Jennifer's 20th Century History Blog

On November 3, 1943, the Nazis committed simultaneous acts of mass murder of approximately 43,000 Jewish men, women, and children in three remaining camps in the Generalgouvernement (large area in Poland) - Trawniki, Poniatowa, and Majdanek. The code name for this operation was Erntefest (Harvest Festival).

Enrico Fermi made important discoveries about the atom, which led to the splitting of the atom (atomic bombs) and the harnessing of its heat into an energy source (nuclear energy). Learn more about the life of this amazing physicist.

After years of dreaming about it and seven weeks of climbing, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, at 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953.

I'm sure you've seen it somewhere. It is the line drawing of a little, bald man with a long nose, peering over the edge of a wall. This image, along with the tagline "Kilroy Was Here," dates its history to World War II. During the war, this image was scrawled by soldiers on walls wherever they may have passed. It became almost a contest to see who could put Kilroy in the most unusual place. Although the image lost its popularity after the Korean War, it still pops up in unusual places. Live Science has a fascinating article that traces the origin of the Kilroy-Was-Here graphic.

Scientists seem to think so. After getting approval from his grandchildren, scientists decided to dig up the body of Sir Mark Sykes. Sykes, who had died of the Spanish flu in 1919 during the pandemic, was buried in a lead coffin in the graveyard of St Mary's Church in Yorkshire, England. Because of the lead coffin, it is hoped that DNA from the Spanish flu virus might still be found in Sykes' remains. By being able to examine the virus' DNA, scientists hope to learn more about the Spanish flu, which might share similar properties to the bird flu.

The Beatles shaped not only music but also an entire generation. People mimicked all that they did, including haircuts, clothing, and outlook. Their style and innovative music set the standard for all musicians to follow. Learn more about one of the most famous musical groups of the 20th century.

Though invented in 1943 by James Wright, Silly Putty was not placed onto the market as a toy until Peter Hodgson packaged the goo in plastic eggs and sold them in 1950. Learn the history of the accidental invention and surprising marketing of one of the most popular toys of the 20th century.

On September 12, 1908, Winston Churchill married Clementine at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster, London. The two remained married for 56 years (until Winston Churchill's death in 1965) and they had five children together. Although the wedding had high-profile guests such as the future British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, pictures from the wedding appear to have been lost. In honor of the 100-year anniversary of Churchill's wedding, the Churchill Archives Centre is requesting that if anyone knows the whereabouts of any wedding pictures, to please contact them.

In 1953, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed for espionage against the United States. Although there has been plenty of evidence to confirm that Julius Rosenberg was a spy, many have wondered exactly how involved Ethel had actually been. Two new sources made available last week further question Ethel's role.

Last week, the U.S. National Archives released grand jury transcripts relating to the Ethel and Julius Rosenberg trial. In these documents, it appears that the key piece of evidence used to convict Ethel (i.e. the statement which claimed that Ethel Rosenberg had typed up the secret information) was probably not true.

Also last week, Morton Sobell, who had been tried and also found guilty of spying with the Rosenbergs, has finally broken his long-standing claim of innocence and admitted to being a spy. In an interview with The New York Times, Sobell implicated Julius Rosenberg in the conspiracy but stated that Ethel Rosenberg was only guilty "of being Julius' wife."

With this newly discovered evidence, should Ethel Rosenberg have been executed? Probably not.

Many people know that Ronald Reagan was the oldest U.S. president in history; however, did you know that Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president? Where on the lists of oldest and youngest U.S. presidents would John McCain and Barack Obama fall? At inauguration, John McCain will turn 72 years, 4 months, and 22 days old - making him the new, oldest president in U.S. history. He will be more than two years older than Reagan! Although many consider Barack Obama young, he will turn 47 years, 5 months, and 16 days old at inauguration, which will place him fifth on the list of youngest U.S. presidents (and a year older than Bill Clinton).

Have fun browsing the current list of oldest U.S. presidents and list of the youngest U.S. presidents.