pbsthisdayinhistory

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Today In History

‘Jackie Robinson, the first Black baseball player in the major leagues, was born in Cairo, GA, on this date January 31, 1919. Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, ending five decades of segregated baseball. At the time of his retirement in October 1972, Robinson is believed to have been the most respected of all baseball players.’

(photo: Jackie Robinson)

- CARTER Magazine

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Remembering Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

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Awesome blog post from Cristy Gelling at the Genetics Society of America about Nettie Stevens’ contributions to genetics. Nettie Stevens received her PhD at Bryn Mawr in 1903. 

She discovered that in some species chromosomes are different among the sexes, by observations of insect chromosomes. The discovery was the first time that observable differences of chromosomes could be linked to an observable difference in physical attributes, i.e. if an individual is a male or a female.

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Happy Birthday, Frank Lloyd Wright. 

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“I told you, all of my critics, I told you all that I was the greatest of all time when I beat Sonny Liston. I told you today I’m still the greatest of all time.” – RIP Muhammad Ali, who died Friday at 74. http://to.pbs.org/1ssot3H

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Vice President Nixon and Bob Hope at the National Celebrities Open golf tournament. (Photo: A10-024.9.9.1; September 4, 1953)

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Here’s Patti Smith on censorship, Bob Dylan, and poetry’s impact on her. 

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30 years after the disaster, explore the ruins of Chernobyl through the eyes of one of its young survivors. FRONTLINE and New York University present “Return to Chernobyl” – an original 360° documentary.

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Source

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“I could have gone on flying through space forever.” — Yuri Gagarin, cosmonaut and first man in space (born 3/9/1934)

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R.I.P. Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird

Nelle Harper Lee, the author whose monumental work To Kill A Mockingbird became an American classic, has died. She was 89.

Lee’s landmark book, a permanent fixture in most school curricula, is an indelible touchstone of Americana, to say nothing of its excellent qualities as a novel, of which there are many. In his review of Go Set A Watchmen for The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik wrote, “Harper Lee did for Maycomb (her poeticized version of her hometown, Monroeville, Alabama) what J.D. Salinger did for Central Park—made it a permanent amphitheatre of American adolescence. One realizes with a slight, shamed start that we would now condescend to this kind of effort as belonging merely to a Y.A., or young adult, novel.” The fact that many first encounter her book at a young age means her lyrical writing imprints itself that much more firmly upon the still-developing psyche.

Read the full obituary at avclub.com

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NASA Day of Remembrance

Every year at this time, we take a moment to reflect as the NASA Family on the very broad shoulders on which we stand: the shoulders of those women and men of NASA who gave their lives so that we could continue to reach for new heights for the benefit of all humankind.

To honor our fallen heroes and friends, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Deputy Administrator Dava Newman spoke at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, at the grave sites of the fallen crew.

The crew aboard the International Space Station also payed tribute with a moment of silence. 

President Barack Obama recognized the day with the release of an official statement that honors the legacy of the heroes who lost their lives helping America touch the stars.

To view the President’s full statement, visit HERE. 

Visit our Day of Remembrance page to learn about the crews & missions we’ve lost: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/DOR2016/index.html

Thank you for keeping our fallen colleagues in your hearts and for honoring their legacy.

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People Across The Country Share How MLK Has Inspired Them

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“The only time I get sort of nostalgic is if I see the old videos or I see a bit of the Ziggy Stardust concerts or whatever” - Bowie

http://blankonblank.org/interviews/david-bowie-ziggy-stardust/

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‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ was born Dec. 12, 1915. But was Sinatra a jazz singer?

When he appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1965, critics argued that one of the best-selling artists in history wasn’t a jazz musician, technically.  

Not everyone agreed. Jazz saxophonist Lester Young once said:

“If I could put together exactly the kind of band I wanted, Frank Sinatra would be the singer.”

Our National Museum of American History examines why we get a kick out of Frank, 100 years after his birth. 

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Today marks the 35th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. Watch this Blank on Blank episode to hear his thoughts on love. 

Lost John Lennon interview, animated. 

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December 7th 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor

On this day in 1941, just before 8 am, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched an attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After decades of escalating tensions, primarily over Japanese aggression against China, and Japanese anger over American trade sanctions, the Japanese strike on America’s Pacific Fleet still came as a surprise. In a two hour assault, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs and torpedoes which killed around 2,400 American soldiers and sailors, while 20 naval vessels and 200 planes were destroyed. In contrast, the Japanese suffered just 64 fatalities. The Pearl Harbor attacks were part of a larger, co-ordinated assault against American territories in Guam and the Philippines, and parts of the British Empire. While the strike certainly damaged the Pacific Fleet, vitally important aircraft carriers were spared as they were away from the base, and shipyards remained intact, allowing for swift rebuilding. The next day, following a powerful speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. The legislature passed the war measure with only one dissenting vote, cast by pacifist Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana. America’s declaration of war was immediately followed by further declarations by Japan’s Axis allies Germany and Italy against the United States. Two years in, despite initial isolationist neutrality, America was now involved in the Second World War. The entrance of the United States into the war marked a pivotal turning point in one of the bloodiest wars in human history, as the full might of the American military joined the Allied cause against the forces of Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and imperial Japan.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” - President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Congress