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The modern United States receives its crowning star when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state. The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five six-star rows and four five-star rows. The new flag became official July 4, 1960. The first known settlers of the Hawaiian Islands were Polynesian voyagers who arrived sometime in the eighth century. In the early 18th century, American traders came to Hawaii to exploit the islands' sandalwood, which was much valued in China at the time. In the 1830s, the sugar industry was introduced to Hawaii and by the mid 19th century had become well established. American missionaries and planters brought about great changes in Hawaiian political, cultural, economic, and religious life. In 1840, a constitutional monarchy was established, stripping the Hawaiian monarch of much of his authority. In 1893, a group of American expatriates and sugar planters supported by a division of U.S. Marines deposed Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii. One year later, the Republic of Hawaii was established as a U.S. protectorate with Hawaiian-born Sanford B. Dole as president. Many in Congress opposed the formal annexation of Hawaii, and it was not until 1898, following the use of the naval base at Pearl Harbor during the Spanish-American War, that Hawaii's strategic importance became evident and formal annexation was approved. Two years later, Hawaii was organized into a formal U.S. territory. During World War II, Hawaii became firmly ensconced in the American national identity following the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. In March 1959, the U.S. government approved statehood for Hawaii, and in June the Hawaiian people voted by a wide majority to accept admittance into the United States. Two months later, Hawaii officially became the 50th state. http://th.english-attack.com/
On May 17, 1978, Charlie Chaplin’s body was recovered more than two months after it was stolen.
Martin Luther King Jr. led the U.S. Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. Learn more at Biography.com.
Scarlett Johansson is an American film actress known for her work in films like Lost in Translation, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Hitchcock. Learn more at Biography.com. Scarlett Johansson was born in New York City on November 22, 1984. She began acting as a child, and her role in the movie The Horse Whisperer brought her critical acclaim at age 13. Her subsequent successes include Lost in Translation, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Nanny Diaries, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and the mega-hit The Avengers. More recently, Johansson was cast in 2012's Hitchcock,
Discover what happened today in history. Read about major past events that happened today including special entries on crime, entertainment, and more. On this day in 1867, the U.S. formally takes possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million, or less than two cents an acre. The Alaska purchase comprised 586,412 square miles, about twice the size of Texas, and was championed by William Henry Seward, the enthusiasticly expansionist secretary of state under President Andrew Johnson.
Evel Knievel was an American daredevil who became an icon in the 1970s for his incredible motorcycle stunts. Fly high and land. His story on Biography.com. http://th.english-attack.com/
On this day in 1931, gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000, signaling the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. http://th.english-attack.com/
Christa McAuliffe was born September 2, 1948, in Framingham, MA. A high school teacher, she was the first American civilian selected to go into space in 1985. After being selected by NASA in 1985, she trained at the Johnson Space Center. On January 28, 1986, she boarded the space shuttle Challenger. The space shuttle exploded shortly after liftoff, killing everyone on board. http://th.english-attack.com/
Richard Gere studied at the University of Massachusetts, became a pop musician, and went on to gain extensive experience in the theatre. He received acclaim for an off-Broadway appearance in Killer's Head, then made his screen debut with a small role in Report to the Commissioner. His films include Yanks, American Gigolo, http://www.english-attack.com/
On Aug. 30, 1963, a direct line of communication between Washington and Moscow—dubbed the “Hot Line”—became operational. The hot line was established after previous methods of communication were found to be dangerously cumbersome. http://th.english-attack.com/
On Aug. 29, 1957, the South Carolina senator wrapped up a 24-hour, 18-minute-long tirade meant to stall voting on the Civil Rights Act of 1957. http://th.english-attack.com/
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Biography.com explores the life and music of Loretta Lynn, country music legend, Country Music Hall of Fame member and best-selling author.
Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, an hour after departure.
A collection of Web sites detailing the Kennedy era, including rare footage of JFK speeches, historic JFK documents and essays analyzing his life and career. John F. Kennedy’s assassination was a grave turning point in the vibrant era of the 1960s, shocking even to those that disagreed with the young president’s policies. In honor of Nov. 22, 1963, we offer sites detailing the Kennedy era, the foreign policy mishaps and milestones, and the legacy of this short-lived political figure.
