Cultural Heritage
On this day in history, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches in Normandy, France marking a critical turning point in World War II. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which, “we will accept nothing less than full victory.”
Big Ben, the tower clock in St. Stephen's Tower that looks out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London began keeping time on May 31, 1859. Designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, the clock was completed in 1854. Five years later, the tower was finished. The name "Big Ben" is of uncertain origin. The clock is highly accurate and regulated by a stack of coins balancing and weighting the clock pendulum.
Max Mara, a multi-billion dollar Italian fashion label, has been blasted on social media for stealing the traditional clothing designs of the Oma, a tiny ethnic minority in Southeast Asia.
The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922. In 1867, only two years after his assassination, the US Congress authorized the Lincoln Monument Association to build a memorial to Lincoln. However, it was not until 1901 that the site was chosen. Former President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft dedicated the monument upon its completion in a ceremony attended by Robert Todd Lincoln, the surviving child of Lincoln.
Enjoy a transformative travel experience as we travel to North Korea, Malta, Mexico and Barbados.
On this day in history...Peter Minuit, Director-General of the Dutch New World colony of New Netherland, sought to claim a legitimate title to the land the colony desired to rule and entered into negotiations with the local Native Americans. Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan on May 24, 1626 for 60 guilders and a collection of European handicrafts and ornaments.
As we celebrate this Memorial Day holiday we thought we would share some highlights from previous years coverage of the G.I. Film Festival in Washington, D.C. The GI Film Festival is the first film festival in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the service member through the medium of film.
On this day (May 21) in 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. Clara Barton and a circle of her acquaintances founded the ARC in Washington, D.C. on May 21, Barton first heard of the Swiss-inspired global Red Cross network while visiting Europe following the Civil War. Returning home, she campaigned for an American Red Cross and for ratification of the Geneva Convention protecting the war-injured, which the United States ratified in 1882
Italy’s Cinque Terre coastline holds a nearly mythic status for travelers, as most have never seen pictures of the pastel-colored homes tucked in the area’s rugged cliffs with the bright blue sea surrounding them.
During the 19th century, Mexican explorer Antonio Armijo was forging the way from New Mexico to California . En route to Los Angeles, the group veered from the traditional path in 1829, settling 100 miles (161 kilometers) northeast of present-day Las Vegas. Rafael Rivera, along with his scouting party, rode west to find water; Rivera left the group to venture into the desert on his own, setting his eyes upon the oasis of Las Vegas Springs. The land was named Las Vegas, meaning “the meadows,” after the verdant grasses found growing in the valley.
On May 12, 1820, Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing was born into privileged English society. From the beginning of her life, Florence felt a calling for the nursing profession and this posed a scandal with her privileged family because nursing was considered a profession for the poor and ill-educated.
Thirteen civil rights activists, dubbed "Freedom Riders," began a bus trip through the South. The first Riders left Washington, D.C., on May 4, 1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17.
