Presidential speeches have been an invaluable part of U.S. democracy since Washington’s inaugural address on April 30, 1789. While much of the oral tradition has remained unchanged, the evolution of mass communication has turned speeches into conversations. Using historical documents, government and political science websites, and news articles, Stacker curated a gallery of famous speeches […]
History
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20 of the strangest natural phenomena in America
As the fourth-largest country in the world, the United States has a vast assortment of picture-perfect natural scenery to flaunt. From the Alaskan Tundra to the Gulf of Mexico, Niagara Falls to the Hawaiian Islands, the contrasts between the 50 American states and five territories are fascinating and sometimes enigmatic. Geological, physical, chemical, and biological […]
Posted inHistory, Things To Do
Portsmouth to celebrate Founders’ Day on March 7 with a showing of the original 1638 Compact and 1776 Southwick Copy of Declaration of Independence
The Portsmouth Historical Society has arranged a public viewing of the original founding document, the 1638 Portsmouth Compact, with the RI State Archives to commemorate its signing. The 385-year-old precious document, one of the oldest and most important documents in the State Archives, will be transported with a police escort to and from the Portsmouth […]
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60 historic photos from American military history
On the world stage, as a leading military superpower, America has been involved in wars and conflicts to protect or ensure American values and democracy, as well as the sovereignty of other nations, and to support allied governments whose own conflicts bear on global peace. Each U.S. military branch—from the Army and Marine Corps to […]
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50 famous firsts from presidential history
George Washington, the country’s first president, won both of his elections unanimously, with every elector casting their vote for him. That’s a far cry from today’s bitterly contested battles. President Washington was followed in office by John Adams, the first resident of the new White House, then still called the President’s House. Presidential firsts made […]
Posted inArts & Culture
50 classics from (almost) everyone’s high school reading list
Research shows that reading fiction encourages empathy. While more high school curriculums should include modern, diverse writers like Amy Tan and Malala Yousafzai, certain classics—like John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” and Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street”—endure. Some even make a comeback. George Orwell’s “1984,” a novel published in 1949 about a dystopian […]
Posted inArts & Culture
70 photos from the ’70s that show how the world was changing
All told, the 1970s were a chaotic decade. At home, the countercultural revolution of the ’60s continued with protests against the Vietnam War and demonstrations in favor of increased women’s rights. Globally, there was also a good amount of political upheaval evidenced by the Iranian Revolution, the conflicts between Egypt and Israel, and the ongoing […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Black History Month: RI’s Greatest African American Musicians
From Opera to Doo-Wop to Jazz, African-American artists have contributed enormously to Rhode Island’s musical heritage. As part of our celebration of Black History Month, we’re introducing you to a few Rhode Islanders who paved the way. For more, check out the videos in the story below and visit the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame […]
Posted inHistory
50 essential civil rights speeches
Activists, athletes, actors, and preachers with sometimes-fiery presentation skills are just a few of the people who’ve communicated the message of civil rights to the masses. When many people think of civil rights, the path to equality for the Black community comes to mind, but oration is equally as instrumental to civil rights movements too, […]
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Black history from the year you were born
Black History Month is dedicated to celebrating the achievements and reflecting on the experiences of African Americans. What began as a week in 1926 has blossomed into 28 days of remembrance and lessons on the contributions of Black Americans. Many Black Americans come from a lineage of captured and enslaved people who were forcibly brought […]
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Biggest snowfalls recorded in Rhode Island history
Almost everyone who lives in areas prone to snow seems to have a legendary snowstorm story: the blizzard of ’78, the Storm of the Century, any of the blizzards or bomb cyclones that have happened since then. And according to experts, historic snowstorms—the kind you measure all other snowy days against—are becoming more regular. Despite […]
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Presidents Day: Ten facts everyone should know (but probably doesn’t) about President George Washington
On the third Monday in February, the nation honors its first President, George Washington, born on February 22, 1732. A revered leader who was the only political independent to hold the office, the actions of President Washington established many fundamental precedents that remain intact today, while his words offered cautions about threats to America and its democratic […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The most popular book the year you were born
