“This temple of our history will appropriately be one of the most beautiful buildings in America, an expression of the American soul.”
— Herbert Hoover, February 20, 1933, at the laying of the cornerstone of the National Archives Building. (Photo: 64-NA-136)
via Prologue: Our Story — How the National Archives Evolved Over 75 Years
Frederick Douglass, February 1818 - February 20, 1895
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass went on to become a prominent abolitionist, author, orator and statesman.
Frederick Douglass, ca. 1879
From the Frank W. Legg Photographic Collection of Portraits of Nineteenth-Century Notables:
Fact Sheet—Astronaut Glenn’s Space Mission
A somewhat dry by-the-book recap of John Glenn’s historic mission to become the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962. With the world watching the historic and live-televised event, Glenn orbited the Earth three times in his space capsule, Friendship 7. Four hours and 55 minutes after ignition, John Glenn and Friendship 7 returned to Earth and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean.
Want to see more? Try this 5-minute version of NASA’s film “Friendship 7”:
