University of Nebraska Press

This Week in History: September 29-October 3: 2008

Well readers, this has been another fascinating week. The economic crisis we are facing is coming to a head. One proposal has been shot down, and another one is being decided today. Regardless of what happens, we are in the throes of history folks! To keep you from biting your fingernails, This Week in History has a dating service, famous photographers and O.J. Simpson to keep you occupied. Lets not waste another minute!

September  29, 1650: Henry Robinson opens his office of Addresses and Encounters- the first documented dating service in Threadneedle Street, London

Everybody knows the secret to a great date is to be yourself, and to have a fantastic bottle of wine. Corkscrewed: Adventures in the New French wine county by Robert V. Camuto. Just be sure to limit yourself to one glass, otherwise there might not be a second date!

September 30, 1962: Mexican American labor leader Cesar Chavez founds the United Farm Workers.

Cesar Chavez  is a famous activist, a hero to the Mexican people, and a leader to the rest of the world. Have no fear though; we have a few of these kinds of people in our generation as well. Samira Bellil, born in Alergia, was raped at fourteen and rather then silent like so many women in her community, she spoke out against her attackers and got justice through the French legal system. You can check out her story in To Hell and Back: The Life of Samira Bellil by Samira Bellil.

October 1, 1939: After a one-month siege of Warsaw, hostile forces entered the city.

War is not the only thing to mark Warsaw. If you spoke to Gary Gildner, a former teacher at the University of Warsaw, and coach of the baseball team, the Warsaw Sparks then you might see a very different city. Check out The Warsaw Sparks: A Memoir by Gary Gildner  for the whole story.

October 2, 1949: Annie Liebovitz, American photographer is born.

    Often through art, especially photography, we are allowed to see the world through new lenses. This is the beauty of it. Now while Ms. Liebovitz focuses her skills on photographing famous people, the photographers in The Wide Open: Prose, Poetry, and Photographs’ of the prairie edited by Annick Smith and Susan O’Connor, are focusing on the beauty of America’s prairies. Don’t miss it!

October 3, 1995: O.J. Simpson found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman.

    Prison writing by inmates, guards, teachers, and chaplains has long since been a tradition analyzed  by critics and scholars. Now while O.J. Simpson wrote his book “If I Did It." outside the big house, I can’t help but wonder if it would have been a bestseller if he had written inside. Either way, check out Jail Sentences: Representing Prison in Twentieth Century French Fiction by Andrew Sobanet for more on this remarkable genre.

Thanks for joining us readers! Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you Tuesday with another installment of Tuesday Trivia.

This Week in History: June 16-10, 2008

What do Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Abraham Lincoln, and Juliano Belletti all have in common? Well, other than This Week in History, not a whole lot. They are all, however, very significant to our humble blog as their endeavors give us reason to exist. So in honor of their efforts, we will proceed with another session of This Week in History.

June 16, 1859: Abraham Lincoln gives his famous speech House Divided in Springfield, Illinois.

Whether you are a fan or not, the legacy President Lincoln has left on this country has been considerable to say the least. For a look at an equally important figure on the opposite side, check out Rebel: The Life and Times of John Singleton Mosby, by Kevin H. Siepel

June 17, 1631: Mumtaz Mahal dies giving birth. Her husband, Mughal  Emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends the next twenty years building her tomb. We know this as the Taj Mahal.

Now THAT is a love story, and if romance is your thing you might be interested in Valentines, by Ted Kooser.
June 18, 1981: The AIDS epidemic is formally recognized by the medical professionals of San Francisco.

The tragedy of disease has had its affects all over the world, and we are weighted down with the stories of loss. The miracles are less frequent, however,  so if you’re in the mood for one then please check out  It’s Good to Know a Miracle: Dani’s Story, by Jay and Sue Shotel.

June 19, 1953: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are put to death at Sing Sing in New York.

Their tale of Soviet espionage, with regards to the Atomic Bomb, gained international attention during the cold war. If seedy crime, and even seedier trials are your thing then have a look at Atrocities on Trial, by Patricia Herbre and Jurgen Matthaus.

June 20, 1976: Today Brazillian Juliano Bellitti was born.

Are you a fan of South America, and perhaps also athletics? If so, then Venezuelan Bust, Baseball Boom by Milton H. Jamail may just be the book for you!

You can find all these and more at the University of Nebraska Press website. Otherwise, we’ll see you on Tuesday for a little trivia!

This Week in History: June 9-13, 2008

Well bloggers we have survived a long week of rain, tornadoes, and otherwise grim weather and can all breathe a sigh of relief. In fact, just to keep our minds at rest TWIH will make no mention of mother earth or her foul temper. Perhaps this will appease her? Instead we will focus on Judy Garland, Anne Frank, and Tom Cheek. Curious what little tidbits I might have about these fascinating people, and how they tie to UNP? Well join me and find out!

June 10, 68:  Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide by beseeching his secretary to slit his throat in an attempt to avoid death by flogging.

Nero isn’t the first prominent figure to have an even more public suicide. In 1954 CBS’s Don Hollenbeck ended his own life after a very public altercation with Senator Joe McCarthy. Read more about this confrontation, and his otherwise extraordinary life in Radio’s Revolution: Don Hollenbeck’s CBS Views the Press, by Loren Ghiglione.

June 10, 1922: The beloved American actress Judy Garland was born today.

Ms. Garland is best known for her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  If you’re a fan of L. Frank Baum then you’re sure to love a newly printed book of his children’s stories, The Twinkle Tales.

June 11, 1805: The Great Fire of 1805. The same year that Detroit was named the capitol of Michigan Territory, the city was burned to the ground.

Wildfires are unfortunately nothing new to modern day America. To find out more about how we can learn to prevent these natural disasters by changing our own perspectives, please read Wildfire and Americans, by Roger G. Kennedy.

June 12, 1942: A young girl named Anne Frank receives a diary for her thirteenth birthday.

The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most widely read books in the world. She gave us a front row seat to possibly the largest genocide in human history. For more unique perspective on this time period, check out The Great Plains during World War II, by R. Douglas Hurt.

June 13, 1939: Major League Baseball announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays, Tom Cheek was born today.

Before the arrival of television (and all its wonders…) baseball could be enjoyed through sound only, as families crowded around radios to listen to their favorite games. To see how the advent of technology affected this beloved American pastime, take a look at Center Field Shot, by James R. Walker and Robert V. Bellamy Jr.

Ok, bloggers that’s it for this week. See you again next week for a little Tuesday Trivia!