History

National

50th Anniversary Of Detroit 'Riots' Lookahead

5:23pm July 16, 2017

NPR's Michel Martin is headed to Detroit for a show about the anniversary riots. But Detroit Free Press columnist Stephen Henderson says calling the events of 1967 a "riot" can be controversial.

National

The Call-In: Detroit's Riots Of 1967

8:03am July 16, 2017

In the summer of 1967, Detroit was home to some of the largest riots in American history. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Detroit native Luther Keith about the unrest, and how the city is now.

When the Liberty Hall Museum started to inventory its wine cellar, the museum found bottles of Madeira wine imported as early as 1796.

National

New Jersey Museum Holds A Stash Of 221-Year-Old Madeira Wine

6:00pm July 14, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

As it was doing an inventory of its wine cellar, the Liberty Hall Museum in New Jersey came across some eye-popping labels: "Imported 1796." The wine was ordered to celebrate John Adams' presidency.

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Ho Po, a Chinese labor contractor from San Francisco, sent 150 of his countrymen to build Buena Vista.

Chinese Laborers Built Sonoma's Wineries. Racist Neighbors Drove Them Out

5:25pm July 13, 2017

by Grace Hwang Lynch

Enjoying a chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon? In the 1800s, Chinese immigrants helped introduce those iconic varietals to California's wine country. But as vineyards grew, so did anti-Chinese fervor.

How Storytelling Can Improve The Care Of People With Alzheimer's

3:43pm July 13, 2017

A former journalist is making sure caregivers know patients' life stories.

Thoreau was born 200 years ago, on July 12, 1817. He died of tuberculosis at age 44.

Books
Arts

If Thoreau Were Alive, He'd Be 'Shouting From The Rafters,' Biographer Says

5:34pm July 12, 2017

by Tom Vitale

Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, was born 200 years ago in 1817. Biographer Kevin Dann says the philosopher's ideas about individual sovereignty remain relevant today.

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Books

The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers And Their Fight For Recognition

2:49pm July 12, 2017

The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps were heroes in World War I. But when they returned home, they soon learned that the government that had recruited them for this mission didn't even consider them veterans.

Happy Birthday To Henry David Thoreau

5:51am July 12, 2017

Writer Henry David Thoreau was born 200 years ago today. He lived quietly by a pond, except when he went to jail. He was arrested for refusing to pay taxes due to his opposition to a war.

National

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka On The 1967 Riots

5:51am July 12, 2017

On July 12, 1967, a rumor that police had beaten a black cabdriver to death triggered five days of looting and rioting in Newark, N.J. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka talks with Steve Inskeep.

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Eloise's dog, Weenie, wasn't always a pug, as evidenced by this 1954 Hilary Knight drawing.

Books
Arts

'Eloise At The Museum' Tells The Story Behind The Beloved Mischief-Maker

4:33pm July 11, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

The 6-year-old children's book character struck a chord when she debuted in the 1950s. Now a new exhibition shines a light on how Eloise came to be.