American poet, essayist and journalist Walter “Walt” Whitman was born on May 31, 1819. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of … Continue reading Walt Whitman
On May 30, 1854, the Kansas–Nebraska Act became law establishing the United States territories of Kansas and Nebraska. I lived in northeast Kansas for many years and spent a lot of time in southeast Nebraska as well. While we lived in an historical area of Tennessee previously (just down the road from Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage mansion), it was while going to junior high school near … Continue reading Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
On May 29, 1848, Wisconsin was admitted to the United States of America as the nation’s 30th state. It is located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the north-central United States. Wisconsin is bordered by the Montreal River;, Lake Superior and Michigan to the north; by Lake Michigan to the east; by Illinois to the south; and by Iowa to the southwest and … Continue reading Wisconsin Statehood
This is the 700th article I’ve posted to A Stamp A Day since started the blog back on July 1, 2016. I haven’t missed a single day although some of the earlier posts were quite brief and a few times I posted articles saying I was “too tired” or “too busy” to write much of anything and then I ended up writing much more than … Continue reading Post #700 — Russian Icebreaker “Lenin”
May 27 in Japan is remembered as Navy Anniversary Day (海軍記念日 — Kaigun Kinen’bi) which commemorated the Battle of Tsushima, a major naval battle in 1905 fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War. It was naval history’s only decisive sea battle fought by modern steel battleship fleets, and the first naval battle in which wireless telegraphy (radio) played a critically important role. It has … Continue reading Japan Navy Anniversary Day
I’ve been a fan of Google Earth almost since Google acquired the program from Keyhole nearly 14 years ago. I’ve recently “discovered” a site called Daily Overview which adds to my love of viewing aerial photography, particularly those shots from directly ahead that portray the different textures and patterns that can be seen. Of special interest are shots of places that I’m personally acquainted with … Continue reading White Cliffs of Dover
May 22 is an Argentinian public holiday known as Primer gobierno patrio (the “First National Government”), commemorating the May Revolution and the creation on May 25, 1810, of the Primera Junta, which is considered the first patriotic government of Argentina. Along with July 9, which commemorates the Declaration of Independence, it is considered a National Day of Argentina. Commemorations of the May Revolution have been … Continue reading Primer gobierno patrio de Argentina
On May 24, 1813, South American independence leader Simón Bolívar entered the city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (“The Liberator”). Born on July 24, 1783, into a wealthy, aristocratic Creole family, Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco was a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a leading role in … Continue reading Simón Bolívar, El Libertador de Venezuela
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