Explore the history of Thanksgiving, a U.S. holiday that dates back to colonial times. Learn about the first Thanksgiving feast, traditions and more. Although Thanksgiving celebrations dated back to the first European settlements in America, it was not until the 1860s that Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be a national holiday.
OurDocuments.gov. Featuring 100 milestone documents of American history from the National Archives. Includes images of original primary source documents, lesson plans, teacher and student competitions, and educational resources. In 1866 the Russian government offered to sell the territory of Alaska to the United States. Secretary of State William H. Seward, enthusiastic about the prospects of American Expansion, negotiated the deal for the Americans. Edouard de Stoeckl, Russian minister to the United States, negotiated for the Russians. On March 30, 1867, the two parties agreed that the United States would pay Russia $7.2 million for the territory of Alaska. For less that 2 cents an acre, the United States acquired nearly 600,000 square miles. Opponents of the Alaska Purchase persisted in calling it “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox” until 1896, when the great Klondike Gold Strike convinced even the harshest critics that Alaska was a valuable addition to American territory. The check for $7.2 million was made payable to the Russian Minister to the United States Edouard de Stoeckl, who negotiated the deal for the Russians. Also shown here is the Treaty of Cession, signed by Tzar Alexander II, which formally concluded the agreement for the purchase of Alaska from Russia.
On Oct. 17, 1931, Chicago gangster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and later sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, ending his control of the Chicago underworld.
In the early morning hours of September 5, six members of the Arab terrorist group known as Black September dressed in the Olympic sweat suits of Arab nations and jumped the fence surrounding the Olympic village in Munich, Germany, carrying bags…... http://th.english-attack.com/
On this day in 1969, America's first automatic teller machine (ATM) makes its public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York. ATMs went on to revolutionize the banking industry, eliminating the need to visit a bank to conduct basic financial transactions. By the 1980s, these money machines had become widely popular and handled many of the functions previously performed by human tellers, such as check deposits and money transfers between accounts. Today, ATMs are as indispensable to most people as cell phones and e-mail. Several inventors worked on early versions of a cash-dispensing machine, but Don Wetzel, an executive at Docutel, a Dallas company that developed automated baggage-handling equipment, is generally credited as coming up with the idea for the modern ATM. Wetzel reportedly conceived of the concept while waiting on line at a bank. The ATM that debuted in New York in 1969 was only able to give out cash, but in 1971, an ATM that could handle multiple functions, including providing customers' account balances, was introduced. ATMs eventually expanded beyond the confines of banks and today can be found everywhere from gas stations to convenience stores to cruise ships. There is even an ATM at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Non-banks lease the machines (so-called "off premise" ATMs) or own them outright. Today there are well over 1 million ATMs around the world, with a new one added approximately every five minutes. It's estimated that more than 170 Americans over the age of 18 had an ATM card in 2005 and used it six to eight times a month. Not surprisingly, ATMs get their busiest workouts on Fridays. In the 1990s, banks began charging fees to use ATMs, a profitable move for them and an annoying one for consumers. Consumers were also faced with an increase in ATM crimes and scams. Robbers preyed on people using money machines in poorly lit or otherwise unsafe locations, and criminals also devised ways to steal customers' PINs (personal identification numbers), even setting up fake money machines to capture the information. In response, city and state governments passed legislation such as New York's ATM Safety Act in 1996, which required banks to install such things as surveillance cameras, reflective mirrors and locked entryways for their ATMs. http://ajarn-donald.blogspot.com/p/english-attack-thailand.html
On Aug. 31, 1888, Mary Ann Nichols was murdered by the notorious serial killer in London. Jack the Ripper was never caught or identified. http://th.english-attack.com/
This group of photographs shows a collection of horrendous spelling mishaps and inappropriate puns from across the U.S. http://th.english-attack.com/
A civil rights hero who became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall is a heroic icon to us all. Find out more on Biography.com. http://th.english-attack.com/
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. Nearly 2,000 people died in the storm and its aftermath, and hundreds of thousands more were displaced from their homes. http://th.english-attack.com/
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