Category: North America

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright left the earth for the first successful flight of what we now know as an airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

In the 122 years since they mastered flight, the world has changed dramatically. Travel has gone from long, arduous, and expensive to fast, easy and relatively cheap. The world feels smaller now that we can traverse the globe on a commercial plane in a day or less. Let’s look back at these remarkable brothers and their historic invention.

Family Home in Dayton, Ohio

Orville and Wilbur Wright were raised in the Midwest, moving around several times. Eventually, the family settled in Dayton, Ohio when the boys were teenagers. Neither brother ever married, and continued to live at the family home until at least 1912, when Wilbur passed away.

In 1937, Henry Ford purchased the entire home and had it moved to Dearborn, Michigan. It became part of a large living museum that includes homes of important Americans, buildings where historic events took place, as well as vehicles that played crucial roles in history, including the bus where Rosa Parks sat and the car where President Kennedy was assassinated.

Bicycle Shop in Dayton, Ohio

When running a bicycle shop in the 1890s, they became enamored with the idea of creating a flying machine. Building on the designs of other aviation pioneers, the Wright brothers worked for years in the bicycle shop designing airplanes and conducting research about other aspects of aviation.

While the shop they worked out of when they flew their first successful airplane was moved to Michigan by Henry Ford, this building, where they worked in the 1890s, still stands in Dayton, and is a National Historic Site.

National Memorial at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

While living and working Dayton, the brothers selected a location just outside the small town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, for their flight testing. The area is now known as Kill Devil Hills, but people still commonly refer to the event occurring at Kitty Hawk.

The brothers selected the location because it had hills, a good breeze, and soft sand that would absorb the impact when they crash landed. At the site of the first flight is a 90-foot granite monument shaped to evoke feelings of reaching into the sky and leave the viewer with an impression of the genius and success of the brothers.

Visitor Center at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

At the bottom of the hill is a museum dedicated to the brothers and flight. It highlights the efforts made by the Wright brothers on their way to successfully flying their first airplane, as well as a life-size replica of the first flyer, called the Wright Flyer.

Wright Flyer, Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

The actual aircraft the brothers flew a total of four times that December day is now on display in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The aircraft was initially displayed elsewhere, but in 1948, the Smithsonian first displayed the aircraft. It has been on display for the public since.

Monument to Century of Flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

To commemorate the centennial, the city of Kitty Hawk and several other organizations unveiled a monument to the first 100 years of flight. It is a beautiful outdoor memorial with 14 stainless steel wing-shaped pylons emerging from the ground, as well as black granite panels to outline important developments in flight.

Wright Brothers Monument in Dayton, Ohio

While the first airplane was flown in North Carolina, the brothers did their research, construction, and experiments in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. Therefore, Dayton is as important to the development of flight as Kitty Hawk.

There is a beautiful outdoor memorial to the brothers and aviation at the site where the brothers conducted smaller test flights and did other hands-on research.

These are just a few of the important places and memorials in the development of flight. Hopefully the next time you see or hear an airplane in the sky, you’ll think about the wonder of flight, and the hard work that went into making air travel possible.

Every month, we’re going to take a deep dive into history, looking at one event that was important, remarkable, or impacted things in the world.

This month, we’re going to look at the life of President John F. Kennedy, and his assassination on November 22, 1963.

Birthplace of John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children born to Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy, and one of three brothers who had successful careers in politics.

His family lived in the home for six years, but moved a few blocks away, as they needed more room when Rose was pregnant with her fifth child. The Kennedys lived in the Boston suburb for the first ten years of John’s life.

Riverdale, New York Home

The Kennedys moved to New York City, in part to avoid some of the discrimination against Irish Americans in Boston. Their home had 20 rooms spread across three floors, and sits on 1.3 acres, a massive estate in New York City. However, the family only lived here two years, as Joseph wanted an even grander house for his family, to demonstrate their upward mobility.

Kennedy Compound

The Kennedy family spent their summers in the “Kennedy Compound” in Hyannis Port, MA.

The compound is made up of three houses on six acres of waterfront property on the island of Cape Cod. John F. Kennedy used the compound as his presidential campaign headquarters, and later as a “Summer White House” while he was president.

Edward “Ted” Kennedy, who represented Massachusetts as a US Senator for nearly 50 years, also had a home on the property. He lived there from 1982 until his death in 2007.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ Childhood Homes

While John was growing up in New York, his future wife, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, was growing up in Virginia and Rhode Island. She was born on July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York, but moved at a young age to Merrywood in McLean, Virginia when her mom married Standard Oil heir Hugh Auchincloss.

Jacqueline’s family also spent time in Newport, Rhode Island, in a home called Hammersmith Farm. This is where she married John F. Kennedy when he was a US Senator on September 12, 1953.

Later, the family spent part of their summers here during his tenure as president, giving it the nickname of “Summer White House” alongside the Kennedy Compound.

Hickory Hill, McLean, VA

John and Jacqueline bought a home named Hickory Hill in the DC suburb of McLean, Virginia, in 1955. However, they only lived here for about a year before selling the property to Robert Kennedy and his wife Ethel, to house their growing family.

The White House

On November 8, 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected president, and was sworn in as President of the United States on January 20, 1961. He and his family moved into the White House, where they lived for nearly three years.

During that time, Jacqueline made a great effort to restore the “People’s House” to its original grandeur and created the Rose Garden, a beautiful and lasting legacy of their time as First Family.

Dealy Plaza

In November 1963, President Kennedy and his wife took a trip to Texas to work out some political issues and visit the people of Texas. On November 22, the couple, along with the Governor of Texas John Connally and his wife, were in a motorcade driving through Dealy Plaza in downtown Dallas when, at 12:30 pm, the president and the governor were both shot.

X Marks the Spot

In an effort to preserve the memory of the president and the tragic events, many of the signs, buildings, and other features near Dealy Plaza have been protected. Additionally, an X painted on the street marks the spot where the 35th president was shot and assassinated.

Parkland Memorial Hospital

The Secret Service quickly realized what had happened, and the president was rushed to Parkland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about thirty minutes after being shot.

Later that day, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States.

Dallas Municipal Building

Less than 90 minutes after the shooting, Dallas police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald for the shooting. He was held at the Dallas Municipal Building, where the police were headquartered.

On November 24, Oswald was being moved to another jail when he was shot and killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. This murder prevented Oswald from being given a fair trial and the opportunity to confirm many of the details of the assassination.

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Burial Spot in Arlington Cemetery

President Kennedy was laid to rest in Arlington Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.

His wife felt his final resting place should be a public memorial to him and his legacy, as he died serving the American people. At his tomb is an eternal flame to keep his memory alive.

Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester, MA

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is located next to the University of Massachusetts in the Dorchester area of Boston.

The building was designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei.

This is the official repository for Kennedy’s papers, presidential material, and correspondence. It is also a museum to the 35th president and his term in office.

John F. Kennedy only lived to be 46, but he has left an imprint on the national memory, and will always be remembered as a dynamic, forward-thinking leader who was not afraid to face the challenges of his day head on and work to advance the causes of democracy and freedom around the world. He started the Peace Corps, advanced the US space program, appointed the first African American Supreme Court Justice, and raised the reputation of the US around the world.

For this and more, he will always be remembered.

It’s October, the perfect time to spend time among the cemeteries, give ourselves a little spook, safe from the computer. Most cemeteries in the United States are peaceful resting places for our dearly departed loved ones, but there are some that stand out due to their historical importance, fame, reputation, or serenity.

Arlington Cemetery, Virginia

Arlington Cemetery is “America’s Cemetery”, the final resting place for over 400,000 military members, their families and renowned civil leaders including President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Thurgood Marshall.

The cemetery is known for its rolling hills and uniform white headstones. Visitors can access maps and databases to locate their loved ones’ final resting places. The most hallowed portion of the cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which houses unidentified remains of soldiers from several conflicts, and is watched over by a military guard day and night, rain or shine, including the brutal summer heat, terrible snow storms and even hurricanes.

Photo Credit: AP

Bonaventure Cemetery, Georgia

Just east of Savannah, GA is the Bonaventure Cemetery, made famous in the book and movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and long acclaimed for its beautiful graves and tombs. Over 150 years old, the cemetery has large oak trees and Spanish moss, unique statues and tombs, and landscaping that evokes a time long past and a respect for those beyond the grave.

Photo Credit: Bonaventure Historical Society

Most famous is the “Bird Girl” statue featured in the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, but the statue has since been moved to a local museum to better feature the statue while maintaining a respectful and peaceful atmosphere in the cemetery.

Key West Cemetery, Florida

This cemetery on the edge of the United States was established in 1847, after an 1846 hurricane damaged other cemeteries on the island and bodies needed to be reburied quickly. It has an eclectic mix of residents, some having died long before the cemetery was created, others being unknown slaves, Cuban revolutionaries from the 1800s, and soldiers who died in the Spanish-American War on the USS Maine. There is a meaningful memorial to those Africans who died on the transatlantic journey to the United States to be sold as slaves.

The cemetery has a unique feel, blending a peaceful respect for the dead with well-known laid back island attitude famous to Key West. Pleasant palm trees and bright blue sun are contrasted with austere and ornate vaults, tombs and statues intermingled with broken and crumbling carvings tombstones and monuments. The cemetery is the final home to over 100,000 individuals, far surpassing the 30,000 living residents of the island.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, New York

Located in Sleepy Hollow, New York, this cemetery is one of the most storied final resting places in the United States. Rolling hills, large trees and ancient statues contribute to the “haunted” feeling made famous in Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” that takes place in the old village.  Walking the winding pathways in the fall, one almost anticipates running into a headless horseman.

Tours are available of historical sites within the cemetery, as well as of resting places of famous individuals including Washington Irving, Elizabeth Arden, William Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.

These are just a few of the many interesting cemeteries across the country. If you’re not close to one of these, you can certainly go exploring in your own hometown and find unique, memorable or interesting stories in any cemetery!

Politicians, civic leaders and royalty are often idolized, followed and even revered. Tragically, these leaders are sometimes stalked, harassed or even murdered in cold blood. When that happens, the scene of the assassination becomes a memorial to the victim, a place where mourners can honor and remember the dead.

Here are the sites of several famous assassinations.

Abraham Lincoln-Ford’s Theater, Washington, D.C.

Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. was a new and popular destination when Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln went to the theater on April 14, 1865. In the middle of the performance, Lincoln was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth, an embittered supporter of the Confederacy. Lincoln was carried across the street to the Peterson House, where he died early the next morning.

Ford’s Theater later fell into decline and disrepair. It was partially opened as a museum in the 1930s and as fully renovated museum and theater in 1968.

Now, many visitors come each year to learn about and pay respects to the 16th president.

John F. Kennedy-Dealy Plaza, Dallas, Texas

John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline traveled to Dallas, Texas in November 1963. They were part of a public motorcade as they traveled to a luncheon event. As they turned onto Elm Street on Dealy Plaza, the President was fatally shot. Governor Connally was also shot but survived.

Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder, but was himself assassinated two days later by Jack Ruby.

Visitors and mourners can see the exact spot of the shooting, which is memorialized by an X on the street. Conspiracies still circulate widely about the truth behind the events that day.

Martin Luther King, Jr.-Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great civil rights leader fighting for racial equality. He traveled to various cities to lead nonviolent protests and marches. He was such a frequent traveler to Memphis that he was a regular at the Lorraine Motel, staying in the same room every time he was in town.

On April 4, 1968, King was in Memphis to organize a nonviolent protest. While standing outside his hotel room, he was shot and killed by James Earl Ray. Ray escaped to London, where he was arrested and send back to the United States for prosecution. He pled guilty and died in prison in 1998.

The room was never again used for guests, and the entire hotel was turned into a National Civil Rights Museum in 1991, where visitors can learn about the history of civil rights in the United States since the 17th century.

Malcolm X-Audubon Ballroom, New York, New York

Malcolm X  was born Malcolm Little in Nebraska. While  in prison, he became a member of the Nation of Islam, which advocated for black self-reliance, racial segregation and Islamic teachings. He changed his last name to “X” to be rid of the name given his family by white slave owners.

Malcolm X became well-known throughout the United States, but eventually became disillusioned with the organization. After leaving the organization, he clashed with it and received serious death threats for months. On February 21, 1965, he was preparing to speak at a meeting at the Audubon Ballroom, he was shot 21 times by three individuals associated with the Nation of Islam. His life and death and the aftermath were all controversial, but his death was nonetheless tragic and difficult for the communities he loved and helped through his works.

Robert Kennedy-Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California

Just a few short years after his brother’s death at the hands of an assassin, Robert Kennedy was running for president on a platform of social justice and equality. He was campaigning in Los Angeles on California’s primary election day on June 5, 1968. After receiving the positive election results, Kennedy gave a speech at the Ambassador Hotel and then left through the hotel kitchen when he was mortally wounded by Sirhan Sirhan.

Kennedy’s death rocked the country, following on the heels of Martin Luther King Jr.’s murder and so similar to his brother’s tragic and public murder.

His death, while witnessed by many, is still surrounded by conspiracy and confusion as to specific details of the crime.

These are just a few of the many politically and personally motivated killings that have rocked the world, and each one leaves a mark on their family, the community, and often even the world.

From a presidential impeachment to a global pandemic, from murder hornets to a presidential election, 2020 seems like the year that has it all. But looking back throughout history, we are reminded that many important, and world-altering things have happened before. And we’ve always survived, moved on, and become stronger from our experiences.

Let’s take a look back on some important events from Septembers past.

Luis XIV of France Dies

Louis XIV of France was king for more than 72 years, wearing the crown from the age of five until he died at age 76 on September 1, 1715. The 72 years of his reign were eventful, and impactful on all of Europe. He was one of the most powerful leaders in European history, and ruled France with absolute authority. His most enduring legacy may in fact be the absolutely stunning Versailles which he developed and turned into the grandest palace in Europe.

Assault on Israeli Athletes in Olympic Village

The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, Germany, and were supposed to be a global event focused on non-violence and global unity.

However, on September 4, several terrorists from the Palestinian Liberation Organization attacked the apartments of Israeli athletes, killing two and taking nine hostage. After a tense day of negotiations, as the terrorists and their captives were about to leave the country by helicopter, a shootout erupted. The remaining nine hostages were killed, along with five of the eight terrorists and a West German police officer.

The event led to significant changes in Olympic security, as well as a years-long hunt by Israel’s Mossad to track down and eliminate everyone responsible for the attack.

Unites States Attacked by Terrorists

If you live in the United States, it’s hard to forget the importance of September 11, 2001, when more than 3,000 men, women, and children were killed in terrorist attacks. In the 19 years since, the country has done so much to commemorate those who died that day, and to make sure something so terrible doesn’t happen again.

There is a beautiful memorial at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, to commemorate those who died on the flight and on the ground.

Just outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania is the memorial to those who died on Flight 93 as they thwarted an attack likely aimed for the U.S. Capitol.

In New York City, at the site where the Twin Towers once stood is a large and peaceful memorial for those who died on the airplanes, those who died in the towers and on the ground, and those brave first responders who died or were injured trying to save others after the attacks.

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Battle of Baltimore and Writing of Star Spangled Banner

The Revolutionary War wasn’t the only battle between the United States and Great Britain. In 1812, the two countries went to war again. American lawyer Francis Scott Key was on a British ship to negotiate a prisoner exchange when the Battle of Baltimore broke out. As he watched British ships bombard Fort McHenry on the night of September 13, 1814, he focused on the American flag flying over the fort.

When he woke the next morning, a larger American flag was flying, showing they had not surrendered during the overnight battle. He was so inspired that he wrote a poem, which later became the “Star Spangled Banner”, the country’s national anthem.

Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest day of fighting during the Civil War. Between the two sides, nearly 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or went missing. It was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and was the first battle in the eastern hemisphere of the war to be fought on Union soil.

While the battle was fought to a draw, it was a tactical win for the Union, as the battle discouraged France and Great Britain from recognizing the Confederate States of America as an independent country. The battlefield has been turned into a national historical site and is a great place for families to visit and learn more about the sacrifices made by individuals during the Civil War.

Sandra Day O’Connor Joins US Supreme Court

When Republican President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to the US Supreme Court in 1981, it was groundbreaking. She was the first female nominee to the highest court in the United States. She was approved by the Senate by a vote of 99-0, and was sworn in as an Associate Justice on September 25, 1981. She served as a swing vote for many important cases, and is a role model to young women everywhere, reminding them that they can achieve anything if they get a good education, work hard, and never give up.

James Dean Dies in Car Crash

James Dean was an American heartthrob in the 1950s, even though he only starred in three movies in his career. His celebrity icon status endures even to this day. James Dean rocketed to fame after starring in East of Eden in 1955, and quickly cemented his status in Rebel without a Cause later in the year.

On September 30, 1955, James Dean was driving his Porsche Spyder in the California desert when he collided with another car and was killed in the accident. Dean was nominated for an Academy Award in 1955 for his work in East of Eden and in 1956 for his work in Giant.

These are just a few of the memorable, tragic, and world-changing events that have happened in history. It’s cool to think that the experiences we have will someday be considered important history. And even if they don’t end up in the history books, they’re important to all those experiencing them.