruth, better known as Babe Ruth, was arguably the greatest player in the history of baseball. His ability to hit home runs helped turn the game into the American national pastime in the 1920s and 30s, and two of his records stood for more than 30 years. In 1936, Babe Ruth became the second player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. What is the origin of his nickname, “Babe”? More… Discuss

today’s Image: George Washington Carver (Library of Congress)

George Washington Carver
After devoting his life to helping fellow African Americans through education, George Washington Carver died on January 5, 1943, at Tuskegee, Alabama. Carver was born the son of a slave woman in the early 1860s, went to college in Iowa and then headed to Alabama in 1896. There, at the Tuskegee Institute, Carver served as an agricultural chemist, experimenter, teacher and administrator, working to improve life for African Americans in the rural South by teaching them better agricultural skills. One of the farming methods Carver devised, using peanut and soybean crops to enrich soil depleted by cotton crops, revolutionized Southern farming. Carver became somewhat of a benevolent example of the potential of black intellectuals. He was well-respected by people such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, Josef Stalin and Thomas Edison, whose offer of a job for more than $100 a year Carver refused. Carver worked at Tuskegee until his death.

Image: Library of Congress

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this day in the yesteryear: George Washington Resigns as Commander-in-Chief (1783)

George Washington Resigns as Commander-in-Chief (1783)

After demonstrating exemplary leadership as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, George Washington resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon, Virginia. By resigning his military post, Washington established the important precedent that civilian-elected officials possess ultimate authority over the armed forces. After a brief retirement, he was elected the country’s first president. Why was he given a posthumous military promotion in 1976? More… Discuss

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Japanese Cherry Blossoms: YouTube video 1,275,662 in 6 years

Japanese Cherry Blossoms

Ornamental cherry trees and their blossoms are a major symbol of Japan, where they are called sakura and are considered a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. As such, they are frequently depicted in art and are associated with both the samurai and kamikaze. In 1912, Japan gave 3,000 sakura as a gift to the US to celebrate the two nations’ growing friendship. These trees have since lined the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. What is the practice of hanami? More… Discuss

Sakura “Cherry Blossoms”;Traditional Music of Japan, Classical Koto Music 日本の伝統音楽

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quotation: God is truth and light his shadow. Plato

God is truth and light his shadow.

Plato (427 BC-347 BC) Discuss