Today in History: April 5, FDR establishes Civilian Conservation Corps
Today in history:
On April 5, 1933, as part of his New Deal programs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a Depression-era work relief program for single men aged 18-25; the program employed more than 2.5 million men for federal conservation and safety projects over its nine-year history.
Also on this date:
In 1614, Pocahontas, the daughter of Tsenacommacah chief Powhatan, married Englishman John Rolfe, a widower, in the Virginia Colony.
In 1764, the British Parliament passed the American Revenue Act of 1764, also known as the Sugar Act.
In 1887, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, teacher Anne Sullivan achieved a breakthrough as her 6-year-old deaf-blind pupil, Helen Keller, learned the meaning of the word 'water' as spelled out in the Manual Alphabet.
In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death following their conviction in New York on charges of conspiring to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. (They were executed in June 1953.)
In 1986, two American servicemen and a Turkish woman were killed in the bombing of a West Berlin discotheque, an incident that prompted a U.S. air raid on Libya nine days later.
In 1991, former Sen. John Tower, R-Texas, his daughter Marian and 21 other people were killed in a commuter plane crash near Brunswick, Georgia.
In 1994, Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain died by suicide in his Seattle, Washington home at age 27.
In 2010, a coal dust explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine near Charleston, West Virginia, killed 29 workers.
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Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
I'm 92 and still live independently. I make sure to stay active, and I don't eat a lot of red meat.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mira Armstrong, a 92-year-old from Porepunkah, Australia. It has been edited for length and clarity. I built my home with my husband, Bruce, in 1956. Now that I'm 92 years old, I still live independently. I hope I croak it here. I was born in Poland in 1933 during the Depression. My father was a shoemaker and in the army reserve. When World War II broke out, he was taken prisoner and sent to Germany. My mother, siblings, and I followed. I got a rough start to life Life was pretty tough. We lived in a derelict, abandoned farmhouse and weren't allowed to go to school because we weren't German citizens. While German children were at school, we'd scavenge at the dump — once, we even found an old gramophone. Toward the end of the war, I remember hearing American planes overhead. An old German man cycled through our village, sounding a siren as they approached. They never bombed our village, only cities and factories. I remember watching thousands of British airmen being marched past on foot. They stopped and ate grass because they were so hungry. I wish I knew how to speak English back then, but I didn't. We moved to Australia after the war, and things changed After the war, we were moved from one displaced persons camp to another. Europe was in chaos. We spent some time in Italy, then came to Australia aboard the SS Skaugum. My father got a job in the ship's kitchen and was finally able to buy toothpaste. We'd cleaned our teeth with ash during the war. When we arrived in Melbourne on March 28, 1950, I was 17. It felt like heaven. Everything was so strange and unusual. We were finally free. My family eventually settled in Porepunkah, Victoria, and I met my husband, Bruce, at the local swimming hole. One day, he waited in his truck to pick my sister and me up from work, and that was it. We were married in 1954 — I was 21, Bruce was 24. Longevity could be hereditary — my mum lived to 97. She was hardworking and survived many hardships, too. But I have also made a few lifestyle choices that may have helped. Being active has always been a priority When I was younger, I used to cycle 24 kilometers to and from work, even to church in high heels. I did everything fast, whether it was housework or heaving hay bales around our farm. When Bruce and I built our house, we dug the foundation holes and the well by hand. We had five kids, and I was constantly busy. I worked in hospitality and retail, never behind a desk. These days, I still walk a lot, mainly around the house and outside, and I like to garden. I eat a balanced diet, and I don't drink or smoke I eat everything — probably because I remember the starvation during the war. Once, we went for four days without food. For breakfast, I have porridge or Weetabix. I eat soup full of veggies, wholemeal toasties, chicken, fish, and walnuts. There's not a lot of red meat in my diet. My vice is fruit, though I have to be careful because I'm borderline diabetic. I never smoked or drank, and I only recently started drinking coffee. Staying social and volunteering is key Our home was always social — full of friends and family. I enjoy spending time with my eight grandkids and eight great-grandkids. I've also done a lot of volunteer work: 29 years with Meals on Wheels, 14 years with the op shop, and years of church work. I get bored easily, and I enjoy giving back. My faith has given me comfort in tough times Bruce died in 1977 shortly after a trucking accident. He was 47 years old, I was 44. I still had three boys at home and about 70 cows to manage on our farm. It was a horrendous time, and I went through hell. I did three part-time jobs and took care of everything on autopilot. After Bruce died, I started cursing God and stopped going to church. Then, in 1992, my youngest son, Graham, was killed in a road accident. It was very difficult, and that's when I returned to church. My faith has brought me comfort ever since. I make sure to keep my mind active I keep my mind active with puzzles and reading. I enjoy thrillers, and hot romances, too. After Bruce died, I'd read romance novels through the night. In the morning, I didn't even remember what they were about. These days, I enjoy feeding the birds and gardening. For what it's worth, these habits may have led to my longevity, and they've surely contributed to my enjoyment of life. But my No. 1 tip for a long life? Don't die!
Yahoo
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Delhi Post Office mural highlighted in school, community project
The mural in the Delhi Post Office is getting some recognition 85 years after it was painted. 'It's an important work of art in our area that hasn't had much attention,' Pamela Benson, project coordinator, said. Benson and Bovina Librarian Annette Corvelo applied for and received a project grant from the Roxbury Arts Group to create broader student and community awareness of the historic mural, a news release stated. 'This is a great opportunity to expand local awareness about this important mural,' Benson said. 'The 1940 mural 'The Down-Rent War' is both a master work of New Deal era art and an important representation of the 1840s Anti-Rent War in Delaware County.' The two worked with Andes Central School fourth grade teacher Mary Pelletier to introduce the mural to her students before they took a field trip to the post office to see the mural in person, Benson said. Pelletier talked about the mural and about the Anti-Rent War. The 15 students got to see pictures of the mural that was painted by artist Mary Earley before they visited the post office June 4. Benson said the students were excited when they walked into the post office and pointed their fingers toward the painting and said 'there it is, there it is.' Bovina Historian Ray LaFever was also there to talk about the mural and answer questions from students. 'We're lucky he's here to help us,' Benson said, as he is 'very well versed in the Anti-Rent War.' LaFever wrote a book about the history of Bovina and the Anti-Rent War affected many residents of the town. Andes was at the center of the Anti-Rent War in Delaware County so it seemed appropriate to include Andes students as the first group of students to learn about the mural, Benson said. This fall, some area high school students will learn about the mural and conflict. 'Around 1839, the tenant farmers became aroused because they could not own the land they lived on and worked and must always pay rent to the manor lords,' Early stated when she painted the mural, the release stated. According to information about the conflict on the Pomeroy Foundation website, wealthy landowner Stephen Van Rensselaer and Alexander Hamilton created a 'durable lease' system that bypassed 'the fact that this idea of feudalism had been made illegal in the state of New York in 1787. Along with requiring the tenants to pay their annual rent, they were also required to pay taxes on the land even though the tenants were only allowed to use it for agricultural purposes. The land owner, or patroon, had access to everything else on the land, including timber, mineral, and water rights. Also listed in the lease was the caveat that if the tenant wished to sell the land, they would be required to pay a quarter of the sale price directly to the patroon.' The Anti-Rent War lasted from 1839 through 1846 in 11 upstate counties. In Andes, Delaware County Undersheriff Osman Steele was killed at a property sale at Moses Earle's farm Aug. 7, 1845. The state's Constitution was amended in 1846 to outlaw the durable lease system. The scene in the mural shows a meeting of farmers just before dawn discussing plans to avert a neighboring farmer's eviction, reminding viewers of the power of collective resistance in the face of injustice, the release stated. 'It's the only mural in Delaware County painted during the Works Progress Administration era,' Benson said. 'It was a big project at the time. It's an amazing piece of art. The scope, depth, size and colors are wonderful.' In addition to area students learning about the mural, LaFever will give a community presentation about the mural on Sept. 17 at the Bovina Public Library, the release stated. Benson said the time hasn't been confirmed yet. The grant also paid for a photograph of and information about the mural to be printed on oversize postcards that will be available at area post offices this fall. Benson said she hopes people will visit the mural in Delhi.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Five years later, some COVID-era graduation traditions live on
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — High school graduations were among the hundreds of practices adjusted in the wake of COVID-19, and five years later, some still don't look the same. In 2020, many districts turned to virtual ceremonies or heavily restricted in-person events. Five years out, high school seniors are able to enjoy a more classic ceremony. However, some central Ohio school districts continued select COVID-era practices, turning adaptations into new traditions. See previous coverage of 2020 adaptive graduations in the video player above. Grandview Heights Superintendent Andy Culp said in 2020, the district hung banners of the graduating class along a fence on Grandview Avenue. Hayley Head, Grandview Heights' executive assistant to the superintendent, said the tradition has continued since. Initially parent-driven, Head said the banners are hung the weeks around graduation to celebrate seniors. Big Lots reopening fourth wave of revived Ohio stores 'Five years later, this has become one of the many traditions that celebrate our graduating seniors and it is also a much anticipated community tradition as well,' Head said. Bexley City Schools also continues to hang senior banners along Main Street post-COVID, as does Whitehall on Yearling Road. Whitehall Schools Director of Communications Amanda Isenberg said the district prints individual banners for each senior. 'It has become a visible way to celebrate our graduates and their hard work,' Isenberg said. Larger districts were less likely to maintain COVID-era traditions. New Albany-Plain Local Schools spokesperson Patrick Gallaway said district bus drivers delivered yard signs for each graduate in 2020, but with 441 graduates this year alone, it was not cost-effective to continue it. 'The one thing we still do is a slide show that we run on the jumbotron at Huntington Park before the ceremony,' Gallaway said. 'It is definitely a labor of love.' Gallaway said parents have also continued making an Instagram account each year since 2020 to celebrate the graduating class. The account is not associated with the school, but posts photos of graduates and their after-high school plans. Where to find specials Friday for National Donut Day New Albany-Plain is one of many larger districts that did not maintain new traditions, but have leaned into the technological or logistical adjustments from COVID. Hilliard and South-Western City Schools representatives both said commencement is almost entirely back to pre-COVID operations, but both schools now offer video formats for people who cannot attend in person. South-Western makes graduation videos available online after, and Hilliard livestreams the event. Pickerington spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant said the district first implemented a ticketing system for graduation in 2020. The district continues to use ticketing, although students now receive eight tickets each instead of the two they had in 2020. Olentangy spokesperson Amanda Beeman said the district adapted in 2020 and 2021, but has since gone back to its many pre-COVID traditions. She said with multiple high schools, anything else would be tricky. Gahanna-Jefferson, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Canal Winchester and Westerville also told NBC4 they have fully reverted back to pre-pandemic celebrations. 'We had a parade instead of a graduation ceremony in 2020. We tried doing both a ceremony and a parade in 2021, but it turned out to be too much for families to juggle,' Upper Arlington spokesperson Karen Truett said. 'We've been back to 'normal' for the past several years.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