There is nothing quite like settling into a book you love. But finding a real page-turner can be challenging and has only gotten more difficult as of late, as the amount of choices has grown exponentially. In 2022, roughly 542.6 million print books were sold in the U.S., according to Publisher’s Weekly. Walking through a […]
Posted inHistory
Fun, Interesting, Famous and Memorable Quotes About Newport, Rhode Island
{Photo via Frank G. Harris (1885)/Wikimedia Commons} Newport, RI has inspired many writers, celebrities, musicians and creative minds over the last several hundred years. While there’s never any shortage of things to say about The City-By-The-Sea, here are some of the most fun, interesting, famous and most memorable quotes about Newport, RI. ”One hundred years after the declaration […]
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Reflections on Martin Luther King Day 2023
“The time is always right to do what is right.” I began Kindergarten in the Fall of 1968 at what was then the newly renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, a school that continues to educate a diverse population in the Mount Hope neighborhood in Providence. King had been assassinated the previous Spring, […]
Posted inThings To Do
Built Before 1765: Oldest buildings in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport has the highest concentrations of colonial homes in the nation, the What’sUpNewp crew started this project as a list of the “Top 10 oldest houses in Newport”. It wasn’t soon after starting our research that we found ourselves digging deeper and deeper into Newport’s history completely fascinated. It’s still completely mind-numbing trying to understand […]
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18 famous actors and actresses that have ties to Newport
Newport has a long history of socialites, presidents, celebrities and famous people visiting, filming and sailing in The City By The Sea. Today we take a look at the actors, actresses and celebrities who were born, raised or have ties to Newport, RI… In no particular order 1 – Mena Suvari Actress Mena Suvari was born in Newport […]
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Five fun facts about each of Newport’s oldest and most historic churches
If you thought the City of Newport had a long history, you should spend some time reading up on each and every church, congregation, parish and religious meeting place. The triumphs and tribulations of each organization over hundreds of years is beautiful, remarkable and something that we should all spend more time learning about. There […]
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Timeline of Jewish history in the US
One of the most compelling reasons for early settlers to immigrate to the Americas was to exercise their right to religious freedom. As a result, members of several minority religions, including Judaism, were some of the first to brave the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. The Jewish Virtual Library has records of the Jewish population […]
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On This Day – Dec. 10, 1905: U.S. Naval Torpedo Station on Goat Island receives transmission of the first distress signal in U.S.
Wireless radio was a major breakthrough in communications technology. To send or transmit by wireless telegraphy, electromagnetic waves are used to send and receive information in the form of Morse code messages. Guglielmo Marconi (1847-1937) did not invent the wireless, but he applied certain improvements to the existing devices through experimentation and made the systems […]
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Murderous 1600s pirate hid out in US colonies with impunity
By WILLIAM J. KOLE Associated Press WARWICK, R.I. (AP) — One tarnished silver coin at a time, the ground is yielding new evidence that in the late 1600s, one of the world’s most ruthless pirates wandered the American colonies with impunity. Newly surfaced documents also strengthen the case that English buccaneer Henry Every — the target […]
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A timeline of WWII, one of the most devastating conflicts in world history
Dec. 7, 2022, marks the 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor, a catastrophic surprise attack by Japan on a U.S. naval base on Oahu that killed2,403 U.S. personnel in 1941. In honor of that somber anniversary, Stacker compiled facts about that attack along with 19 other major events that occurred from the time German aggression began […]
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Holiday gift crazes and fads of the past century
The holidays are coming, and just like every year before this one, there’s sure to be a new gift craze or fad taking the country by storm. To celebrate, Stacker researched the crazes and fads of years past, from 1919 until today. The information comes from lists of the hardest-to-find and the most popular Christmas […]
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On This Day In Newport History: Touro Synagogue dedicated on December 2, 1763
Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States, was dedicated during the Chanukah festival celebrations on December 2nd of 1763. According to the Touro Synagogue’s website, the dedication ceremony was a regional celebration attended not only by the congregation but also by clergy and other dignitaries from around the colony including […]
Posted inSports
15 notable farewell tours in sports history
You can work well into your 60s in most professions, or even longer in politics (Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both in their late 70s). But the shelf life of professional athletes is more like that of avocados—they get soft before too long. Most are retired by the time they turn 40. Athletes who […]