Thursday, December 22

Good morning!

Today we will continue to view " Gone with the Wind"

Current Events
Tragedy made Steve Kerr see beyond the basketball court - NYT

North Carolina fails to repeal bathroom law which began boycotts

Today in History

1772

Construction of the first schoolhouse west of the Allegheny Mountains was started in Schoenbrunn, Ohio, by Moravian missionaries.

1807

The U.S. Congress passed the Embargo Act.

1864

During the Civil War, Union general William T. Sherman sent a message to President Lincoln saying, "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah."

1894

French army officer Capt. Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial.

1989

Playwright Samuel Beckett died at age 83.

2001

Hamid Karzai sworn in as president of Afghanistan.

2010

President Obama officially repealed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy.

Wednesday, Dec 21

Good morning!

Today we will continue to view "Gone with the Wind"

Winter began this morning at 5:44 a.m. Today is the shortest "day" of the year - least amount of sunlight all year. So, the days begin getting longer tomorrow!

Current Events
NY State's population dipped this year; still the 4th largest state by population - THR

Mapping the shadows - NYT shows the shadows NYC buildings leave everyday

Today in History

1620

The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

1891

The first basketball game, invented at Springfield College in Massachusetts by James E. Naismith, was played.

1898

Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium.

1913

The first crossword puzzle was printed in the New York World.

1937

Disney's Snow White, the first feature length color and sound cartoon, premiered.

1970

Elvis Presley met with president Richard Nixon in the White House.

1988

A terrorist bomb exploded aboard a Pan Am Boeing 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.

1991

Eleven of the former Soviet republics form the Commonwealth of Independent States.

1995

Palestinians took over the control of the city of Bethlehem.

Tuesday, Dec 20

Good morning!

Today we will continue to view Gone with the Wind.

Current Events
Haverstraw book company tries to make reading less wobbly - TJN

Berlin attack called terrorism - NYT

Electoral College settles race; Trump next president - NYT

Today in History

1790

Samuel Slater built the nation's first cotton mill in Pawtucket, R.I.

1803

The United States purchased the Louisiana territory from France for $15 million.

1860

South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.

1968

Author John Steinbeck died at age 66.

1989

The United States invaded Panama and installed a new government but failed to capture General Manuel Antonio Noriega.

Monday, December 19th

Good morning!

Today we will continue to view "Gone with the Wind"

Current Events
The Electoral College "meets" today in 50 state capitols; what to expect - NYT

Insurance policies on slaves: New York Life's complicated past - NYT

Today in History

1732

Benjamin Franklin began publishing Poor Richard's Almanac.

1776

Thomas Paine published his first American Crisis essay, in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls."

1843

Charles Dickens published "A Christmas Carol."

1946

War broke out in Indochina when Ho Chi Minh attacked the French.

1972

Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, ending the Apollo program of manned lunar landings.

1984

Britain and China signed an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.

1998

President Bill Clinton impeached on two counts by the House of Representatives.

2003

Muammar al-Qaddafi of Libya announced that his country would discontinue development of weapons of mass destruction.

Friday, Dec 16

Good morning!

Today we will begin to view the 1939 classic, "Gone with the Wind"

Current Events

Obama promises to retaliate over Russian hacking - NYT

Think it's cold? Try Ice Swimming - NYT

Today in History

1653

Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

1773

The Boston Tea Party took place.

1916

Grigori Rasputin assassinated by a group of noble Russian conspirators.

1920

One of the deadliest earthquakes in history hit the Gansu province in China. The 8.6 quake killed 200,000 people.

1944

The Battle of the Bulge during World War II began in Belgium.

1990

Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president of Haiti in the country's first democratic elections.

2000

Colin Powell was selected to become the first African-American secretary of state.

Thursday, Dec 15

Good morning!

Today we will wrap up Remember the Titans. You will be working on the Key Terms of Ch 9 and 10, so that we can begin viewing "Gone with the Wind" tomorrow. (See the irony, look at Today in History, 1939).

Current Events
Cold Weather Tips - TJN

Viral story about boy dying in Santa's arms this week may not be real - NYP

Do you Yahoo?? Better change your password!!! NYT

Today in History

1791

The Bill of Rights took effect with Virginia's ratification of it.

1890

Sioux Indian chief Sitting Bull was killed by Native American police.

1916

The French defeated the Germans in the Battle of Verdun.

