History lessons is a grouping of historical stories and tidbits. The topics range from the American Civil War through interesting items from around the world. Please use the comments area to ask questions and make suggestions for future topics.
Two weeks ago, a brand-new flag ceremony occurred in Washington, D.C. To salute firefighters who have given their lives to save others, American flags waved from the dome of the U.S. Capitol. The banners marked the loss of nearly 100 heroes in 2013. Another nine were raised to honor, symbolically, those who had died in… continue
From baseball games to symphonic concerts, everyone in the U.S. has heard someone sing or play the National Anthem to honor the American flag. Very few, however, have seen “The Star-Spangled Banner” in pantomime. But a book exists that could change that. At one time, it was a bible for acting out Francis Scott Key’s… continue
The most famous three-part name linked to “The Star-Spangled Banner” is, of course, Francis Scott Key. In this bicentennial year of the composition of his ode to the American flag, it’s good to recall another name: Elsie Jorss Reilley, whose musical talent helped the poem become the National Anthem. From 1814 until 1931, when Congress… continue
September 14 celebrates the bicentennial of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The creation of the poem about the American flag involved coincidences, luck and deliberate decisions. A few days before he watched “the rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air,” Francis Scott Key had no idea he would witness the 1814 bombardment of Fort McHenry in… continue
Ed Shevlin recently retired from the New York City Sanitation Department, but not from rescuing American flags tossed in the trash. “I noticed years ago a fairly high increase of U.S. flags in the garbage,” he said in an interview. “It really bothered me, so I began a campaign to save Old Glory. I’ve been… continue