Heroes & Trailblazers

Mary Pickersgill: Maker of the Star-Spangled Banner

Mary Pickersgill (1776-1857) was a well-regarded flagmaker in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1813 she was approached by U.S. military representatives to make an oversized United States... continue »

Alice Huyler Ramsey, First Woman to Drive Across U.S.

In 1909 Alice Huyler Ramsey (1886-1983) became the first woman ever to drive from coast-to-coast. Horatio Nelson Jackson (and his dog, Bud), who had made... continue »

Rose Knox: Foremost Woman Industrialist of Her Day

Rose Knox (1857-1950) was active in the Knox Gelatin Company from the start of the business in 1891, and she became president and CEO in... continue »

Gertrude Käsebier: Enhanced Portrait Photography

Gertrude Käsebier was an American portrait photographer and one of the few professional women in the photography... continue »

Fannie Farmer: Cookbook Author Who Instituted Exact Measuring

Fannie Farmer (1857-1915) became famous as an author of a highly popular cookbook that broke new ground by specifying exact measurements in its recipes. She... continue »

Gordon Parks, Extraordinary Photojournalist

Gordon Parks, best-remembered as a gifted photojournalist, was also an author, composer and film director, achieving remarkable success in each field. His journalistic platform in Life magazine... continue »

Ethel Payne, Ground-Breaking Black Female Journalist

Ethel Payne made a name for herself as a tireless black journalist who was willing to ask tough questions about segregation and civil rights. She... continue »

Morrie Turner: Creator of Wee Pals Comic Strip

Morris “Morrie” Turner grew up dreaming of being a cartoonist, yet he knew the profession was dominated by white men. Despite that, Turner went on... continue »

Harlem Hellfighter Hero: Henry Johnson

The Harlem Hellfighters were a heroic bunch from the beginning, but this World War I infantry regiment had one man who stood out from all... continue »

The Tradition of the White House Tree Lighting Ceremony

Today we think of the ceremonial lighting of the White House Christmas tree as a long-time... continue »

President Taft’s Weight: Keeping the Pounds Off

President William Howard Taft (1857-1930), who served as president from 1909-1913, was a big man. At about 6 feet tall, his weight fluctuated from 255... continue »

The Presidential Turkey Pardon

The first presidential turkey pardon may have occurred in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln’s son, Tad, begged his father to write a presidential pardon for... continue »

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