Over the past few years, the National Archives has digitized and made available online through the National Archives Catalog many important records of the Department of State. The records consist largely of the various series of records that constitute the Department’s central files for the period from 1789 to 1910. As those records went online, … Continue reading Department of State Central Files, 1789-1910 Available Online: An Omnibus
The singer and actor Isaac Hayes had a distinctive voice. When he sang or when he spoke, it was unmistakably him. Hayes was a singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was a major contributor to the “Memphis Sound” of the 1960s and 1970s. Hayes is perhaps best known for writing and performing the theme song … Continue reading Isaac Hayes Gets a B-, 1976
In 1941, Helen Dortch Longstreet, widow of Confederate general James Longstreet, and the the Longstreet Memorial Association were planning for the placement of a memorial to the general on the Gettysburg battlefield. That organization had been “organized on the Gettysburg field by the Veterans of Longstreet’s command during the seventy-fifth anniversary celebration of the battle” … Continue reading Memorializing James Longstreet, 1941
Today's post was written by Megan Dwyre, Supervisory Archivist, Special Access and FOIA Program at the National Archives in College Park, MD This blog post highlights records related to the Unabomber case from the series Electronic Records of Robert J. Cleary, 1999-2002, which was made available through the joint efforts of the Special Access and … Continue reading Insight into the Unabomber Case from the Files of its Lead Prosecutor
At the end of World War II, some Japanese soldiers retreated into the jungle and continued to “fight,” not believing the call for surrender by the Emperor. One of the most famous and longest of those fighters was Hiroo Onoda. Hiroo Onoda, c.1944 (courtesy wikimedia) Onoda, a Japanese army lieutenant, was sent to Lubang Island … Continue reading Onoda of the Jungle
The National Archives and Records Administration is pleased to present our annual Genealogy Series on YouTube. This educational series of lectures will teach you how to use federal resources at the National Archives for genealogical research. Our program this year celebrates public service, with presentations on military and civilian records. You will also learn how … Continue reading Join the National Archives for the 2023 Genealogy Series!
In mid-July 1977, Nathaniel Davis, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, was contacted by representatives of the Central Studio of Documentary Films in Moscow about sitting for an interview about “détente.” Ambassador Davis reported the contact in a telegram to the Department of State, copied to the U.S. embassy in Moscow for information. In discussing the … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Détente, 1977
This April 10th marks the 60th Anniversary of the loss of the USS Thresher (SSN 593). The Thresher was the first of two nuclear submarines lost during the Cold War, the other being the USS Scorpion (SSN 589) in 1968. Bow View of the Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593), July 24, 1961 (Local ID: … Continue reading A Modern Submarine on Eternal Patrol – A Tribute to the USS Thresher (SSN 593)
On April 12, 1944, the U.S. legation in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, dispatched a despatch to the Department of State. Enclosed was a sealed envelope containing a letter from King Ibn Saud to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The legation was not provided with a copy of the letter, so it could not provide a translation along … Continue reading Presidential Humor, 1944
Last month, the National Archives joined the Naval History and Heritage Command and the Arlington National Cemetery in a commemoration of the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor 125 years ago (February 15, 1898). Representatives of the three organizations discussed the historical context of the Maine’s visit to Cuba, the explosion and investigations, … Continue reading Department of State Records Relating to the Destruction of the USS MAINE
