Music provides the soundtrack for our lives—and there’s a reason for that. There’s a scientifically demonstrated link between music and memory. This is especially true of high school years; the music we listen to as teenagers sets our musical taste for life. That’s why certain songs may bring you right back to your high school […]
History
Posted inArts & Culture
Lyrics to 60 famously misunderstood songs, explained
The word mondegreen is defined as a misheard word or phrase that makes sense in your head, but is, in fact, incorrect. The term was coined in a November 1954 Harper’s Bazaar piece, where the author, Sylvia Wright, recalled a childhood mishearing. According to the author, when she was young her mother would read to […]
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From Fenway to Lambeau: The oldest sports venue in each state with major league teams
Some wines and beautiful people get better with age, while others fade over the years. The same is true of sports venues. Some stadiums and arenas deteriorate and become forlorn after only a couple of decades, while others are still vital and beloved a century after they were built—helped along by occasional renovations. Cubs and […]
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Can you guess which US city this 'Jeopardy!' clue is about?
This was the first U.S. city to have an elevated train line … This city is home to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade … The Disney World Resort opened in 1971 in this east coast city … In America’s nearly 250-year history, cities are one of the few parts of our society that […]
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Born in Harm’s Way: The Advent of Navy Medicine in the Revolutionary War
Story by André Sobocinski , U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm’s way.~Captain John Paul Jones Today’s U.S. Navy recognizes October 13th as its official birthdate. It was on this day in 1775 that the Continental […]
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Nobel Prize history from the year you were born
Since 1901, Nobel Prizes have honored the world’s best and brightest and showcased the work of brilliant and creative minds, thanks to Swedish businessman Alfred Nobel, who made his fortune with the invention of dynamite. The Prize in Physiology or Medicine often honors those whose discoveries led to medical breakthroughs, new drug treatments, or a […]
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On This Day in Newport History – October 6, 1884: Naval War College Established in Newport
On October 6, 1884, Secretary of the Navy William E. Chandler signed General Order 325, which began by simply stating: “A college is hereby established for an advanced course of professional study for naval officers, to be known as the Naval War College.” Its first president, Commodore Stephen B. Luce, was given the old building […]
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First U.S. Open Golf Tournament Was Held on October 4, 1895 at Newport Country Club
On October 4, 1895, the first U.S. Open Championship was hosted by the United States Golf Association on the nine-hole course of Newport Country Club. The first U.S. Open was considered something of a sideshow to the first U.S. Amateur, which was played on the same course and during the same week. Both championships had been […]
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33 groundbreaking NASA missions in photographs
The universe is nearly 14 billion years old. Human existence makes up a tiny fraction of that time. If the history of Earth was made up of 24 hours, humans came into the picture just before 11:59 p.m.—and we’ve spent much of that time fascinated with space. For so long, we have posited theories and done our […]
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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 […]
Posted inHistory, Sports
This day in Newport History: September 19, 1902 – Jimmy Van Alen born in Newport
Jimmy Van Alen, tennis star and founder of the International Tennis Hall of Fame was born on September 19, 1902 in Newport. Alen was the son of James Laurens Van Alen and Margaret Louis Post, prominent members of Newport society who were descendants of the Astor family. In 1925, Alen graduated from Christ’s College in Cambridge, […]
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This Day in RI History: September 12, 1830 – William Sprague IV is born in Cranston
William Sprague IV, former Governor and U.S. Senator from Rhode Island was born on September 12, 1830 in Cranston. Sprague was Governor from 1860-1863 and served in the U.S. Senate from 1863-1875. Sprague was born in the Governor William Sprague Mansion in Cranston, the youngest son of Amasa and Fanny Morgan Sprague. His Uncle, William […]
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Newport Socialite Alice Roosevelt: America’s first celebrity daughter?
