Tag History
Environmental historian William Cronon awarded Wilderness Society’s highest honor
Environmental historian and University of Wisconsin–Madison professor William Cronon has been presented with The Wilderness Society’s Robert Marshall Award — the organization’s highest civilian honor — for his contributions to the protection of America’s wild places. The award, named for wilderness visionary Robert Marshall, is given to a private citizen who has made outstanding, long-term contributions to conservation and fostering an American land ethic.
Excavation exposes Roman imperial outpost at its bitter end
Like Pompeii, the ancient ruins of Zeugma, a frontier city of the Roman Empire on the banks of the Euphrates River in what is now modern Turkey, stood frozen in time.
Legend in genetics at forefront of book about heroism during 20th century’s darkest hours
Waclaw Szybalski, 92, a genius of genetics who has been repeatedly mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Prize, grew up as an aspiring scientist during World War II in the eastern part of Poland. Many of Szybalski's most significant wartime roles concerned a decidedly applied type of science: He cooked TNT so the Polish resistance could sabotage rail lines. He participated in smuggling typhus vaccine to Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. And he fed lice and supervised "louse feeders."
Alumni celebrate 165 years of UW excellence with Founders’ Day
February 5, 1849: Twenty young men gather in a small brick building near the State Capitol for the University of Wisconsin's inaugural class.
UW’s own ‘Monuments Men’ leave a legacy
Archivists and librarians don’t typically get a lot of publicity. So when Hollywood stars like Matt Damon and George Clooney portray the heroic contributions that archivists made to World War II, it’s a pretty big deal.
Wisconsin Historical Society to host civil rights film series
The Wisconsin Historical Society will host a four-part documentary film series, "Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggles," at the society's Madison headquarters from February through April.
A grieving campus: Recalling the JFK assassination, 50 years later
Each generation has a “where-were-you-when” moment that serves as a generational touchstone. For Baby Boomers, that moment happened 50 years ago this Friday, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a Dallas motorcade.
Missing WWII soldier may be found with help of UW–Madison scientists
On Aug. 13, 1944, German soldiers retreating from a U.S. Army reconnaissance patrol in Normandy blew up an armored car. Pfc. Lawrence S. Gordon, a 28-year-old Canadian enlistee, had been riding in the Ford-build M8 Greyhound, and likely died in the explosion and fire.
John Dean to speak on Watergate, lawyers and ethics
John Dean, best known as former White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon and a key witness in the Senate Watergate hearings, will deliver the University of Wisconsin Law School's 2013 Kastenmeier Lecture at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at Gordon Dining and Event Center, Second Floor, 770 W. Dayton St.
Colonial Jamestown archeologist to dispel myths in Madison lecture
There are so many common myths about Jamestown - the first permanent English colony in North America - William Kelso keeps a list handy.
Photo essay: A Birthday Feast for the Eyes
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of ecologist John T. Curtis' birth on Sept. 20, 1913, we share some moments from a recent early morning spent exploring Curtis Prairie at the UW–Madison Arboretum.
Jones book highlights forgotten history of March on Washington
August 28 marks the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, which drew nearly 250,000 to the nation's capital.
“I Have a Dream” is speech for the ages
Martin Luther King Jr. gave thousands of speeches in his life, both as a minister and as a leader of the civil rights movement in the United States, but one stands above the rest: “I Have a Dream.”
Ceremony to honor John Muir, legendary preservationist
To recognize the 175th anniversary of the birth of John Muir, and to honor one of history's most influential preservationists, a plaque will be dedicated on Thursday, June 20 within sight of Muir's dormitory room in North Hall. The plaque recalls the naturalist's first botany lesson, received under a black locust tree growing next to the historic building.
Large, culturally significant textile collection unpacked
Yes, all kinds of works of art are being unpacked as part of the more than 13,000-piece Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. The collection had been housed off campus for four years while work was being completed on the new Nancy Nicholas Hall in the School of Human Ecology Building.
Archaeologists on front lines of protecting ancient culture in turbulent regions
J. Mark Kenoyer stands on a windswept peak in Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan, his head wrapped in a traditional scarf against the harsh sun. As he chats in a mixture of Urdu and Pashto with an Afghan archaeologist, it’s easy to see why documentarian Brent Huffman wanted the University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of anthropology to appear in his upcoming film about Mes Aynak, a 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery.