Week 1
1. “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
In 1964, the Beatles became US heartthrobs after their hit “I Want to Hold Your Hand” crossed the Atlantic Ocean and hit US charts…
2. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treat of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which was signed in 1848, began the formalization process of international relations between US and Mexico…
3. “The Day the Music Died”
In 1959, three aspiring musical artists tragically died in a plane crash in what has been called by some “The Day that Music Died.”
4. Untethered Spacewalk
In 1984, NASA Astronaut Bruce McCandless II became the first person to use the MMU and perform an untethered spacewalk.
5. The Battle of Guadalcanal
In 1943, soldiers from every branch of the US military attained victory against the Imperial Japanese military at the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Week 2
6. Bridge of Spies
The 2015 movie Bridge of Spies recounted the dramatic story that led to the Cold War exchange of Gary Powers and Rudolf Abel in 1963.
7. Tyson vs. Douglas
In 1990, underdog James “Buster” Douglas shocked the world when he knocked out Mike Tyson in a heavyweight boxing match in Japan.
8. Dan Jansen
At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, American speed skater Dan Jansen received troubling news before his competition….
9. “The Great Race of Mercy”
In 1925, a the inability to get a serum for diphtheria during an outbreak by sea prompted an organized effort to make the delivery via dogsled…
10. Ulysses S. Grant
In 1862, Brig. General Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Army to victory at the Battle of Fort Donelson….
Week 3
11. HL Hunley
In 1864, Horace L. Hunley’s namesake, the HL Hunley, became the first submerged vehicle to sink another vessel during war…
12. Huckleberry Finn
In 1885, the novel the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was released in the United States. It has remained relevant in literary education since that time…
13. The Abraham Lincoln Battalion
During the Spanish Civil War, volunteers from around the world journeyed to Spain to fight, one group was the Abraham Lincoln Battalion…
14. The Siege of the Alamo
In 1836, the Siege of the Alamo began when the Mexican Army surrounded the fort. The battle followed several days later…
15. Merrill’s Marauders
Merrill’s Marauders was the nickname a specially-trained group of men who waged a successful guerrilla-style war during World War 2…
Week 4
16. Hiram Rhodes Revels
Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to serve in either house of the US Congress in 1870…
17. United Artists
In 1919, four prominent entertainers formed their own company, United Artists, to retain control over certain aspects of the creative process…
18. Michael Jordan
In 1988, Michael Jordan amazed the crowd with an original slam dunk that would eventually help to define his professional identify…
19. Battle of Kasserine Pass
In 1943, the Allies, led by the US, met the Nazi German Army at Kasserine Pass, some argue it may have been a pyrrhic victory…
20. The Grand Tetons
In 1929, US President Calvin Coolidge signed an executive order creating the Grand National Park in Wyoming….