January 28, 1986: Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. On January 28, 1986, at 11:39 am EST (approximately one minute after liftoff), the Challenger spacecraft disintegrated off the coast of central Florida. The crew consisted of Commander Francis R. Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Judith A. Resnick, Ellison S. Onizuka, Ronald E. McNair, Payload Specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and Sharon Christa McAuliffe. Christa McAuliffe was a school teacher who was selected as the primary candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space Project on July 19, 1985.

Challenger STS 51-L Accident
NASA History Program Office

Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident
(Volumes 1-5)

Investigation of the Challenger Accident
Report of the Committee on Science and Technology
House of Representatives (99th Congress)

Investigation of the Challenger Accident
Volume 1
Volume 2
Hearings before the Committee on Science and Technology
House of Representatives (99th Congress)

A New Day: Challenger and Spaceflight Thereafter
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Post-Challenger Evaluation of Space Shuttle Risk Assessment and Management
Committee on Shuttle Criticality Review and Hazard Analysis Audit
National Research Council

Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion
Federal Bureau of Investigation






Sonnet Ireland
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State of the Union Address (1/25/2011)

See the Republican Response here.




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January 26, 1861: Louisiana Secedes from the Union

Today marks the 150th anniversary of Louisiana seceding from the Union. On January 26, 1861, a delegation elected by Louisiana voters to the state's secession convention signed the ordinance of secession. Below is a painting of that moment, as well as links to other sites with more information about the ordinance and Louisiana's role in the Civil War.



The Ordinance of Secession for Louisiana

Signing of the Ordinance of Secession of Louisiana

Civil War in Louisiana on The Cabildo site.

Louisiana's Civil War Museum

Civil War sites in Louisiana
(Heritage Preservation Services, National Park Service)


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NPR Broadcasts About Tonight's State of the Union Address

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January 25, 1961: President Kennedy Delivers the First Live Presidential News Conference

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first live presidential news conference. At 6pm EST on January 25, 1961, President Kennedy delivered his first presidential news conference at the State Department Auditorium in Washington, D.C. before 418 people. The transcript of the news conference can be found here on the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum web site.


Sonnet Ireland
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Frontline: Are We Safer? (1/18/2011)

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This Week with Christiane Amanpour (1/23/2011)

This Week with Christiane Amanpour:

Episode 25: State of the Union Preview


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Meet the Press (1/23/2011)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sonnet Ireland
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Face the Nation (1/23/2011)

Sonnet Ireland
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President Obama's Weekly Address (1/22/2011)

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Washington Week on PBS (1/21/2011)

Watch the full episode. See more Washington Week.

Watch the full episode. See more Washington Week.

Sonnet Ireland
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January 20, 1961: Presidential Inauguration of John F. Kennedy

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, our 35th President of the United States.



You can also listen to President Kennedy's inaugural address or read the transcript of his address here at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum web site.

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January 19, 1996: North Cape Oil Spill

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the North Cape Oil Spill off the coast of Rhode Island. On January 19, 1996, the tank barge North Cape and the tugboat Scandia grounded on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, RI after the engine room of the Scandia caught fire. North Cape spilled an estimated 828,000 gallons of home heating oil. It was the first major oil spill after the passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (which was passed in response to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Alaska on March 24, 1989).

Resources on North Cape Oil Spill

NOAA's DARRP site on the North Cape Oil Spill
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program)

North Cape Oil Spill Restoration
(NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management)

Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management Restoration Plan

North Cape oil spill restoration bird restoration program

North Cape oil spill restoration: fish passage restoration program


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This Week with Christiane Amanpour (1/16/2011)

This Week with Christiane Amanpour:

Episode 24: After the Tragedy

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Meet the Press (1/16/2011)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sonnet Ireland
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Face the Nation (1/16/2011)

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January 18, 1911: Eugene B. Ely Lands on the Deck of the USS Pensylvania

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the first time an aircraft lands on a ship. On January 18, 1911, Eugene B. Ely landed his plane on the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco, California.

For more information on this historic event, check out these resources...

Eugene Ely's Flight to USS Pennsylvania, 18 January 1911
(Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy)
Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page for interesting images, including pictures of the landing and other documents associated with the event.

Eugene B. Ely, Aviator, (1886-1911)
(Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy)


Sonnet Ireland
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Washington Week on PBS (1/14/2011)

Watch the full episode. See more Washington Week.

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President Obama's Weekly Address (1/15/2011)

Sonnet Ireland
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January 16, 1991: Operation Desert Storm Begins

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War. From 1990 to 1991, the Persian Gulf War was waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition against Iraq. This was in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that began on August 2, 1990. On January 16, 1991, Operation Desert Storm began with air strikes against Iraq.

To learn more about Operation Desert Storm and its impact, check out some of these documents:

Operation Desert Storm: evaluation of the air campaign

Mobilizing for the storm: the Army National Guard in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

Kuwaiti national security and the U.S.-Kuwaiti strategic relationship after Saddam

The political-military rivalry for operational control in U.S. military actions: a soldier’s perspective

U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990-1991. With the I Marine Expeditionary Force in Desert Shield and Desert Storm

Interoperability, a Desert Storm case study

Certain Victory: The US Army in the Gulf War


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January 15, 2006: NASA's Stardust Mission Successfully Ends

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the ending of the Stardust Mission--the first to return dust from a comet. If you are interested in learning more, check out NASA's Stardust site, as well as the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory site Stardust: NASA's Comet Sample Return Mission.



Sonnet Ireland
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Tucson Memorial Service Honors Shooting Victims (1/12/2011)

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Frontline: Battle for Haiti (1/11/2011)

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January 11, 2001: U.S. Federal Trade Commission Approves Merger of America Online and Time Warner

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the merger of AOL and Time Warner to form AOL Time Warner. For more information, here are some documents of interest.

AOL & Time Warner merger: hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
(United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, second session, March 2, 2000)

AOL/Time Warner merger: competition and consumer choice in broadband internet services and technologies: hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary
(United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, second session, February 29, 2000)



Sonnet Ireland
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This Week with Christiane Amanpour (1/9/2011)

This Week with Christiane Amanpour:

Episode 23: Tragedy in Tucson

Sonnet Ireland
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Meet the Press (1/9/2011)

Sonnet Ireland
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Face the Nation (1/9/2011)

Sonnet Ireland
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President Obama's Press Conference on the Tucson Shootings (1/8/2011)

Sonnet Ireland
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January 10, 1786: The Treaty of Hopewell is Signed between the United States and the Chickasaw Nation

Today marks the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Hopewell Treaty (7 Stat. 24) with the Chickasaw Nation. The treaty was signed by Taski Etoka (also spelled Mingatuska, or Tuskeatoka), Piomingo, and Lotapaia for the Chickasaw tribe and Benjamin Hawkins, Andrew Pickens, and Joseph Martin for the U.S. This item was published by the Government Printing Office in 1904.

TNGenWeb Project's Treaty of Hopewell

Official Site of the Chickasaw Nation


Sonnet Ireland
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Washington Week on PBS (1/7/2011)

Watch the full episode. See more Washington Week.

Sonnet Ireland
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President Obama's Weekly Address (1/8/2011)

Sonnet Ireland
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Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
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January 8, 1811: 1811 German Coast Uprising

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the largest slave rebellion in U.S. History. On January 8, 1811, Charles Deslandes and 10 other men led a slave army of 500 through St. Charles and St. James Parishes. Marching in formation and dressed in military uniforms, the army came within 15 miles of conquering New Orleans. A website has even been created by students at Tulane University to help promote understanding of the slave revolt: 1811slaverevolt.com. Many events are being hosted throughout Louisiana to honor this event. Notably, Destrehan Plantation is hosting a year-long commemoration of the anniversary.

To learn more about the 1811 Revolt, come by the Earl K. Long Library and enjoy our Louisiana and Special Collections. Here are some of the titles you may peruse:

Ripe for revolt: Louisiana and the tradition of slave insurrection, 1803-1865 by Junius Peter Rodriguez

National newspaper and legislative reactions to Louisiana's Deslondes slave revolt of 1811: a thesis by Thomas Marshall Thompson

The rattling chains: slave unrest and revolt in the antebellum South by Nicholas Halasz

If we must die: shipboard insurrections in the era of the Atlantic slave trade by Eric Robert Taylor

And this title is currently on order: American uprising: the untold story of America's largest slave revolt by Daniel Rasmussen



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January 7, 1986: Kodak Loses Patent Battled to Polaroid

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the decision in Polaroid v. Kodak.

On January 7, 1986, Kodak lost a patent battle with Polaroid over the self-developing camera. The court ruled that Kodak must vacate the instant camera business by January 9, 1986.

The case can be viewed here on OpenJurist:
833 F.2d 930, Polaroid Corporation v. Eastman Kodak Company


New York Times article on the case (January 9, 1986)


Here is the patent issued on May 26, 1964 to Polaroid Patent #3,134,313





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Nancy Pelosi Hands Over Control of the 112th House of Representatives to John Boehner (1/5/2011)

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Frontline: Death By Fire (Encore: 1/4/2011)

Resources


Cameron Todd Willingham (Clark County Prosecutor Web Site - Indiana)

Cameron Todd Willingham's Final Statement before Execution

Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice: Executed Offenders (Cameron Willingham)

Texas Judiciary - Court of Criminal Appeals Opinion #WR-35,162-02

Texas Attorney General Media Advisory: Friday, February 13, 2004 - Cameron Todd Willingham Scheduled For Execution

Sonnet Ireland
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This Week with Christiane Amanpour (1/2/2011)

This Week with Christiane Amanpour:

Episode 22: Debt Ceiling Vote

Sonnet Ireland
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Meet the Press (1/2/2011)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sonnet Ireland
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Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
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Face the Nation (1/2/2011)

Sonnet Ireland
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President Obama's Weekly Address (1/1/2011)

Happy New Year! Our blog has had a bit of a bumpy ride in 2010, but we're making a new year's resolution to keep you informed more consistently. With that, here is the first presidential weekly address of 2011.


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