Yesterday marked the 213th anniversary of the day President John Adams ordered the federal government to pack up and move from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. Officials had decided on July 16, 1790, that the new territory would be the new, permanent capitol of the United States, but it wasn’t until 10 years later that the move actually happened. Since there were only about 125 federal employees at the time, the move did not take very long. As the second President of the United States, Adams not only moved the federal government to the new capitol, but he was also able to avoid a full-out war with France and resolve the conflict with France peacefully. He is also known for signing the Alien and Sedition Acts. This image of President Adams can be found in the online collection of the Clark County Historical Association. [info]
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Yesterday marked the 213th anniversary of the day President John Adams ordered the federal government to pack up and move from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. Officials had decided on July 16, 1790, that the new territory would be the new, permanent capitol of the United States, but it wasn’t until 10 years later that the move actually happened. Since there were only about 125 federal employees at the time, the move did not take very long.

As the second President of the United States, Adams not only moved the federal government to the new capitol, but he was also able to avoid a full-out war with France and resolve the conflict with France peacefully. He is also known for signing the Alien and Sedition Acts.

This image of President Adams can be found in the online collection of the Clark County Historical Association.

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On May 15, 1942, 17 states began rationing gasoline to help the war effort during World War II. “At first, the government urged voluntary gasoline rationing, but by the spring of 1942 it had become evident that these efforts were insufficient.” By the end of the year, all 50 states had instituted mandatory gasoline rationing.  “Ration stamps for gasoline were issued by local boards and pasted to the windshield of a family or individual’s automobile. The type of stamp determined the gasoline allotment for that automobile. Black stamps, for example, signified non-essential travel and mandated no more than three gallons per week, while red stamps were for workers who needed more gas, including policemen and mail carriers. As a result of the restrictions, gasoline became a hot commodity on the black market, while legal measures of conserving gas—such as carpooling—also flourished.” The above photo of the O.H. Osiek & Co gas station can be found in the online collection of the Saint Charles County Historical Society Archives.  This week in history: May 12, 1949 - Berlin blockade lifted May 13, 1846 - President Polk declares war on Mexico May 14, 1948 - The State of Israel is proclaimed May 16, 1717 - Voltaire is imprisoned in the Bastille May 17, 1954 - Brown v. Board of Education is decided May 18, 1980 - Mount St. Helens erupts. [info]
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On May 15, 1942, 17 states began rationing gasoline to help the war effort during World War II. “At first, the government urged voluntary gasoline rationing, but by the spring of 1942 it had become evident that these efforts were insufficient.” By the end of the year, all 50 states had instituted mandatory gasoline rationing. 

“Ration stamps for gasoline were issued by local boards and pasted to the windshield of a family or individual’s automobile. The type of stamp determined the gasoline allotment for that automobile. Black stamps, for example, signified non-essential travel and mandated no more than three gallons per week, while red stamps were for workers who needed more gas, including policemen and mail carriers. As a result of the restrictions, gasoline became a hot commodity on the black market, while legal measures of conserving gas—such as carpooling—also flourished.”

The above photo of the O.H. Osiek & Co gas station can be found in the online collection of the Saint Charles County Historical Society Archives. 

This week in history:

  • May 12, 1949 - Berlin blockade lifted
  • May 13, 1846 - President Polk declares war on Mexico
  • May 14, 1948 - The State of Israel is proclaimed
  • May 16, 1717 - Voltaire is imprisoned in the Bastille
  • May 17, 1954 - Brown v. Board of Education is decided
  • May 18, 1980 - Mount St. Helens erupts.

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This past Saturday would have been Audrey Hepburn’s 84th birthday. The actress was born in Brussels, Belgium on May 4, 1929. She spent some of her childhood at a boarding school in England and then moved to the Netherlands to study at the Arnhem Conservatory. According to the New York Times, Hepburn helped the resistance by delivering messages after the Nazis invaded the country.  After World War II she continued to pursue her interest in dance and made her stage debut in 1948 in London. When she was 22, Hepburn moved to New York City and starred in the Broadway production of Gigi. She made her move to film starring opposite Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday in 1953. Hepburn was a hit, both on stage and the big screen.  She continued to star in movies until 1989. During the later years of her career, she shifted her focus in a more philanthropic direction. She became heavily involved with UNICEF, traveling the world to raise awareness of children in need.  Throughout her career, Hepburn was nominated for and won numerous awards. She is one of the few people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards. She also “won a special Academy Award for her humanitarian work in 1993,” but died before she could receive it. Hepburn died on January 20, 1993 after a battle with cancer.  This photo of Hepburn and King Vidor at the 1979 Academy Awards can be found in the online collection of the Santa Monica History Museum. [info]
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This past Saturday would have been Audrey Hepburn’s 84th birthday. The actress was born in Brussels, Belgium on May 4, 1929. She spent some of her childhood at a boarding school in England and then moved to the Netherlands to study at the Arnhem Conservatory. According to the New York Times, Hepburn helped the resistance by delivering messages after the Nazis invaded the country. 

After World War II she continued to pursue her interest in dance and made her stage debut in 1948 in London. When she was 22, Hepburn moved to New York City and starred in the Broadway production of Gigi. She made her move to film starring opposite Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday in 1953. Hepburn was a hit, both on stage and the big screen. 

She continued to star in movies until 1989. During the later years of her career, she shifted her focus in a more philanthropic direction. She became heavily involved with UNICEF, traveling the world to raise awareness of children in need. 

Throughout her career, Hepburn was nominated for and won numerous awards. She is one of the few people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards. She also “won a special Academy Award for her humanitarian work in 1993,” but died before she could receive it. Hepburn died on January 20, 1993 after a battle with cancer. 

This photo of Hepburn and King Vidor at the 1979 Academy Awards can be found in the online collection of the Santa Monica History Museum.

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On this day in 1960, Leonid Brezhnev became Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet - the Soviet Union’s equivalent to a president. While the position was largely symbolic at the time, Brezhnev took advantage of his role as foreign representative to become “an efficient and effective official in his own right, not simply a puppet of Nikita Khrushchev.” Brezhnev became First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1964 when Khrushchev was removed from power. This comic depicting Brezhnev can be found in the online collection of the Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. The rest of this week in history: May 5, 1961 - Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. becomes the first American in space May 6, 1937 - The Hindenburgh disaster May 8, 1963 - Sean Connery stars in the first Bond movie May 9, 1955 - West Germany joins NATO May 10, 1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes has the first telephone installed in the White House May 11, 1981 - Bob Marley dies. [info]
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On this day in 1960, Leonid Brezhnev became Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet - the Soviet Union’s equivalent to a president. While the position was largely symbolic at the time, Brezhnev took advantage of his role as foreign representative to become “an efficient and effective official in his own right, not simply a puppet of Nikita Khrushchev.” Brezhnev became First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1964 when Khrushchev was removed from power.

This comic depicting Brezhnev can be found in the online collection of the Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

The rest of this week in history:

  • May 5, 1961 - Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. becomes the first American in space
  • May 6, 1937 - The Hindenburgh disaster
  • May 8, 1963 - Sean Connery stars in the first Bond movie
  • May 9, 1955 - West Germany joins NATO
  • May 10, 1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes has the first telephone installed in the White House
  • May 11, 1981 - Bob Marley dies.

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Did you know that for the movie Lincoln, sound designer Ben Burtt traveled the country to record “sounds Lincoln may have heard”? He wanted to record the ticking of one of Lincoln’s watches, so he turned to the Kentucky Historical Society for help. The historical society has one of the late president’s pocket watches (shown above) in their collection. You can read Trevor Jones’s (KHS director of museum collections and exhibitions) blog about there experience here: http://bit.ly/TPDvvl What Is It answer: hand planter
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Did you know that for the movie Lincoln, sound designer Ben Burtt traveled the country to record “sounds Lincoln may have heard”? He wanted to record the ticking of one of Lincoln’s watches, so he turned to the Kentucky Historical Society for help. The historical society has one of the late president’s pocket watches (shown above) in their collection. You can read Trevor Jones’s (KHS director of museum collections and exhibitions) blog about there experience here: http://bit.ly/TPDvvl

What Is It answer: hand planter

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