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What does the Washington Monument symbolize?

The original plan for the monument, in 1783, was to build a statue of Washington, who served as the commander-in-chief during the American Revolutionary war. This plan was established before Washington became president. After Washington died, Robert Mills won the design competition for his memorial. His design included a pantheon with many columns and many statues inside. The construction was held up for many years before the monument that stands today was finished in 1884. The monument is approximately 555 feet tall and was opened to the public in 1885.

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What year did the civil rights movement begin?

Although there were always those who fought for civil rights for African-Americans, the official beginning to the civil rights movement is set in the 1950s when a significant number of the populace took a stand against racial injustices. In 1951, Oliver Brown fought for the right for his daughter Linda to attend a nearby "white only" elementary school instead of being bussed to a distant school for black children. In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that separate schools are inherently unequal and the desegregation process began.

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Who won the 1972 presidential election in the United States?

This election occurred in the midst of the Vietnam War, and the Democrats gained a larger majority in Congress by adding two Senate votes to their number. McGovern held radical, extreme views about the war that turned voters toward Nixon's more moderate and realistic approach. Due to the infamous Watergate Scandal, Nixon did not serve his full term. Instead, in 1974, he resigned from his position prior to being impeached.

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When did Nelson Mandela become president?

Nelson Mandela was born July 18, 1918, and served as the president of the African National Congress from 1991 to 1997. Mandela also served as Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1998 and 1999. In addition to being South Africa's first black president, Mandela was also the first president to serve after the era of apartheid. During his life, he spent 27 years in prison for his anti-apartheid beliefs. Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013.

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What were the worldwide and U.S. hunger statistics in 2014?

Developing countries in Southern Asia are the most impacted by hunger, with large concentrations of malnourished people living in sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Asia as well. The number of people worldwide suffering from hunger has declined by 17 percent since 1990 to 1992. This progress falls just short of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. The organization attributes some of this decline in hunger to economic growth and argues for additional aid efforts for those that are not benefited by this growth.\nMalnourishment is a contributing..

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What are Albert Einstein's lesser-known inventions?

The Einstein refrigerator, which Einstein developed with physicist Leo Szilard, is a method of refrigeration powered by a flame burner, butane and ammonia. It uses much less energy than common methods of refrigeration and was patented by Einstein in 1930. Einstein did not work on the team that ultimately created the atom bomb, but his Theory of Relativity was crucial to its development. Szilard and Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt urging the creation of the bomb after Germany succeeded in splitting the atom.

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How many kids did Martin Luther King, Jr. have?

King had these four children with Coretta Scott, whom he married in June of 1953. The family lived in Montgomery, Alabama, where King worked for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church as pastor. The kids were still young when King was assassinated in 1968. He is honored with a yearly federal holiday in the U.S. that falls on the third Monday of January and has been observed since 1986.

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Where did the Civil War take place?

Major battles were Antietam, fought in Maryland in September, 1862, and First and Second Manassas, fought in Virginia in the summer of 1862. Other major battles were Kennesaw Mountain, fought in Georgia in June, 1864 and Shiloh, fought in Tennessee in April of 1862. Naval battles of the Civil War also took place in the Atlantic Ocean.\nThe beginning of the Civil War can be said to have begun when South Carolina seceded from the Union in December, 1860. It was quickly joined by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana. Texas also seceded, though it played little part in the war. In ..

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Where did Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech?

Dr. Martin Luther King's speech was an essential part of “The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” He was the last of many speakers to address the crowd of approximately 250,000 citizens, who protested racial inequality in the United States. The march originated at the Washington Monument and ended at the Lincoln Memorial. Preceding the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this event brought national attention to civil rights issues.

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How many presidents served in the military?

Other U.S. presidents have followed in the military leadership footsteps of the nation's first president. Prior to serving as the 18th president, Ulysses S. Grant was the commander of the Union Army during the American Civil War, an experience that shaped Grant's presidency. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was another high ranking military official whose leadership in France during World War II helped shape his public image. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush were all military veterans, though none had..

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