History lessons is a grouping of historical stories and tidbits. The topics range from the American Civil War through interesting items from around the world. Please use the comments area to ask questions and make suggestions for future topics.
Three major national holidays that unfurl flags are fast approaching: Memorial Day at the end of May, Flag Day on June 14 and the Fourth of July. The problem with such familiar occasions is that we often forget their original meaning and focus instead on picnics and fireworks. Shortly after the Civil War, Memorial Day… continue
The story of Oklahoma’s state flag is actually a Fluke. A Louise Fluke, that is. In 1911, 105 years ago, Oklahoma revealed its first flag. It was a fluke in the usual sense. Using the red, white and blue colors of Old Glory, the state banner sported a white star with “46” in the middle,… continue
Flags are usually positive. Flags are often expressions of happiness. Flags can be celebratory. And, sometimes, flags can get you in trouble, as a teen pop star discovered. Chou Tzu-yu, a 16-year-old singer from Taiwan who was raised in a section of the island that hopes for independence from China, recently appeared on TV with… continue
Walt Whitman, one of America’s finest poets, spent much of the Civil War in Washington, D.C., working in hospitals and caring for wounded servicemen. In April 1864, he sent a letter to his mother to share how the American flag affected soldiers and himself. “You don’t know,” he wrote, “what a feeling a man gets… continue
Voters are voting, candidates are campaigning, and reporters are recording. It’s the year of a presidential election, and a new chief executive will move into the White House next January. But one thing will remain consistent: American flags displayed inside and waving outside the most famous home in the nation. The following stories, listed chronologically,… continue