JULY 4, 1910

When Jack Johnson fought Jim Jeffries on the Fourth, white supremacy took a stunning blow.

"LUCKIEST MAN" -- THE GRACE OF LOU GEHRIG

When the “bad break” ended his career — and soon his life — he stepped up to the plate and showed true class. (As seen in “The Pride of the Yankees.”)

WHEN I MET THE CODE TALKERS

GALLUP, NEW MEXICO — Face-to-face with honor and a Navajo tradition of silence.

HEROESThe AtticMay 6, 2021NAVAJO CODE TALKERS, WORLD WAR II, NAVAJO NATION Comments

DIDRIKSON -- THE OTHER BABE

Track and field, golf, baseball, basketball. . . Was there anything Babe Didrikson didn’t play? Yes, she said. Dolls.

LINCOLN AND THE 'MOBOCRATIC SPIRIT'

In 1837, when mob violence raged, a young lawyer rose to defend the rule of law. He spoke not to his time but for all time.

LYNN MARGULIS -- DEFYING DARWIN

When she proposed cooperation as the source of evolution, her research was called “crap.” But science soon proved Lynn Margulis’ radical theory.

HEROESThe AtticJanuary 8, 2021Lynn Margulis, Micro biology, Gaia Hypothesis, James Lovelock Comment

HOW HERBERT HOOVER SAVED MORE LIVES THAN ANYONE ELSE IN HISTORY

During WW I, when famine loomed, Herbert Hoover masterminded a global relief effort that saved millions.

History, HEROESThe AtticSeptember 17, 2020Herbert Hoover, World War I, Hunger relief, Belgian relief Comments

HAMILTON'S OTHER HALF

Broadway’s biggest hit celebrates the Founding Father, but without Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, there would have been no “Hamilton.”

THE (BLACK) WOMAN WHO MANAGED MORGAN'S MILLIONS

From “behind the curtain of my mind,” the fabulous Belle da Costa Greene masterminded the Morgan Library.

Women, HEROESThe AtticFebruary 4, 2020Belle DaCosta Greene, J.P. Morgan, Morgan library, passing race Comments

IKE'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE -- COAST-TO-COAST IN 1919

When he crossed America by convoy in 1919, the future president saw the need for “broader ribbons across our land.” The seed of our interstate highways was planted.

History, HEROESThe AtticAugust 8, 2019Eisenhower, Interstate Highways, Road trips, 1919 Comments

HOLLYWOOD'S TOP DOG -- RIN-TIN-TIN

Beloved dogs abound but none captured hearts like Rin-tin-tin. Not even Hollywood could make this up.

History, HEROESThe AtticJuly 26, 2019Rin-tin-tin, Dogs, Hollywood dogs Comments

THE CONSERVATIVE AND THE 'COMMIE'

When a radical Mexican muralist began to paint at Dartmouth, some wanted his work destroyed. The college president refused.

A FLAG ON THE MOON

The astronauts rehearsed every maneuver for the moon landing, except planting the flag. Oops!

HEROESThe AtticJuly 11, 2019Apollo 11, Moon, Apollo Program, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin Comments

WHEN BIGOTRY STRUCK OUT

When the Massachusetts team went South, its star black player came face-to-face with Jim Crow. And guess what the whole team did for Bunny?

History, HEROESThe AtticMay 17, 2019Springfield Mass, Baseball, Race Comments

IDA TARBELL -- THE WOMAN WHO TOOK ON ROCKEFELLER

Few battles had been so mismatched. A billionaire tycoon vs. a woman with a pen. The winner?

MARIAN ANDERSON AND THE CONCERT THAT STIRRED AMERICA

When the D.A.R. turned Marian Anderson away, Eleanor Roosevelt and friends found a better venue.

Women, History, HEROESThe AtticFebruary 21, 2019Marian Anderson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lincoln Memorial, D.A.R. Comment