Events
Antarctic Expedition of Robert Falcon Scott:
It was a failed expedition to the South Pole that resulted in death. Was it because of the leader's mistakes or something else, perhaps unusually harsh weather? Find out more in The Coldest March: Scott's fatal Antarctic expedition by Susan Soloman.
Avian Flu Epidemic:
“The virus known as H5N1 is now endemic among poultry and wild bird populations in East Asia. A flu strain of astonishing lethality, it has a talent for transforming itself to foil the human immune system—and kills two out of every three people it infects. The World Health Organization now warns that avian flu is on the verge of mutating into a super-contagious form that could travel at pandemic velocity, killing up to 100 million people within two years.” Learn more in The monster at our door : the global threat of avian flu by Mike Davis.
Battle of New Market Heights (Civil War):
The book Uncommon valor : a story of race, patriotism, and glory in the final battles of the Civil War by Melvin Claxton discusses “the terrible, but ultimately victorious, 1864 assault on New Market Heights, a vital outpost in the defense of Richmond, Va., and highlights the bravery and sacrifice of African-American troops” (Publisher’s Weekly).
Ben Franklin’s Kite Experiment:
“What no one has successfully proven until now… is that Franklin never flew the kite at all. Benjamin Franklin was an enthusiastic hoaxer. And with the electric kite, he performed his greatest hoax. As Tucker shows, it was this trick that may have won the American Revolution” (Amazon book description). Check out Bolt of Fate: Benjamin Franklin and his electric kite hoax by Tom Tucker.
Black Death:
What we know about the Black Death is only part of the story. New scientific discoveries and historical research will give a better view of this historical event. Check out In the Wake of the Plague: the Black Death and the world it made by Norman Cantor.
The Brain (the discovery of how it works):
“This is the remarkable untold story of a dramatic turning point in history - the exciting discovery of how the human brain works. In an unprecedented examination of how the secrets of the brain were revealed in seventeenth-century England” (Amazon description). Find out much more in Soul made flesh : the discovery of the brain-- and how it changed the world by C. Zimmer.
The Bubonic Plague (in San Francisco):
“The plague first sailed into San Francisco on the steamer Australia, on the day after New Year’s in 1900. Though the ship passed inspection, some of her stowaways—infected rats—escaped detection and made their way into the city’s sewer system. Two months later, the first human case of bubonic plague surfaced in Chinatown” (Amazon book description). Learn more in The Barbary Plague: the Black Death in Victorian San Francisco by Marilyn Chase.
Captain Gordon, execution of:
“Entering the dense fray of Civil War-themed books is this fast-paced story of the 1862 hanging of Nathaniel Gordon, one of many ship captains charged with breaking an 1820 law banning slave-trading, but the only one to ever be executed. Soodalter, a former museum curator and history teacher, uses this singular event as a prism to provide an overview of Civil War-era politics, Lincoln's presidency and the maritime economy of slavery” (Publisher’s Weekly Review). Find out more in Hanging Captain Gordon : the life and trial of an American slave trader by Ron Soodalter.
Cave of John the Baptist, finding of:
“…An archaeologist working in Israel discovered a cave in 1999 that held an image on one of its walls depicting a large figure of a man with a staff or a spear. Further investigation led Gibson to conclude that the subject of the image was John the Baptist and that the cave was used for ritual baptism” (Booklist review). Find out more about this discovery in The cave of John the Baptist : the stunning archeological discovery that has redefined Christian history by Shimon Gibson.
Chinese Left Wing Cinema Movement:
“The ideologies presented by the films and their directors are the main focus, with attention to the portrayal of women, the filmmakers- collective, and the location and makeup of the films' audience” (Booknews). Learn more in Building a New Cinema in China : the Chinese left-wing cinema movement, 1932-1937 by Laikwan Pang.
Civil War (end of war, April 1865):
In April 1865: the month that saved America , Jay Winik “offers a brilliant new look at the Civil War's final days that will forever change the way we see the war's end and the nation's new beginning” (Amazon book description).
Cold War (ending):
Looking for some good insider information about the Cold War? In Reagan and Gorbachev: how the Cold War ended , author J. F. Matlock “writes an important and serious account of the evolving relationship between the American and Soviet leaders. He also provides a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings and turf wars that inevitably occurred within the bureaucracies on both sides”. (Booklist review).
CNN, beginnings of:
“CNN began a revolution in television with the advent of its 24-hour cable news channel out of Atlanta in 1980, challenging the three major television networks headquartered in New York that shaped the perception of current events by Americans. This revolution was to take the world by storm during the next decade as satellite and cable television provided an alternative, if not the only, source of information for people throughout the world” (Amazon Book Description). Find out more in We changed the world : memoirs of a CNN global satellite pioneer by Sid Pike.
Darfur:
The book Darfur : a short history of a long war by Julie Flint and Alex de Waal “details the history of Darfur, its conflicts, and the designs on the region by the governments in Khartoum and Tripoli. It investigates the identity of the infamous "Janjawiid" militia and the nature of the insurrection, charts the unfolding crisis and the international response, and concludes by asking what the future holds in store” (Amazon Book Description).
Draft Riots of 1863:
“The 1863 draft riots in New York City, the bloodiest in the nation's history, emerge as a microcosm of the convoluted and contradictory politics of the Civil War era in this absorbing study. Historian Schecter pens with a gripping account of the five days of rioting. But he also probes beneath the turmoil to examine the ethnic, religious and class conflicts that made the confrontation so explosive” (Publisher’s Weekly Review). Find out more in The devil's own work : the Civil War draft riots and the fight to reconstruct America by Barnet Schecter.
Dynamite, invention of:
The book A most damnable invention : dynamite, nitrates, and the making of the modern world by Stephen Bown, discusses "Alfred Nobel and the discovery of dynamite... The new and powerful explosive proved invaluable in the construction of the modern world and also launched a quest for more potent chemical explosives that consisted of seeking out further natural and later synthetic nitrates” (Booklist Review).
Earthquakes:
Interested in geology or history? Learn more about historic earthquakes and their effects in the book Early earthquakes of the Americas by R. L. Kovach.
Election of 1876:
Does this sound familiar: “contested returns in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina ultimately led to Hayes's being declared the winner by a specially created, Republican-dominated Electoral Commission after four tense months of political intrigue and threats of violence” (Amazon book description). Check out Fraud of the Century: Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel Tilden, and the stolen election of 1876 by Roy Morris, Jr.
Enron:
We’ve all heard of this corporate scandal and it’s made its way into American vocabulary - but what really happened? Find out in the book Enron: the rise and fall by Loren Fox.
Flu pandemic of 1918:
“Between August 1918 and March 1919 the Spanish influenza spread worldwide, claiming over 25 million lives, more people than those perished in the fighting of the First World War. It proved fatal to at least a half-million Americans” (Amazon book description). Learn more in America’s Forgotten Pandemic: the influenza of 1918 by Alfred Crosby.
Hate crime in Jasper, TX:
An African-American man was dragged to death at the hands of three white men. Learn how the accused killers met in prison and hear the author's commentary on our inability to reform criminals. Check out Hate Crime: the story of a dragging in Jasper, TX by Joyce King.
Hinckley Fires:
“On September 1, two big fires south of Hinckley, Minnesota, combined under weather conditions conducive to firestorms. By nightfall, Hinckley and three nearby hamlets were no more. More than 436 persons were incinerated, and some 400 square miles were so thoroughly burned that the soil was rendered useless” (Booklist Review). Learn more in Under a flaming sky : the great Hinckley firestorm of 1894 by Daniel Brown.
Hurricane Janet:
In 1955, this crew flew into Hurricane Janet for a regular reconnaissance mission, but they never returned. Learn more in Stormchasers: the Hurricane Hunters and their fateful flight into Hurricane Janet by David Toomey.
Japanese Detention Camps (World War II):
This was not the highest point in American history - learn more about the Japanese-Americans who were put into camps during the war. Check out Last Witness: reflections on the wartime internment of Japanese Americans by Erica Harth.
Krakatoa (volcanic eruption):
Not only does this author describe the eruption of the volcano and the horror that ensued, but it also claims that “the Dutch abandonment of their Indonesian colonies after the disaster left local survivors to seek comfort in radical Islam, setting the stage for a volatile future for the region” (Amazon book review). Learn more in Krakatoa: the day the world exploded, August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester.
Lincoln Assassination / manhunt for John Wilkes Booth:
“For 12 days after his brazen assassination of Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was at large, and in Manhunt, historian James L. Swanson tells the vivid, fully documented tale of his escape and the wild, massive pursuit” (Amazon Book Description). Learn more in Manhunt : the twelve-day chase for Lincoln's killer by James L. Swanson.
London 's Plague (The Great Plague)
“The authors have written an extraordinary and insightful account of life in London during 1665, when nearly 100,000 people died of the plague. They detail the havoc unleashed upon the city and the efforts of the large number of people who stayed behind rather than fleeing” (Publisher's Weekly review). Read more in The great plague : the story of London 's most deadly year by A. L. Moote and D. C. Moote.
