Prologue: Pieces of History

If you are under the age of 30, you might think that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was the first woman to run for Vice President on a major party ticket. But a generation earlier, New York Congresswoman Geraldine A. Ferraro broke the gender barrier in Presidential politics. On this date in 1984, former Vice [...]

These Iowa spuds were decades ahead of the “Freedom Fries” idea! To help the war effort during First World War, U.S. citizens were encouraged to eat more potatoes while wheat was being sent to the soldiers overseas. This World War I store window display showed potatoes dressed as soldiers, encouraging both children and adults to [...]

It was 61 years ago today that General Douglas MacArthur was named commander of United Nations forces in Korea. The final command in an illustrious career, MacArthur’s tenure in Korea led to a controversial feud with President Harry Truman and ultimately his dismissal. The Korean War began on the morning of June 25, 1950, when [...]

What can you say about a man, his accordion, a clock, and a bottle? We went to guest judge and social media coordinator Jeannie Chen, who once featured a infant President Ford holding a tiny accordion on the Presidential Libraries tumblr blog. Congratulations to Mickey! Your caption won Jeannie’s heart and got that Croce tune stuck in [...]

The Federal Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, has housed some famous and infamous inmates, such as “Birdman of Alcatraz” Robert Stroud and Machine Gun Kelly. In the early 20th century, the prison took in some less likely felons—violators of the Oleomargarine Act of 1886. How did trafficking in this popular butter substitute become a Federal offense? [...]