U.S. history Archives

Biden honors 17 Americans with Medal of Freedom

By Mark Trainer President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the country’s highest civilian honor, to 17 Americans. The recipients represent diverse accomplishments across a variety of fields. Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States. Americans at their best, Biden said during the July 7 White House ceremony, “ensure ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 11 July, 2022 | Topics: Art & Culture, Culture, Education, Gender Issues, Health Issues, History, Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: arts, civic equality, female leaders, presidency, President Biden, sports, U.S. history

A lot of history happened on July 4

By Emily Louise Bowman Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4 because that’s when, in 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, eventually transforming 13 English colonies into the United States of America. Whether by plan or by chance, a lot of other firsts happened on the Fourth of July. Here are a few: ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 30 June, 2022 | Topics: History, News | Tags: American holidays, Independence Day, U.S. history

D-Day anniversary prompts reflection

By Lauren Monsen June 6, 2022, marks the 78th anniversary of D-Day, when the largest amphibious military operation of modern times landed 156,000 Allied soldiers by sea and air on five beachheads in Normandy, France. D-Day was the start of Allied operations in World War II that would liberate Western Europe and defeat Nazi Germany 11 months later. ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 3 June, 2022 | Topics: History, News | Tags: Russia, U.S. history, ukraine, WWII

How Arlington became a final resting place for veterans

By Lenore T. Adkins Each year on the last Monday of May, Americans honor the men and women who have lost their lives in military service to the United States. Most Americans have the day off from work. Many attend parades, visit war memorials or say a prayer at a relative’s grave. One of the most significant sites ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 24 May, 2022 | Topics: History, News | Tags: American holidays, Memorial Day, U.S. history, WWII

Holocaust denial and distortion must stop

By Lauren Monsen Leaders around the globe are working together to counter dangerous messages of Holocaust denial and distortion that have spread in this digital age. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance , a body that supports Holocaust education, research and remembrance worldwide, explains the terms: “Holocaust denial seeks to erase the history of the Holocaust. In doing so, it seeks to legitimize ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 25 January, 2022 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: cultural preservation, U.S. history, WWII

Descendants of Holocaust survivors make an impact at State Department

By Michael Laff On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the world pauses to remember the 6 million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust and the millions more who were persecuted and killed by the Nazis and their collaborators. Most importantly, we honor the survivors, whose personal experiences continue to inspire. Ellen Germain, the Special Envoy for Holocaust ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 25 January, 2022 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: cultural preservation, Secretary Blinken, U.S. history, WWII

Resolving conflicts: Diplomacy works

Diplomacy has solved conflicts, prevented deaths and economic turmoil, and secured peace . Think negotiation doesn’t work? Here’s a look at some critical times when it did. Colombia, 2016 The 2016 peace accord ended five decades of conflict between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and laid out a path to lasting ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 12 January, 2022 | Topics: History, Key Officials, News | Tags: international cooperation, international security, U.S. history

U.S. Thanksgiving resembles festivals around the world

By ShareAmerica The holiday of Thanksgiving may seem uniquely American, but it echoes fall festivals that have been held throughout the world for centuries. Like its cousins Sukkot, Chuseok, Day of the Dead , and others, Thanksgiving centers around giving thanks for the harvest, enjoying bountiful food, and spending time with family and friends. Harvest festivals started in an agrarian ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 24 November, 2021 | Topics: Culture, Education, History, News | Tags: American holidays, food, Native Americans, Thanksgiving, U.S. history

Preserving a historic African American mural for future generations

American artist Charles White’s famed 1943 mural The Contribution of the Negro to Democracy in America celebrates prominent African Americans who fought for equality. Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver and Crispus Attucks are depicted in the work, which appears on a wall at Hampton University, a historically black university in Virginia. ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 29 September, 2021 | Topics: Art & Culture, Culture, Education, History, News | Tags: African Americans, arts, cultural preservation, U.S. history

Dictionaries add words as American English evolves

By Lauren Monsen As American English speakers invent phrases to fit today’s realities, dictionaries follow suit by adding new words to their lists of definitions. Recent entries have been driven by the pandemic and by a growing appreciation of diversity in the U.S. population. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the website Dictionary.com (which is based on the Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary) ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 21 September, 2021 | Topics: Art & Culture, Culture, Education, History, News | Tags: African Americans, learning tools, U.S. history

Americans across the country remember September 11

By Linda Epstein and Noelani Kirschner In the 20 years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks , Americans have gathered on the anniversary to remember the nearly 3,000 people who died in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well as the first responders who put their lives on the line to save victims. Here’s a glimpse at how first responders around the United States ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 11 September, 2021 | Topics: History, News | Tags: civil society, Terrorism, U.S. history

Barbara Watson paved the way for women and Black diplomats

By Noelani Kirschner Diplomat Barbara Watson achieved historic firsts during her time at the State Department. But firsts were familiar in her family. Watson was the child of New York’s first elected Black judge, James S. Watson, and Violet Lopez Watson, a founder of the National Council of Negro Women. Watson’s cousin Colin L. Powell ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 30 March, 2021 | Topics: History, Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: African Americans, female leaders, U.S. history, women in the workforce, women's empowerment

Meet 6 women pioneers of American diplomacy

The United States has been sending diplomats around the world since the 18th century. For the last 100 years women diplomats have been among them. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has emphasized that diversity and inclusion is a priority of the Biden administration. “Diversity and inclusion make us stronger, smarter, more creative and more ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 5 March, 2021 | Topics: History, Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: female leaders, U.S. history, women in the workforce, women's empowerment

National Museum of African American Music debuts in Nashville

By Noelani Kirschner | Sherry L. Brukbacher The history of Black American music in the United States spans four centuries, and now there’s a museum to honor that legacy. The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), which opened January 30 in Nashville, Tennessee , calls itself “the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced and inspired by African Americans.” Divided ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 24 February, 2021 | Topics: Art & Culture, History, Human Rights, News | Tags: African Americans, arts, cultural preservation, music, U.S. history

Percy Julian: Revolutionary inventor, grandchild of slaves

Where many saw a bean, Percy Julian saw an entire laboratory. A synthetic chemist, Julian derived medical compounds from substances in plants. From the Calabar bean, he obtained a treatment for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness among the elderly. His work with soybeans supported everything from hydrocortisone shots to treat arthritis to fire retardant ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 16 February, 2021 | Topics: History, Immigrant Visas, News, Science & Tech | Tags: African Americans, innovation, science, U.S. history

Honoring America’s ‘First Lady of Physics’

The U.S. Postal Service is honoring a Chinese-American scientist for her significant contributions to nuclear physics, a field largely dominated by men. Born in China in 1912, Chien-Shiung Wu immigrated to the United States and became “one of the most influential American nuclear physicists of the 20th century,” the post office said in a November statement announcing plans to ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 9 February, 2021 | Topics: Gender Issues, History, News, Science & Tech | Tags: Asian Americans, innovation. science, U.S. history, women in the workforce

Meet America’s new secretary of state: Antony Blinken

By Leigh Hartman For Antony Blinken, America’s new top diplomat, returning to the U.S. Department of State brings the opportunity to continue both professional and family traditions. Blinken, whom the U.S. Senate confirmed as secretary of state January 26, will lead the State Department, where he served during the Clinton and Obama administrations. His career in public ...

By simonishvilia | 27 January, 2021 | Topics: History, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: civil society, U.S. elections, U.S. history

Joe Biden: America’s next president

By Lenore T. Adkins Joseph R. Biden Jr., a former vice president and a longtime Capitol Hill lawmaker known for reaching across the political aisle to get things done, takes office on January 20 as the 46th president of the United States. Biden served eight years as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and defeated incumbent President Donald ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 20 January, 2021 | Topics: History, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: presidency, U.S. history, White House

Meet Biden’s choice for secretary of state: Antony Blinken

By Leigh Hartman For Antony Blinken, the incoming administration’s pick for America’s top diplomat, returning to the U.S. State Department brings the opportunity to continue both professional and family traditions. If confirmed by the Senate, Blinken would resume a career at the State Department, where he served during the Clinton and Obama administrations. His career in public ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 19 January, 2021 | Topics: History, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: civil society, U.S. elections, U.S. history

Why so much time from election to inauguration of a U.S. president?

While many democracies swap in new leaders in a sprint, the U.S. ambles along with a transition period of 11 weeks. But slow as that might seem, it’s shorter than the four months the Constitution originally left for the handoff of power from an incumbent to a new president. Picking up the pace The original ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 14 January, 2021 | Topics: History, News, News from Washington | Tags: good governance, presidency, U.S. elections, U.S. history, White House

Tour these American museums virtually during COVID-19 pandemic

By Noelani Kirschner | Suzanne K. Mast While the pandemic has forced many to stay home, museums across the United States are bringing their world-famous collections online for anyone to view. The public response has been enormous. American tech company Google recently reported its most searched terms of 2020, and the second most popular search after the word “virtual” was ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 13 January, 2021 | Topics: Culture, Health Issues, History | Tags: arts, Coronavirus, technology, U.S. history

U.S. copyright law makes thousands of classics free for all

Fans of old classics are now free to use and adapt stories, songs and films published in 1925 thanks to U.S. copyright laws’ protections for both the livelihoods of creators and the enjoyment of future generations. Among the thousands of works that entered the public domain January 1, 2021, are classic novels, such as F. ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 12 January, 2021 | Topics: Culture, History, News | Tags: arts, cultural preservation, intellectual property rights, music, U.S. history

How the Amistad helped America live up to its ideals

By Lenore T. Adkins In 1839, the Amistad cargo schooner sailed from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba, with 53 Africans bound for a life of slavery on the island. But while aboard the schooner, the Africans fought for their freedom. Their battle gained them a reprieve. And soon, American abolitionists would take up their fight in U.S. courts. The Africans ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 12 January, 2021 | Topics: History, Human Rights, Key Documents, News | Tags: civic equality, human trafficking, U.S. history, U.S. judicial system

What does January 1 signify in Lincoln’s legacy?