1939

The movie Gone With the Wind premiered in Atlanta, Georgia.

1944

Band leader Glenn Miller disappeared in a plane crash over the English Channel.

1961

Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court for organizing the deportation of Jews to concentration camps.

1964

Canada adopted its national flag, a red maple leaf on a white background.

1966

Animated-cartoon pioneer and movie producer Walt Disney died in Los Angeles.

1989

A demonstration that turned into a popular uprising in Romania began the downfall of Nicolae Ceausescu.

Wednesday, Dec 14

Good morning!

Today we will wrap up Remember the Titans.

Current Events
How Rockland is curbing "block busting" - TJN

Hell's Angels and NYPD are at it again - NYP

Trump and tech leaders to meet today; look to find common ground - NYT

Today in History

1799

George Washington died at age 67.

1819

Alabama became the 22nd state in the United States.

1911

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South Pole, beating an expedition led by Robert F. Scott.

1939

The Soviet Union was dropped from the League of Nations.

1967

DNA synthesized for the first time.

1981

Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights.

1985

Wilma Mankiller became the first woman to lead a major American Indian tribe as she took office as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

2012

Adam Lanza, age 20, forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 26 people. The victims included 20 children between the ages of six and seven.

Tuesday, Dec 13

Good morning!

Today we will finish Remember the Titans

Current Events
Trump names Exxon Mobil Chief to be next Secretary of State - NYT

Enjoy today and tomorrow; Thur and Fri will be C-O-L-D!!! - THR

Today in History

1642

New Zealand was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman.

1918

President Wilson arrived in France, becoming the first U.S. president to visit Europe while in office.

1978

The U.S. Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the first U.S. coin honoring a woman.

1981

The Polish government imposed martial law in an attempt to crush the Solidarity movement.

1989

South African President F. W. de Klerk met with Nelson Mandela for the first time.

2000

George W. Bush accepted presidency 36 days after election; Al Gore, Jr., conceded.

2003

American forces captured Saddam Hussein who was hiding in a hole near his hometown of Tikrit.

Monday, Dec 12th

Good morning!

Today we will continue to view "Remember the Titans"

Giants won, 10-7,  late last night. Knicks, Rangers and Jets also won.

Current Events
As some area school districts grapple with segregation; here is one that works - NYT

Trump to hand over the "President's Daily Brief" to VP Pence - NYT

Today in History

1787

Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1870

Joseph Rainey took his seat as the first African American in the U.S. House of Representatives.

1913

The Mona Lisa was recovered in Florence after having been stolen two years earlier (August 1911) from the Louvre.

1963

Kenya gained its independence from Britain.

1998

The House Judiciary Committee approved a fourth and final article of impeachment against President Clinton.

2000

The U.S. Supreme Court stopped the presidential election recount in Florida.

2001

Yasir Arafat closed the offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Friday, December 9th

Good morning!

Today we will ............ it's a surprise!

Current Events
Lucas Candies brings back a holiday tradition - TJN

John Glenn, American aviation icon, former Senator, dies at 95 - THR

Hillary Clinton, "Lives are at stake due to fake news" - NYP


Today in History

1941

China declared war against Japan, Germany, and Italy.

1958

The anti-Communist John Birch Society was formed.

1965

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" premiered.

1990

Lech Walesa was elected president of Poland.

1993

U.S. astronauts completed repair work on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Thursday, Dec 8th

Good morning!

Today you will be writing a Thematic essay on Andrew Jackson, using the 2006 US History Regents. It is due tomorrow.

Current Events
East Ramapo school improvement bond passes; work to begin by early next year - TJN

The man who fired shots into pizza shop answers NY Times questions - READ THIS - NYT

Yankees sign Aroldis Chapman - NYP

Today in History

1886

The American Federation of Labor was founded at a convention of union leaders in Columbus, Ohio.

1941

Congress declared war on Japan and the U.S. entered World War II.

1949

Communist attacks forced the Chinese Nationalist government to flee to the island of Formosa (Taiwan).

1978

Former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir died.

1980

John Lennon, former member of the Beatles, was shot and killed in New York City by a deranged fan.

1987

President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the first treaty to reduce the nuclear arsenals of the two superpowers.

1993

President Bill Clinton signed The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law.

Wednesday, Dec 7

Good morning!