Mammoth (excavation):
Learn about “the Discovery Channel's coverage of the excavation, airlift, and subsequent storage of this mammoth's remains” (Library Journal). Check out Mammoth: the resurrection of an Ice Age giant by Richard Stone.
Marching on Washington:
In Marching on Washington : the forging of an American political tradition, Lucy G. Barber “explains how this political tactic began as something unacceptable and gradually became legitimate” (Amazon book description).
Mercury 13 Space Program:
The book The Mercury 13: the untold story of thirteen American women and the dream of space flight by Martha Ackmann “relates the story of 13 female pilots who fought to become part of the nation's space program at its inception… That each woman passed all the tests, often with scores exceeding those of the males, carried absolutely no weight with an entrenched bureaucracy” (Publisher’s weekly).
Migration of Humans from Northeast Asia:
"What if the New World's human story is as long and complicated as that of the Old? What if the ‘New World' and the ‘Old World' have always been one?" (Amazon book description). Learn more in Bones: Discovering the first Americans by Elaine Dewar.
Miranda Verdict:
Interested in law or criminal proceedings? Learn more about the historic case of Miranda v. Arizona in which we gained our legal right to remain silent. Check out Miranda : the story of America 's right to remain silent by G. L. Stuart for more info.
Montgomery Bus Boycott:
In The thunder of angels : the Montgomery bus boycott and the people who broke the back of Jim Crow, Donnie Williams and Wayne Greenhaw “reveal the depth of involvement of ordinary black folks in the Montgomery bus boycott and their brave resistance to Jim Crow, far beyond that which is commonly known. He recalls the many extraordinary blacks and whites of the South who rose above the required expectations and limitations of social conventions and played crucial roles in the formation of the modern civil rights movement” (Booklist Review).
The Moon – (origin of):
In The Big Splat, or How Our Moon Came To Be by Dana Mackenzie, you were learn that “the findings of the Apollo expeditions and the enormous mathematical calculations facilitated by computers helped put forth astronomer and artist William Hartmann's idea that a near-Mars-size planet smashing into Earth produced the moon” (Booklist).
New Orleans Race Riot:
Even though the Civil War guaranteed freedom to Black slaves, there were problems with them actually getting what they were due. An “underlying factor in the riot, as in all similar incidents in the aftermath of the Civil War, was the extent of equality to be accorded to the freedmen” (Booklist). Check out An Absolute Massacre: the New Orleans race riot of July 30, 1866 by James Hollandsworth, Jr.
Neurotransmitters, discovery of:
“The discovery that the brain is made up of individual neurons and that these communicate by means of chemical messengers was one of the fundamental discoveries of the 20th century. The War of Soups and Sparks: the discovery of neurotransmitters and the dispute over how nerves communicate by Elliot Valenstein tackles the key set of discoveries underpinning neuroscience, a set of developments on which later drugs such as Prozac, Ritalin and others depend” (review by Professor David Healy, Cardiff University).
Oster Conspiracy of 1938:
“A military intelligence officer, Oster (1887-1945) played a crucial role in a plan, never executed, to capture or kill Hitler… This book offers a clearly written, well-researched and accurate history of "what might have been" during the immediate period before World War II-and of a clear-sighted figure who followed his conscience” (Publisher’s weekly). For more information check out The Oster Conspiracy of 1938: the unknown story of the military plot to kill Hitler and avert World War II by Terry Parssinen.
Palestine-Israeli Conflict:
This book offers commentary in favor of both sides, and rebuttals of each side of the conflict. Check out The Palestine-Israeli Conflict: a beginner's guide by Daniel Cohn-Sherbok et. al., to get started on this topic.
Peloponnesian War:
“For almost three decades at the end of the fifth century B.C., Athens and Sparta fought a war that changed the Greek world and its civilization forever. A conflict unprecedented in its brutality, the Peloponnesian War brought a collapse in the institutions, beliefs, and customs that were the foundations of society” (Amazon book description). Learn more in The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan.
Polio Vaccine Crisis/outbreak:
“Beginning with a tragic 1955 error at Cutter Laboratories--one of the first companies producing the Salk polio vaccine--that caused a polio outbreak in thousands, the author maps the way the courts have handled pharmaceutical liability, the way juries have awarded damages, the federal Vaccines for Children Program and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and other influences on vaccine development. Those trends and agencies have so inflated the costs and risks relative to probable profits that vaccine production has been discouraged” (Booklist Review). Find out more in The Cutter incident : how America's first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis by Paul Offit.
Republican Convention of 1940:
In Five Days in Philadelphia you will learn about “the rousing, fascinating story of the rowdy political convention that produced the unlikeliest of candidates and thereby had the unanticipated result of saving the world from fascism. There were four strong contenders when the Republican party met in June of 1940 in Philadelphia to nominate its candidate for president… The charismatic Willkie, newcomer and upstager, was a liberal interventionist, just as anti-Hitler as FDR. After five days of floor rallies, telegrams from across the country, multiple ballots, rousing speeches, backroom deals, terrifying international news, and, most of all, the relentless chanting of"We Want Willkie" from the gallery, Willkie walked away with the nomination” (Amazon Book description).
Russo-Chechen conflict:
The Russo-Chechen Conflict, 1800-2000: A Deadly Embrace by Robert Seely examines “the cause of the 1994-96 Russo-Chechen war” and it also “provides an overview of the major events and trends that have taken place since the two peoples came into continual contact” (book cover).
St. Pierre (volcano disaster):
A volcano exploded on the island of Martinique, and the town of St. Pierre and surrounding areas lost tens of thousands of people. The position of this book, The Last Days of St. Pierre : the volcanic disaster the claimed 30,000 lives by Ernest Zebrowski, is that a mixture of “scientific misjudgments and political hubris” ultimately is what made this day end in tragedy (quotes from book cover).
Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692:
In the Devil's Snare: the Salem witchcraft crisis of 1692 by Mary Beth Norton “studies not just Salem itself, but all of Essex County and northern New England, because so many of the people involved in the witchcraft crisis didn't live in Salem proper. She also says these grim events must be understood in relation to King William's War” (Amazon).
The Seventies (1970's):
Feminism, diversity, Saturday Night Live, and Jimmy Carter. Learn more about this important decade in The Seventies: the great shift in American culture, society, and politics by Bruce Schulman.
Shay's Rebellion:
In Shay's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle , Leonard Richards “investigates the identities of the rebels and argues that they were generally not poor at all, and that scholars have misunderstood the causes of this pivotal revolt” (Publisher's Weekly).
Slave Voyages on the vessel Diligent:
The Diligent: a voyage through the worlds of the slave trade by Robert Harms“ is something entirely different: a deep bore into the economic, political, and moral worldviews of the participants on all sides of the trade” (Amazon book description).
Subway construction/expansion ( New York City ):
In the early 1900's, the city's population was overflowing, and there was not enough mass transit to take care of all the needs of the people. Learn the story of how two companies joined up to double the size of the transit system in Tunneling to the Future: the story of the great subway expansion that saved New York by Peter Derrick.
Supreme Court Appointment (Judge Rehnquist):
In The Rehnquist Choice: the untold story of the Nixon appointment the redefined the Supreme Court , John Dean “weaves a gripping account packed with stunning new revelations- of a remarkable power play by Nixon to stack the court in his favor by forcing resignations” (Amazon book description).
Taliban movement:
"Afghanistan's unstable and problematic history is now further complicated by the emergence of the Taliban - one of the most conservative and least understood Islamic movements in the world” (Amazon book description). Check out more in Reaping the Whirlwind: the Taliban movement in Afghanistan by Michael Griffin.
“Triangle” Fire:
“It was a profitable business in a modern fireproof building heralded as a model of efficiency. Yet the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City became the deadliest workplace in American history when fire broke out on the premises on March 25, 1911” (Publisher’s Weekly). Check out Triangle: the fire that changed America by David Von Drehle.
Tulia, TX Drug Arrests:
“Those familiar with the travesty of justice that led to multiple bogus drug arrests in the small Texas town of Tulia only from newspaper accounts will be outraged anew at this eye-opening narrative that bears comparison to such courtroom and litigation classics as A Civil Action. This devastating indictment of the toll taken by the war on drugs, viewed through the prism of one small community, is a masterpiece of true crime writing” (Publisher’s Weekly Review). Learn more in Tulia : race, cocaine, and corruption in a small Texas town by Nate Blakeslee.
United States vs. Price (civil rights case):
This historic case concluded that “federal authorities did indeed have the power to police civil rights violations in any state. United States v. Price (1967) thus produced a landmark decision that signaled a seismic shift in American legal history and race relations, for it meant that local authorities could no longer shield racist lawbreakers.” (Amazon description). Learn more about this interesting case in the book Murder in Mississippi : United States v. Price and the struggle for civil rights by H. Ball.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
"As the specter of the Cold War loomed, a U.N. delegation, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, began writing what would become the world's first standard statement of human rights” (Publisher's Weekly). Explore the subject further in A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Mary Ann Glendon.
