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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE

BETTY FRIEDAN'S FEMININE MYSTIQUE PUBLISHED 51 YEARS AGO TODAY

Fifty-one years ago today, February 19, 1963, Betty Friedan published her non-fiction work, The Feminine Mystique.  

The idea for the book came from a survey Miss Friedan gave to 200 of her fellow classmates of Smith women's college.


The survey results proved what Friedan suspected:  American women were not happy campers and did not know why.

In The Feminine Mystique, Friedan placed blame for the unhappy state of women on the "idealized image of femininity" which confined women to the role of housewife.

This was a role that limited the ability of women to pursue personal career goals.

The Feminine Mystique launched a second feminist movement.


Betty Friedan


MARINES INVADED IWO JIMA 69 YEARS AGO

The USMC launched an invasion of the Japanese occupied Iwo Jima, an island 660 miles from mainland Japan, 69 years ago today, February 19, 1945.

The island was defended by 21,000 soldiers who were protected by a network of caves.

The amphibious landings were resisted by seven Japanese battalions.  

By evening, the Marines lost 550 dead and 1800 wounded.  On February 23 the US flag was raised on Mt. Suribachi.

The Battle of Iwo Jima ended with a decisive American victory on March 26, 1945.


US Marines on Iwo Jima


FDR SIGNS ORDER TO MOVE JAPANESE-AMERICANS

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order #9066 72 years ago today, February 19, 1942, authorizing the removal of all people from military areas "as deemed necessary."

The military determined this would include all of the west coast of the United States


By June 1942, 110,000 Japanese-Americans were moved to internment camps where they lived in poor conditions and under guard.  They would not be allowed to return to their homes until December 17, 1944.


San Francisco store owner is relocated
Photo by Dorothea Lange, March 1942

President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act in 1988 which gave each survivor of the internment camps $20,000 tax free along with the government's apology.


President Reagan Signs Civil Liberties Act