By Lauren Monsen The Emancipation Proclamation is arguably one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. Abraham Lincoln himself stated that he considered it to be his greatest legacy. “I never in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper,” he said. “If my name ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 30 December, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: African Americans, civic equality, civil society, U.S. history

Americans we lost in 2020

By Lauren Monsen | D. Thompson In recent days, many thousands of American families have faced holidays without loved ones who succumbed to COVID-19. Also in 2020 many notable Americans died — whether of COVID or another cause — who left an imprint on the world. David Dinkins — the first African-American mayor of New York City, who died ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 30 December, 2020 | Topics: Art & Culture, Culture, History, News | Tags: arts, U.S. history, women in the workforce

Commemorating the United Nations Declaration

January 1, 1942, was a milestone in diplomatic history — a day when representatives of the “Big Four” Allied countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and China) gathered in Washington to sign the United Nations Declaration , formally pledging cooperation in defeating the forces of fascism. The following day, representatives of 22 other Allied ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 28 December, 2020 | Topics: History, Key Officials, News | Tags: international cooperation, U.S. history, United Nations, WWII

U.S. Navy appoints first woman to command an aircraft carrier

Captain Amy Bauernschmidt will become the first woman in U.S. history to command a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. In 2016 Bauernschmidt was the first woman to serve as executive officer of a nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln. Bauernschmidt graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994, the same year women began to serve on combat ships and planes. She logged more than 3,000 hours of flight ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 17 December, 2020 | Topics: History, News | Tags: female leaders, U.S. history, women in the workforce

Honoring U.S. military veterans each November

November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States. Americans usually plan parades, ceremonies and tributes to those who have served, and are currently serving, in the U.S. military. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans will observe Veterans Day 2020 somewhat differently. Edinburg, Texas, for example, is holding a virtual parade, with photos of veterans, ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 9 November, 2020 | Topics: History, News | Tags: American holidays, U.S. history, Veterans Day

U.S. campaign songs stir the public imagination [video]

Music and politics have been closely linked throughout U.S. history, with songs that promote candidates (or attack their rivals) dating back more than 200 years. Those songs have often reflected the bruising nature of U.S. campaigns , which Stuart Eizenstat — a U.S. diplomat and former White House domestic affairs director for President Jimmy Carter — once ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 29 October, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News, Video | Tags: arts, presidency, U.S. history

Core U.S. values echo in Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), ratified in 1948, for the first time articulated the rights and freedoms to which every person is entitled. Influenced by the core values at the heart of the U.S. Constitution, the UDHR affirmed “the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 24 September, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: civic equality, international cooperation, Secretary Pompeo, U.S. history, United Nations

The spirited history of presidential debates

American debates have changed much since the days when an Illinois lawyer held the nation spellbound with his moral arguments against slavery. That was 1858, and the arguments of Abraham Lincoln, who was debating Stephen Douglas, didn’t lead to Lincoln’s winning the Senate seat he sought. Nevertheless, transcripts were distributed throughout the country and became ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 14 September, 2020 | Topics: Education, History, Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: elections, presidency, press freedom, technology, U.S. elections, U.S. history

From civil rights activist to member of Congress: Remembering John Lewis (July 20)

From civil rights activist to member of Congress: Remembering John Lewis (July 20) Civil rights hero and U.S. Representative John Lewis died July 17 at the age of 80. He had been battling pancreatic cancer since he received the diagnosis in December. The son of Alabama sharecroppers, Lewis was a central figure in the U.S. civil ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 20 July, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, News | Tags: African Americans, civic equality, Congress, Martin Luther King Jr., social activism, U.S. history

The American Red Cross helps those who suffer (May 8)

The American Red Cross helps those who suffer (May 8) Exhausted in 1869 after nursing U.S. soldiers in the U.S. Civil War, Clara Barton followed her doctor’s advice and embarked on an extensive European vacation. But the nurse couldn’t stay away from helping people. A year into her vacation, Barton volunteered with the Switzerland-based International Committee of the Red Cross during the Franco-Prussian ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 8 May, 2020 | Topics: Health Issues, History, Human Rights, News | Tags: Charity, disaster relief, U.S. history, volunteerism

How Americans observed V-E Day during World War II (May 8)

How Americans observed V-E Day during World War II (May 8) Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, when the Allied countries of World War II accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany, was celebrated as a festive holiday in many parts of the world. The occasion sparked unbridled, emotional public celebrations on May 8, 1945, in ...

By U.S. Embassy Tbilisi | 8 May, 2020 | Topics: History, News, News from Washington | Tags: international security, U.S. history, WWII

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