Helloooo My History People!

Let’s get to (WORK!) and take a look at what went down in history this week:

September 19th: 

• 1881: 20th U.S. President James A. Garfield dies from gunshot wounds.

The former Union colonel-turned-president of the U.S. faced an assassination attempt on July 2, 1881, when Charles J. Guiteau shot him in the back and the arm because of political office discrepancies. Garfield ultimately died from blood poisoning several months following the attack, and was succeeded by his Vice President, Chester A. Arthur.

September 20th:

• 1881: 21st U.S. President Chester A. Arthur is the third U.S. President to serve in one year.

The year 1881 began with President Rutherford B. Hayes wrapping up his term in office while the country prepared for their new leader, James A. Garfield, to be instated. Not four months into Garfield’s presidency, nearly certifiably insane assassin Charles J. Guiteau shot Garfield, causing Vice President Chester A. Arthur to step in for Garfield, ultimately succeeding him as the next U.S. president at the time of Garfield’s death.

September 21st:

• 1949: Mao Zedong announces the newly restructured Chinese government.

At the 1949 Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Peking, Mao revealed the government structure that would from then on take root in Chinese government. For years the Chinese Nationalists and their counterparts, the Chinese communist regime, had been trapped in a civil war, but at this point, the future of Chinese government was clear. This was an unofficial, preliminary conference, but it set the stage for preparation to introduce communism to China on every level.

And now…

TODAY IN HISTORY! (We gotta go, gotta get the job done!)

September 22nd:

• 1862: 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation after a Union victory at the Battle of Antietam.
  • Today: This is one of the first introductions to legislature promoting any kind of racial equality, which eventually led to the larger movements that really got moving in the mid-20th century. (This is not a moment; It’s a movement.) 
  • The speech offered freedom to African-American slaves in countries that were openly rebelling from the nation itself, should the Union withstand and ultimately vanquish the Confederacy. The highly insightful offer was just that – an offer made to Northerners and Southerners alike, but it held no real substance until it was legally accepted by Congress.
  • Thus, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was created and passed, which again, was one of the founding actions that led to where our society now stands on the issue of racial inequality. Cases of racial injustice constantly reveal themselves today, almost two hundred years later, and we are still battling to vanquish similar prejudices that have been ongoing since even before our nation’s founding.
• 1994: Friends Airs Its First Episode
  • Today: Friends is just one of those iconic TV shows that a majority of people can either calmly recognize like, “Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of that show before.” or totally remember those weeks – or days, if you’re a true die-hard fan like me – of binge watching the entire series, like, 100 times and being able to quote almost all the episodes with extreme precision and accuracy. (Fun fact: This is one of my favorite TV shows, in case you couldn’t tell, and – hold on to your pants – there’s also going to be a Friends MOVIE coming out in 2017!!! YES, IT’S TRUE!)

***Only 100 days left in 2016!***

Better start crossing things off that Bucket List – go make your own history!

Quote of the Day:

“The place where you made your stand never mattered. Only that you were there… and still on your feet.”

-Stephen King (Birthday: Sept. 21, 1947)