75 years ago today, Pearl Harbor was attacked and the US entered WW II. It was a Sunday and the NY Football Giants were hosting the Brooklyn Dodgers at Yankee Stadium - audio, WOR

Current Events
Yankees to retire Jeter's #2; last single number for NY Yankees - NYT

NYC homeless shelters reach record high numbers - NYP

Valet parkers beware!!!! CNBC

Today in History

1787

Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1917

The U.S. declared war on Austria-Hungary in World War I.

1941

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

1972

America's final moon mission, Apollo 17, blasted off from Cape Canaveral.

1975

Indonesia invaded East Timor, leading to a 25-year occupation.

1988

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit Armenia, killing 25,000.

2001

Taliban forces fled from Kandahar, their last stronghold in Afghanistan.

2002

Iraq formally declared to the UN that it had no weapons of mass destruction.

2004

Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president.

Yesterday | Tomorrow 

Tuesday, December 6

Good morning!

Today we will study Jackson and the Trail of Tears, presidency and its' impact on the period of the 1830's and 40s. We will also study any comparisons to our lives today

Current Events
East Ramapo bond vote today, $58 million - TJN

Amazon has a way to speed up food shopping; but will it kill jobs? NYP

Fake news brought real guns in Washington pizza attack - NYT

Today in History

1884

Construction of the Washington Monument was completed.

1889

Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, died in New Orleans.

1923

A presidential address was broadcast on the radio for the first time when Calvin Coolidge spoke before Congress.

1926

French impressionist painter Claude Monet died at age 86.

1973

Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice president, replacing Spiro T. Agnew.

1992

The destruction of a mosque in India by Hindu extremists set off two months of Muslim-Hindu fighting that claimed at least 2,000 lives.

1998

Hugo Chavez elected president of Venezuela.

Monday, Dec 5

Good morning!

Hope you enjoyed your 2-hour delay. I found out about it when I arrived here at 6 a.m.!

Today we will continue to examine the video on Andrew Jackson.

Current Events
Death toll exceeds 30 in Oakland warehouse/night club fire - NYT

Things kids wished their TEACHERS knew - NYT

First Japanese Prime Minister to visit Pearl Harbor since WW II attack - NYP

Today in History

1776

The first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

1791

Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna, Austria, at age 35.

1848

President Polk triggered the Gold Rush of 1848 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.

1872

Having left New York on Nov. 5, the brigantine Mary Celeste was found adrift off Portugal with everyone aboard mysteriously missing.

1933

The 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing prohibition, was ratified.

1955

The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO.

2002

At Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday celebration, Senate Republican leader Trent Lott praised Thurmond's 1948 segregationist presidential bid. Lott subsequently resigned his leadership position.

Friday, Dec 2

Good morning!

We will watch a video on Jackson

Current Events
New City woman robbed exiting her car at home - TJN

Ex-NY Jet killed in road rage incident; 2nd NFL player killed this way this year - NYP

Today in History

1804

Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor of France in Paris by Pope Pius VII.

1823

President James Monroe outlined his famous doctrine opposing European expansion in the Western Hemisphere.

1859

Abolitionist John Brown was hanged for his raid on Harper's Ferry.

1942

The first controlled nuclear chain reaction was demonstrated at the University of Chicago.

1954

The Senate voted to condemn Republican senator Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."

1970

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established.

1982

Barney B. Clark became the first person to receive an artificial heart in a transplant operation.

1988

Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head an Muslim nation.

1990

Composer Aaron Copland died at age 90.

1999

A Protestant and Catholic cabinet convened for the first time in Northern Ireland.

Thursday, Dec 1

Good morning!

Today we will continue to work on the power points.

Current Events
Rockland's top paid officials - TJN

Creator of the Big Mac dies at 98 - NYT

Today in History

1824

The presidential election between John Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay was turned over to the House of Representatives due to the lack of an electoral-vote majority.

1887

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes appeared for the first time in print in the story "A Study in Scarlet."

1955

Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her front-section bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Ala.

1959

Twelve nations, including the United States, signed a treaty setting aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve free from military activity.

1997

Representatives from more than 150 countries gathered at a global warming summit in Kyoto, Japan, and over the course of ten days forged an agreement to control the emission of greenhouse gases. President Bush pulled the U.S. out of the Kyoto Protocol in 2001.

1998

Exxon and Mobil agreed to merge, creating the world's largest corporation.