“Princess” Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt and Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, is sometimes regarded as the first American celebrity. Known for her staunch independence, escapades, wit, and nonconformity, Alice cemented a place for herself in history beyond that of a president’s daughter. In her lifetime, Alice attended thousands of dinners, balls, […]
Posted inThings To Do
Samuel Slater Experience announces Fall programs
[Webster, MA] – Just six months after opening its doors to the public and a spring season that brought visitors from all over New England to Webster, Mass., Samuel Slater Experience is expanding its program offerings this fall with concerts and conversations that pay homage to the history of the region. Described as “Disney-like,” the museum employs state-of-the-art 4-D […]
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Counties with the oldest homes in Rhode Island
There’s an undeniable charm that comes with pre-World War II American architecture, characterized by high ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors, and ornate details. In fact, 12.8% of all housing units in America were built in 1939 or before, showing the popularity of the preservation of these units. Owning a piece of history can sometimes come […]
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PHOTOS: President John F. Kennedy Sailing In Newport on August 26, 1962
President John F. Kennedy vacationed at Hammersmith Farm in Newport on August 26th & 27th, 1962. Speaking about President Kennedy’s lifelong fascination with the sea, Jacqueline Kennedy once said; “It was really the boat that relaxed him the most. . . . It was for what getting out on a horse was for me, in the air, no phone […]
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Today In Newport History: August 19, 1991 – Hurricane Bob Makes Landfall Over Newport
Hurricane Bob developed in the central Bahamas on August 16, then steadily intensified and reached hurricane status on the evening of August 17. Bob continued to strengthen during the next 48 hours, as it began an acceleration north-northeastward, paralleling the East Coast. The eye of Hurricane Bob passed over Block Island, Rhode Island at approximately […]
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Touro Synagogue to host 75th Annual George Washington Letter Reading on August 21
Every summer, Touro Synagogue Foundation partners with Congregation Jeshuat Israel to host The George Washington Letter Reading, an event honoring our nation’s heritage of religious freedom. George Washington’s 1790 letter to “To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport” was written during his first trip to Rhode Island as President and affirmed the new national government’s absolute […]
Posted inArts & Culture, History
This Day in RI History: August 9, 1918 – Director Robert Aldrich born in Cranston
Award-winning Director, Producer, and Screenwriter Robert Aldrich was born on August 9, 1918 in Cranston, RI. Aldrich is best known for his films including Vera Cruz, The Dirty Dozen and The Longest Yard. Aldrich grew up in Cranston and attended the Moses Brown School and later the University of Virginia. Coming from a wealthy family […]
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The 3,000-year history of toll roads
Bettmann // Getty Images The 3,000-year history of toll roads Paying for passage along one’s journey was a common practice even for the gods. Humans have written the ritual into ancient treatises and mythologies. Whether it involves the transportation of souls, livestock, or a road-tripping family of four, the fundamental truth of the road is […]
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Military medals and what they mean
In 1787, Col. David Humphreys wrote: “Few inventions could be more happily calculated to diffuse the knowledge and preserve the memory of illustrious characters and splendid events, than medals.” The Revolutionary War colonel and aide-de-camp to Gen. George Washington made that statement more than a decade after the Continental Congress first instituted the tradition of issuing […]
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Most common jobs 150 years ago in Rhode Island
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact the global economy, the current job market is a hot topic in the news cycle. But while the pandemic itself is, historically, something of an economic aberration, the U.S. economy that we know today has a long and storied history of expansions, recessions, and evolution. At the time […]
Posted inHistory
Let’s spare a few words for ‘Silent Cal’ Coolidge on July 4, his 150th birthday
Chris Lamb, IUPUI A woman sitting next to President Calvin Coolidge at a dinner party once told him she had made a bet that she could get him to say more than two words. “You lose,” replied Coolidge, who served as president from 1923 until 1929. During a White House recital, a nervous opera singer […]
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The Declaration of Independence wasn’t really complaining about King George, and 5 other surprising facts for July Fourth
Woody Holton, University of South Carolina Editor’s note: Americans may think they know a lot about the Declaration of Independence, but many of those ideas are elitist and wrong, as historian Woody Holton explains. His 2021 book “Liberty is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution” shows how independence and the Revolutionary War were […]
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Counties in Rhode Island with the most pre-war homes
Pre-war homes—those built before 1939—are architectural gems. They are sturdy, charming, and often what people are referring to when they look at the prevalent colorless, linear designs of today and lament “they just don’t make them like they used to.” In some ways, that’s a good thing. Pre-war homes often contained materials we know to […]