Stories of America’s Past
Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly
On
This
Day
On April 26, 1954, the Salk polio vaccine field trials began. The first vaccines were given in McLean, Virginia. Eventually 1.8 million children were vaccinated during the double-blind trials. Less than a year later, researchers pronounced the vaccine to be safe and effective.
Women Leaders
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), Great Strides in Education and Civil Rights
- Made great progress for African-Americans in the field of education and civil rights
- Consultant to four presidents; most significantly FDR for establishing the Federal Council on Negro Affairs
- First black leader and first woman to have a monument in a public park in Washington DC (1974)
- In 1989, Ebony Magazine included Mary McLeod Bethune as one of 50 Most Important Figures in Black History
Edith Houghton: First Woman Baseball Scout
Nancy Lieberman (1958- )
Stephanie L. Kwolek (1923-2014), Chemist and Inventor of Kevlar
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Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly