Thursday Photo Caption Contest

Who knew that legs emerging from a plane would inspired so many captions about lost earrings, carnivorous aircraft, and close quarter combat? We went straight to the top for this one, and asked Debra Steidel Wall, our newly named Deputy Archivist, to be our guest judge. Congratulations to Towner B! Check your email for a … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest

What’s Cooking Wednesdays: A dozen dont’s of gardening

Feeling the urge to plant a vegetable garden?  During World War I and World War II, citizens were encouraged to plant victory gardens as part of the war effort so that more food could be sent overseas to the troops. Even the White House had a Victory Garden at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Because many … Continue reading What’s Cooking Wednesdays: A dozen dont’s of gardening

Special Delivery to UN General Assembly

Today's post comes from Gregory Marose, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. On June 21 in New York City, the United Nations General Assembly reappointed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to a second consecutive five-year term. As he took the oath of office, his left hand was placed on the cover of … Continue reading Special Delivery to UN General Assembly

The Presidents are expecting you!

Did you know that the 13 Presidential libraries are part of the National Archives? The National Archives is a nonpartisan agency, and we care for all the paper and digital records—as well as Presidential gifts and other items—that are part of the President's legacy. These documents are preserved and made accessible at the 13 Presidential … Continue reading The Presidents are expecting you!

Waiting All Night for a Look at History

Americans are used to waiting in line for things they really want: tickets to a rock concert, a World Series game or a controversial new movie, for example. At the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, this week some people  waited all night for a brief look at one of the nation's most historic documents --- the … Continue reading Waiting All Night for a Look at History

Thursday Photo Caption Contest

How could we choose between captions about skunk cabbage, the effects of fiber, and manly weeping? We asked Mitchell Yokelson, Investigative Archivist at the National Archives and author of books on military history, to look into the matter. Congratulations to Kim B! After careful investigation, Mitch found your succinct summary of the situation to be the funniest. Check your e-mail … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest

What’s Cooking Wednesday: Pull out that sweet tooth!

To celebrate our new exhibit “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” we are featuring a food-related blog post every Wednesday. Today's post comes to us from the National Archives at New York City. “Do you know that the money spent in the United States for candy in one year is double the amount required to feed Belgium … Continue reading What’s Cooking Wednesday: Pull out that sweet tooth!

“Not guilty by reason of….”

In 2011, a lone gunman opened fire at a political event in Tucson, Arizona, killing six and severely wounding Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In the aftermath of the tragedy, a federal judge ruled that the suspect charged in the Tucson shooting “was not mentally competent to stand trial.” The attack and the later legal ruling were not … Continue reading “Not guilty by reason of….”

Lizzie Borden took a….trip

On June 20, 1893, Lizzie Borden was declared innocent of the crime of murdering her father and stepmother. The National Archives holds a little piece of her history from before the murders. A month before her 30th birthday, Lizzie Borden of Fall River, Massachusetts, had sailed for Europe. In the late 1800s, more and more … Continue reading Lizzie Borden took a….trip