Politics

  • Lincoln-Douglas Debates

    On August 21, 1858, Abraham Lincoln participated in the first of seven debates against Stephen Douglas.  Part of a race for an Illinois seat in the US Senate, they became known as the Lincoln-Douglas Debates or the Great Debates of 1858.

  • Birth of George Meany

    William George Meany was born on August 16, 1894, in Harlem, New York City. One of the most influential labor leaders in US history, Meany is credited with successfully merging the American Federation of Labor, or AFL, and the Congress of Industrial Labor, or CIO.

  • Birth of George H.W. Bush

    George Herbert Walker Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. As America’s 41st president, he led the US through conflicts in Panama and Iraq, helped bring about the end of the Soviet Union, and negotiated treaties to reduce the number of global nuclear weapons. At home, Bush fought against rising drug use and cracked down on the drug trade.

  • Birth of James Monroe 

    James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 28, 1758, to successful plantation owners.  America’s fifth president, Monroe presided over the “Era of Good Feelings” and issued the Monroe Doctrine, a policy that was invoked by presidents well into the 20th century.

  • Birth of Hugo Black

    Hugo Lafayette Black was born on February 27, 1886, in Harlan, Alabama. He’s the fifth longest-serving US Supreme Court justice and historians state he was second only to John Marshall in his impact on the Constitution.