Happy Birthday to theoretical physicist Albert Einstein!
See Einstein’s 1934 poem presented to FDR and much more in our current special exhibition “SIGNATURE MOMENTS: Letters From the Famous, the Infamous, and Everyday Americans.”
Happy Birthday to singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte!
See Belafonte’s 1960 letter to Eleanor and much more in our current exhibition “SIGNATURE MOMENTS: Letters From the Famous, the Infamous, and Everyday Americans.”
Happy Birthday to best-selling author John Steinbeck!
See Steinbeck’s 1940 letter to FDR and much more in our current exhibition “SIGNATURE MOMENTS: Letters From the Famous, the Infamous, and Everyday Americans.”
Educator, government administrator, and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was the highest-ranking African American in the Roosevelt administration. She served as Director of Negro Affairs at the National Youth Administration (NYA) from 1935 until Congress ended funding for the agency in 1943. Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt became political associates and close friends during the 1930s. In this somber letter, she reflects on the NYA’s legacy and mourns its end. The NYA was a New Deal agency that assisted young people aged 16 to 24 with education and job training, including trade school and work-study programs. ER’s handwritten note indicates she hoped to secure a new position for Bethune: “Write her a letter Tell her I’ll see her the first time I’m back (ask FDR if he found anything for her).”
See Bethune’s letter to Eleanor and much more in our current exhibition “SIGNATURE MOMENTS: Letters From the Famous, the Infamous, and Everyday Americans.”
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, took place in Lake Placid, New York from February 4-15, 1932. On February 4, 1932, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt formally opened the Olympics in Lake Placid.
Eleanor Roosevelt, who accompanied FDR to the opening of the games, accepted an invitation to take a bobsled ride, from the half-mile mark, driven by American bobsledder Henry Homburger. The Associated Press reported, “She complimented Homberger on his skill in handling the sled, and Harry returned the favor by expressing his admiration of her courage.“ The bobsled run button and waiver form are mementos from Mrs. Roosevelt’s ride.
Happy Birthday to inventor Thomas Edison!
See Edison’s 1915 letter to FDR and much more in our current exhibition “SIGNATURE MOMENTS: Letters From the Famous, the Infamous, and Everyday Americans.”
#FDRSigntureMoments
The XXV Winter Olympic Games open today! This participation medal from the 1932 Lake Placid Games was presented to FDR, then NY Governor, who opened those Games—the first Winter Olympics in the US.
🔗 fdr.artifacts.archives.gov/objects/1422
Today marks the 270th birthday of American politician Aaron Burr. See Burr’s 1784 letter and much more in our current exhibition “SIGNATURE MOMENTS: Letters From the Famous, the Infamous, and Everyday Americans.”
ALTCongress has restored funding of appropriated activities, and the National Archives has begun to restore normal operations. We are working to open to the public as soon as possible. Please check our website for updates.
We’re sorry, but we will not be able to post updates to our social media channels during the government shutdown. All National Archives events– virtual or in person– are canceled until further notice. We will be unable to reply to messages or emails until the government reopens.
Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States...
