The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Past Exhibit … “A rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth.” -President Harry Truman’s statement on the Hiroshima atomic bombing, August 6, 1945 World War II marked the first—and only—wartime use of atomic weapons. Photograph of the Atomic Cloud Rising Over Nagasaki, Japan, August 9, 1945 . National Archives, Records of the Office of War Information View in National Archives Catalog On August 6, 1945, at approximately 8:15 …

250 Years of Beethoven Past Exhibit … 250 Years of Beethoven December marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of renowned German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827). Hailed as a musical genius, Beethoven wrote his first work at the age of 13 and went on to compose more than 700 pieces in his lifetime. His compositions stand out as much for their complexity as their personality. You might not be able to name one of his symphonies, but you’d probably recognize his music anywhere. …

Remembering 9/11 Past Exhibit … 20 Years Ago At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, out of a clear blue sky American Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Seventeen minutes later, United Flight 175 struck the South Tower. Over the next 90 minutes, American Flight 77 hit the Pentagon in Washington, DC; United Flight 93 crash landed in a field near Shanksville, PA; and both Twin Towers collapsed. As the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history unfolded over 102 …

Earth Day A Growing Movement Since 1970 Past Exhibit … The Congress, the Administration and the public all share a profound commitment to the rescue of our natural environment, and the preservation of the Earth as a place both habitable by and hospitable to man. —President Richard Nixon, "Reorganization Plan No. 3," message to Congress about establishing EPA, July 1970 More than 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Recognized by many as the birth of the U.S. …

150 Years of the Surgeon General Past Exhibit … Dr. John Maynard Woodworth, ca. 1870 (detail) Brady-Handy photograph collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division To many Americans, the Surgeon General of the United States is the “nation’s doctor.” It was a very different job, however, when Dr. John Maynard Woodworth was appointed the first Supervising Surgeon of the Marine Hospital Service in 1871. The previous year, Congress had established the service to replace the informal network …

50 Years Ago Government Stops Investigating UFOs Past Exhibit … Report of a “flying saucer” over U.S. airspace in 1947 caused a wave of “UFO hysteria” and sparked Federal investigation of unidentified flying objects. For more than 20 years, the U.S. Air Force analyzed UFO sightings and any security threat they posed; most notably through Project Blue Book, which launched in 1952.  Project Blue Book concluded its investigation 50 years ago, but American fascination with UFOs endures. These records were …

Woodstock 1969 Past Exhibit … The 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair featured some of the greatest performers of the time and attracted an audience of 400,000. One of the most famous musical events of the 20th century, Woodstock continues to be a powerful symbol of the 1960s and the counterculture movement. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of this cultural touchstone, a Featured Document exhibit highlighting the history and legacy of three day festival of “Peace & Music” will be on display. Life …

Never Forget Remembering the Holocaust Past Exhibit … 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz On January 27, 1945, Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp complex in German-occupied Poland. Russian soldiers discovered thousands of sick, dying, and dead prisoners when they entered the complex of concentration camps, forced labor camps, and a killing center abandoned by the Nazis. The Schutzstaffel (SS), Hitler's paramilitary organization, had attempted to destroy the camp before …

75th Anniversary of the United Nations Charter Past Exhibit … Cooperating for post-war peace and security As World War II reached its climax, the United Nations Conference on International Organization convened on April 25, 1945, in San Francisco, CA, for the purpose of drafting the United Nations Charter. For two months, delegates from 50 nations representing every race, religion, and creed, worked to turn Allied proposals for the United Nations into a charter that all member nations agreed to. On June …

Black Wall Street 100 Years Since the Tulsa Race Massacre Past Exhibit … “--- were dead. Figures are omitted [because] NO ONE KNOWS.” —Red Cross Report On Memorial Day 1921, a Black shoe shiner named Dick Rowland rode in an elevator with white operator Sarah Page. The next day, Rowland was detained inside the Tulsa, Oklahoma, courthouse for the alleged assault of Page. Meanwhile, Tulsans gathered outside the courthouse to either witness or prevent Rowland’s possible lynching. During this gathering, shots …