Percy Julian: Revolutionary inventor, grandchild of slaves
“Julian became one of America’s great mid-20th century inventors, obtaining some 130 chemical patents. He overcame both educational and professional discrimination, and according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, helped pave the way for future scientists from minority backgrounds.”
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U.S. memorials honor civil rights hero Rosa Parks
The U.S. Air Force on December 1, 2020, the 65th anniversary of Parks’ 1955 protest, unveiled a sculpture of her at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, adding to an array of memorials that honor the civil rights icon, who died in 2005 at the age of 92
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Martin Luther King Day
MLK Day 2021 On this day, we honor Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for who he was, the work he did, and the hope he stood for. Over 50 years ago, in 1967, Dr. King came to the UK to meet with Newcastle University faculty and students. It was during this visit that he …
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The Electoral College
The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as an alternative to electing the president by popular vote or by Congress. Each state elects the number of representatives to the Electoral College that is equal to its number of Senators—two from each state—plus its number of delegates in the House of …
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An Overview of U.S. Holidays
The United States, like other nations, sets aside a number of days each year to commemorate events, people or public occasions. These holidays typically are marked by a general suspension of work and business activity, and by public and/or religious ceremonies. [See: Holidays observed by the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the UK ] Technically, the United States does not celebrate national holidays, but Congress has …
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100th Anniversary of U.S. Women’s Right to Vote
August 18, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women the right to vote.
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The Voting Rights Act at 55
When the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965, a new era began in the United States. With a stroke of his pen, Johnson struck down discriminatory voting practices that had been adopted — primarily in Southern states — to disenfranchise African Americans.
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30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA for short) became law in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places. July 26th, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the ADA. The purpose of the law is to make sure that …
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International Women in Engineering Day
Nora Stanton Blatch Barney is known as one of the first American women civil engineers, obtaining her degree in 1905 from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. However, did you know she spent her adolescence in the UK? She was born in Basingstoke, England, in the autumn of 1883. It wasn’t until the late 19th …
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The Charter of the United Nations turns 75
When the Charter of the United Nations was signed on June 26, 1945, it set the stage for a post-World War II era dedicated to the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means.
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Juneteenth Day
Juneteenth, or June 19th, is an annual holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
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National Flag Day – June 14th
Today is Flag Day! On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14.
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75th Anniversary of VE Day Coloring Posters #CelebrateThem
On May 8 the UK will join the U.S. and allies around the world to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and we want YOU to help us celebrate the achievements of the Greatest Generation who helped bring about an end to WWII.
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How Americans observed V-E Day during World War II
Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, when the Allied countries of World War II accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany, was celebrated as a festive holiday in many parts of the world.
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Black History Month message from the Secretary of the Smithsonian
As part of our celebration of Black History Month, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and founding director of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Lonnie G. Bunch III, recorded a special message for us.
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Veterans Day Honors Those Who Served in U.S. Military
November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, and parades, ceremonies and tributes to veterans are planned in small towns and large cities throughout the country to honor those who have served in the U.S. military. This year, as always, the memorial amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Cemetery, just …
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What Memorial Day means to Americans
The Memorial Day holiday is observed on the last Monday of May, a time of year when weather is turning warmer and schools and universities are adjourning for summer break. To Americans, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Many people attend parades, go to the beach or have cook-outs with friends and …
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World War II – Keeping The Memory Alive
In January 2018, BBC journalist Dan Walker reached out to the Embassy. Dan had bumped into an amazing man, Tony Foulds. For 75 years, diligently and every day, Tony maintained the U.S. Air Force Mi Amigo war memorial in Sheffield. Tony’s wish was for a flyover to honor the fallen. Six weeks later, the Embassy …
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Presidents’ Day: Honoring U.S. Presidents Washington and Lincoln
Washington’s Birthday is a U.S. federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Increasingly, the holiday has become an occasion to celebrate the birthdays of both President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. Many Americans call the holiday Presidents’ Day.
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Memorial Day Holiday Honors American War Dead
The Memorial Day holiday celebrated by Americans on the last Monday of May represents for many the unofficial beginning of summer. Many will travel over the long holiday weekend to seek out friends and family, beaches and amusement parks. But most will pause at some point to recall the holiday’s true purpose: honoring those who …
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Americans Celebrate Christmas with Many Traditions
Christmas, celebrated by most Christians on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Americans, like many of the world’s peoples, have developed their own Christmas traditions and observances, and these have changed greatly over time. Today, most Americans blend religious and secular customs with their own family traditions, often incorporating food, decorations and …
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Memorial Day weekend 2016 at Cambridge American Cemetery
When you go home: Tell them for us and say “For your tomorrow We gave our today”. John Maxwell Edmonds The Cambridge American Cemetery honours the competence, courage and sacrifice of the Americans who, as part of the ‘friendly invasion’, served in the UK during World War II. Interpretive displays, photographs, film and interactive kiosks …
Read More» Freedom of Information in the U.S.A. (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act, As Amended is the legislation which provides for the release by U.S. government departments and agencies of certain categories of information on request. Since its original enactment in 1966 more than 500,000 requests have been filed by members of the public, reporters, and companies. Foreign citizens may also file requests. Similarly the Department of Justice and …
Read More» Lincoln’s Address at Gettysburg, 1863
Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are …
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The old American Embassy London Chancery Building
As of January 2018 the U.S. Embassy in London is now located in a new building in Nine Elms . History The United States has been associated with Grosvenor Square in London’s Mayfair since the late eighteenth century when John Adams, the first United States Minister to the Court of St. James’s, lived from 1785 to 1788 in the house …
Read More» The Supreme Court of the United States of America
The Supreme Court is the highest court of the United States and the only one specifically created by the Constitution. A decision of the Supreme Court cannot be appealed by any other court.
Read More» Memorial Honors Life of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has returned to Washington. The memorial honoring King’s legacy opened to the public for the first time August 22. Built on four acres of the National Mall, the memorial includes a 450-foot inscription wall with more than a dozen quotations selected by a council of historians from King’s writing, sermons …
Read More» United States Announces Winner of New London Embassy Design Competition
23 February 2010 U.S. Embassy London Press Office U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Louis B. Susman, and Acting Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Adam Namm, announced today that KieranTimberlake of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has won the design competition for the New London Embassy. [See: High-resolution images and video ] KieranTimberlake’s design met the goal of creating a modern, welcoming, timeless, …
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