The Constitution, mural by Barry Faulkner (National Archives and Records Administration) During the hot, muggy summer of 1787, a Grand Convention was called together at the Pennsylvania State House (now called Independence Hall) in Philadelphia for the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation, which had proved a highly unsatisfactory document for holding the United States together during… Read more »
World AIDS Day has been celebrated on the first day of December every year since its founding at the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1988. It provides an annual opportunity to show support for those living with AIDS and to remember those we have lost; to look back at how it started… Read more »
“Each February, National Black History Month serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black history is American history, Black culture is American culture, and Black stories are essential to the ongoing story of America — our faults, our struggles, our progress, and our aspirations. Shining a light on Black history today is… Read more »
Saturday, May 1 is election day across Texas. Municipalities around the state are deciding a variety of races including city council seats, school district/board seats, mayors, and even one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. So often the news is dominated by national politics, so much so, that the importance of state and local… Read more »
The government document specialists at the Eagle Commons Library can find information on any subject for you. For instance, we can find help you find a children’s book on bats, a conservation book on bats, a book about bat funguses, and even a list of places where you can go to see bats in Texas. Today is International… Read more »
Many of us take a day off from work or classes on the third Monday in January to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This day has been designated a national holiday since 1983, but since 1994 it has also been designated a national day of service. The MLK Day of Service… Read more »
On April 22, 1970—the first Earth Day—a project conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson and coordinated by 25-year-old Harvard University student Denis Hayes, sparked a grassroots environmental movement that continues with no loss of passion a half a century later. Every April 22 citizens of over 190 countries throughout the world now take the opportunity to… Read more »
Every year during the month of April, a Presidential Proclamation sets aside one week for Americans to shine a spotlight on our national parks, acknowledge the men and women entrusted with their care, and reaffirm the importance of investing in the stewardship of these national treasures for future generations. This year presents a special challenge…. Read more »
Today, April 1, 2020, is Census Day the day when everyone in the U.S. gets counted. The requirement for a regular count of the U.S. population is codified in Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. Census Day, which comes once every 10 years, is the day the U.S. government counts all current residents…. Read more »
The office of the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue was established in 1862, and in 1913 a personal income tax was authorized by the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The mission of the Internal Revenue Service, according to the U.S. Government Manual, is to collect “the proper amount of tax revenue,… Read more »
