Friedrich Fröbel opened the first kindergarten on 28 June 1840 to mark the four hundredth anniversary of Gutenberg’s invention of movable type. Fröbel created the name and the term Kindergarten for the Play and Activity Institute, which he had founded in 1837. The first kindergarten in the United States was founded in Watertown, Wisconsin by (Margaret) Meyer Schurz in 1856. (more…)
Today is Ellis Island Family History Day. Ellis Island was the main port of entry into the United States from January 1, 1892, until November 12, 1954. It replaced an earlier used facility on the mainland. It was originally built under an agreement between New York and New Jersey. The main island was increased through artificial means until it was roughly the size as it exists today. A border dispute arose between the two states and finally the federal government has placed the entire facility under federal protection. It is part of the larger “Statue of Liberty” monument. Today, you can complete a free search to see if any of your ancestors came through this gateway. Free Search of Ellis Island Database – Port of New York Arrivals 1892-1924 (more…)
Proposal Day was started by a minister in England who wanted to give young couples some encouragement to take the next step from dating to engagement. Proposal Day takes place on the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes each year, the two days when day and night are equal. He chose these days to symbolize the partnership between husband and wife. (more…)
Specifically, it is a day to commemorate the first public library in the United States. To be sure, libraries themselves have been around since recorded history. As a matter of fact, where do you think they kept the recorded history? However, most libraries in antiquity were not open to the public. They were mainly institutional libraries or private collections of the very wealthy. A public library is one that is funded by the people, open to all, and is generally staffed by civil servants. Even under this definition, there is some issue as to what constitutes open to the public. (more…)