Category: Today in History

  • Diwali: The Festival of Lights

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    by

    eyoung

    People all around the world celebrate Diwali. In India, the holiday may last four or five days. In the United States and Canada, it is usually only celebrated for one day. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. It is a celebration of light over dark and of good over evil. Hindus celebrate this holiday…

  • Spin the Wheel of Rumi

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    by

    eyoung

    Celebrate Islam Awareness Week and “Spin the Wheel of Rumi!” The number you land on determines which Rumi quote is meant for you. Several English translations of Rumi’s poems and books about Rumi are included in the display: The Masnavi: Book One The Masnavi: Book Two Rumi A Moth to the Flame: The Life of…

  • Islam Awareness Week

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    by

    eyoung

    A meet-and-greet at the library, lectures, and panel discussions are all planned during Islam Awareness Week. The first event is an opportunity to meet your Muslim classmates while enjoying donuts and coffee on the front porch of the Library. October 22 ⋅ 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. “Muslim Life on American College Campuses” will be the…

  • Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month

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    by

    eyoung

        From September 15th to October 15th, organizations around the U.S. will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring the many contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to our society. Do you need to brush up on your Spanish or Portuguese? Mango Languages offers courses in Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), and Portuguese. Mango Languages is an online language…

  • Republican Senator Nominated to Supreme Court

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    by

    eyoung

    September 18, 1945 The prospect of a vacancy on the Supreme Court generally stirs speculation about which incumbent members of the Senate might be eligible candidates. Given the increasing contentiousness of the Senate review process for high court vacancies, some believe that selecting one of the Senate’s own members might smooth the road to a…

  • 9/11: The World Speaks

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    eyoung

    In commemoration of the seventeenth anniversary of September 11th, the Furman Libraries are highlighting the eBook, 9/11: The World Speaks. Over four  million people from across the United States and around the world have come through the museum galleries of the 9/11 Tribute Museum since it opened in September 2006 right across the street from the…

  • The Senate Buys Jefferson’s Library

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    eyoung

    August 24, 1814 When the invading British army burned the United States Capitol building on this day, August 24, in 1814, they fueled the fire with 3,000 books from a small room that served as the congressional library. Among the Senate’s first orders of business, as it convened in temporary quarters ten blocks from the…

  • Irritating the President

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    eyoung

    August 5, 1789 The Senate spent most of its first year setting precedents. During the month of August 1789, it established two precedents that particularly irritated President George Washington. On August 5, for the first time, the Senate refused to confirm a presidential appointee. Ignoring the budding concept of “senatorial courtesy,” President George Washington had…

  • Freedom of Information Day

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    eyoung

    FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DAY 2018: LIBERTY AND OPEN ACCESS TO ALL On March 16, we celebrate the anniversary of former President James Madison. But that day, we also celebrate the legacy he and the founders of this country left us – open government. It is only natural that libraries, which promote open access to information…

  • MLK Holiday Schedule

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    by

    eyoung

    In observance of the national holiday in Dr. King’s honor, the James B. Duke Library will be operating on an adjusted schedule. January 14       Sunday       10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. January 15       Monday       10:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. A selection of books by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the…