Sizing up the President
Standing precariously on the massive stone face of Mount Rushmore on May 31, 1932, Superintendent Ben Lemaster and sculptor Gutzon Borglum appeared as tiny specks against the heavy weight of history. This up-close perspective reveals ...
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The Birth of Manhattan’s Playground
On May 31, 1879, the grand wooden doors of the original Madison Square Garden swung open in New York City for the very first time, introducing the public to an unroofed, open-air arena that would ...
The Living Poetry of America
The birth of Walt Whitman on May 31, 1819, brought a man into the world who looked at the chaotic streets of a growing nation and saw a magnificent, living masterpiece. Beyond writing the foundational ...
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The Day America Protected Its First Ideas
When President George Washington signed the first U.S. copyright act into law on May 31, 1790, he gave early American creators an anchor for their intellectual labor. The law protected books, maps, and charts, offering ...
A Symphony for a Sovereign State
On May 31, 1820, the newly formed government of Maine officially opened its very first legislative session as lawmakers paraded proudly through the streets of Portland. Flanked by a military escort of riflemen, the procession ...
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An Unwelcome Intruder
The striking image of a massive tree trunk driven violently through the brick side wall of a Johnstown storefront on May 31, 1889, serves as a jarring monument to the catastrophic power of the flood ...
A Sailor’s Sweetheart Sendoff
The crowded graduation ceremony at the United States Naval Academy on May 31, 1934, was momentarily eclipsed by a tender, timeless kiss. Surrounded by the formal rigidness of uniforms and military discipline, graduate W.F. Cassidy ...
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Happy Birthday, Brooke Shields
The birth of Brooke Shields on May 31, 1965, in New York City introduced a child who would become one of America’s most recognizable cultural figures. First celebrated as a baby model, she soon stepped ...
Make My Day
On May 31, 1930, the birth of Clint Eastwood in San Francisco, California, introduced a talent who would go on to shape American cinema for generations. His cool, restrained presence in Westerns and crime dramas ...
The Golden Strides of Miss Ludy
The birth of Lucile Ellerbe Godbold on May 31, 1900, in Marion County, South Carolina, brought a pioneer into the world who would grow up to shatter expectations at a time when women were rarely ...
Tears in the Trade
The exchange of three tranquil islands on the Hudson River on May 31, 1664, was captured in ink just months before Dutch colonial influence gave way to British rule. The precise list of trade goods, ...
The Star of Beaver Falls
The birth of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath on May 31, 1943, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, marked the arrival of a kid from an industrial community who would grow up to completely ...
The Iron Skeleton of a Legend
Floating in the waters of Belfast just after her launch on May 31, 1911, the raw hull of the RMS Titanic possessed an eerie, understated majesty before her iconic four funnels were ever put in ...
An Entertainer’s Allegiance
The birth of Don Ameche on May 31, 1908, brought a versatile talent into the world who would spend decades bringing laughter, romance, and drama into the lives of millions of radio and film audiences ...
Forging the Open Road: The Legacy of the Wheelmen
On May 31, 1880, more than forty pioneering cyclists met in Newport, Rhode Island, to found the League of American Wheelmen—the first national bicycle association in the United States. Initially uniting to protect riders from ...
A Calm Before the Storm
Gathered on the deck of the cruiser USS Indianapolis, the Roosevelt family stood together beneath the imposing shadows of the ship's massive guns during the grand fleet review of May 31, 1934. This peaceful family ...
When the NC‑4 Conquered the Atlantic
On May 31, 1919, the U.S. Navy’s Curtiss NC‑4 flying boat glided into Plymouth Harbor, England, to a jubilant welcome, completing the final leg of the world’s first transatlantic flight. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Albert ...
Footsteps Through the Fire
Moving cautiously along a rugged hill on May 31, 1945, the men of this machine gun section carried far more than the heavy tactical weaponry needed to secure a new position on Okinawa. Each step ...
