HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
We celebrate "Mother's Day" in the US on this 2nd Sunday of May.
One of the earliest suggestions for a day to honor mothers in our country came in the form of a proclamation issued in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe.
It was Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, however, who made this day possible.
Ms. Jarvis proposed a day in which each American family would honor their own mothers.
The 1st Mother's Day service was held on May 10, 1908 & in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it a national holiday.
Ironically, Ms. Jarvis came to regret her efforts because of the commercialization of the holiday.*
Photo from ambassadors.net
*I want to honor my mother today, Mavis M. White & my wife, Beverly, the mother of our daughter, Jennifer, as well as all of you who are mothers that read my blog. Happy Mother's Day!
Mrs. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
We also honor the mother of John F. Kennedy, Mrs. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (1890-1995).
Rose was born in Boston, the eldest child of John & Mary Fitzgerald. She married Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. on October 7, 1914.
The Kennedys had nine children, JFK being the second.
In 1987, in celebration of his grandmother's 97th birthday, Representative Joseph Kennedy II said that she was "the magnet that always pulled us together as a family. Grandmother's so strong & just a tremendous inspiration to all of us".
Rose Kennedy died at the age of 104 on January 22, 1995.
Rose F. Kennedy
London (1939)
JFK Library
May 8, 1963
SEAN CONNERY STARS AS 007
Sean Connery, the Scottish actor, is the star of "Dr. No" which was released today.
"Dr. No" is based on the spy novel by Ian Fleming & features British agent 007, played by Connery.
The film's co-stars include Joseph Wiseman as "Dr. No" & Ursula Andress as "Honey Ryder".
*Connery, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, starred in 6 more Bond films & won the Academy Award for "Best Supporting Actor" in "The Untouchables" in 1987.
Sean Connery
Edinburgh Film Festival
2008
Photo by Stuart Crawford
May 8, 1963
JFK RESPONDS TO QUESTION ON BIRMINGHAM
At his news conference today at the State Department, President Kennedy was asked for his reaction to the techniques, such as "police dogs & fire hoses & the participation of school children", used by "both sides" in the recent confrontation over civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama.
President Kennedy said:
"The situation in Birmingham (is) damaging the reputation of Birmingham & the United States. It seems to me the best way to prevent that is...to take steps to provide equal treatment to all of our citizens."
Fire Hoses Used In Birmingham
May 1963
May 8, 1961
JFK AWARDS MEDAL TO FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE
President John F. Kennedy awarded American's 1st astronaut in space, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., NASA's Distinguished Service Medal today in a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House.
JFK called Shepard's flight an "outstanding contribution to the advancement of human knowledge & space technology."
After the ceremony, Shepard was honored with a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Shepard Receives Medal from JFK
May 8, 1963
NASA Photograph
May 8, 1945
V-E DAY CELEBRATED
The war in Europe came to an end today as the Allies formally accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany.
Millions of people in the Allied nations celebrated the day by taking to the streets.
In the United States, President Truman, also celebrating his 61st birthday, said his only wish was "that Franklin D. Roosevelt had lived to witness this day."
In the United Kingdom, crowds were massed in Trafalgar Square & at Buckingham Palace where King George VI, Queen Elizabeth & Winston Churchill appeared together on the balcony.
There was a huge celebration in New York City's Times Square & a parade was held on Ottawa's Parliament Hill in Canada.
Churchill gives "V" for Victory Sign
London, England
May 8, 1945
May 8, 1984
SOVIETS TO BOYCOTT OLYMPIC GAMES
Fearing the safety of Soviet athletes, the USSR announced today it intends to boycott the 1984 Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles, California.
The decision may also be a response to US support of Muslim rebels in Afghanistan as well as the US's own boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
Photo by George Garrigues, 1984
May 9, 1972
NIXON ANNOUNCES MINING OF HARBORS OF NORTH VIETNAM
President Richard M. Nixon announced today that the United States Navy will begin mining operations in North Vietnamese ports to stop the flow of military supplies to the communists who invaded South Vietnam in late March.*
*Nixon's announcement led to a wave of anti-war protest in the U.S.
