FIRST MONDAY IN SEPTEMBER LEVEN-YEAR-OLD Peter McGuire sold papers on the street in New York City. He shined shoes and cleaned stores, and later ran errands. It was 1863 and his father, a poor Irish immigrant, had just enlisted to fight in the Civil War. Peter had to help support his mother and six brothers […]

honors the life and legacy of one of the visionary leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and recipient of the 1964 Nobel Prize for Peace. At a young age Martin Luther King, Jr. showed strong promise, skipping the 9 th and 12th grades and entering Morehouse College at the age of 15. His beliefs in […]

t was 1866, and the United States was re­covering from the long and bloody Civil War be­tween the North (Union) and the South (Confed­erate). Surviving soldiers came home, some with missing limbs, and all with stories to tell. Henry Welles, a drug­store owner in Waterloo, New York, heard the stories and had an idea. He […]

Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is the nation’s largest nation­al cemetery. Buried there with a special place of honor are members of the armed forces, as well as astronauts, explorers, and other distinguished Ameri­cans. President John F. Kenne­dy is buried in a spot overlook­ing Washington, D. C., and marked with an eternal flame. In the […]

On January first, Americans may relax at home or visit friends, relatives, and neigh­bors. New Year’s Day get-togethers are often informal, but generally there is plenty to eat and drink as loved ones and friends wish each other the best for the year ahead. Many families and friends watch television to­gether enjoying the Tournament of […]