On July 26, 1945, the Allied leadership officially released the Potsdam Declaration to imperial Japan, calling for their unconditional surrender to bring an end to World War II. This letter was drafted during the Potdam Conference, a meeting between major Allied leaders to end the war as bloodlessly as possible. With Germany defeated, Japan remained… Read More »The Ultimatum Letter That Brought An End to WWII
The start of the American Civil War did not go well for the Union as they lost the first major battle, the First Battle of Bull Run. The superior Confederate leadership defeated the Union army despite having superior numbers. To ensure smooth leadership, President Abraham Lincoln appointed General George B. McClellan to command the Army… Read More »The Scathing Letter Lincoln Sent to His General
The Cuban Missile Crisis was an infamous Cold War confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union when both countries seemed on the verge of Nuclear War. This came as a result of the Soviet Union stationing nuclear weapons in Cuba. But as ships and generals prepared for battle the leaders were exchanging letters… Read More »The Secret Letter That Ended the Cuban Missle Crisis
On July 19, 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention became the first women’s rights convention. This was held in Seneca Falls, New York, and is widely considered the first step on the road to equal rights among women. At the time, the convention focused on gaining women’s suffrage in the US and allowing them to vote.… Read More »Seneca Falls Convention – The Letter Which Began the Fight for Women’s Equality
The rise of Hitler can easily be attributed as one of the main causes of WWII as his radical Nazi ideology and ultra-nationalist rhetoric are some of the biggest causes for Germany’s rearmament and expansionist policies. It all started today, nearly a century ago with the publishing of his manifesto, “Mein Kampf.” on July 18, 1925.… Read More »Einstein & Freud: Their Hidden Letters on Hitler and the Threat of War
On July 16, 1969, the United States launched Apollo 11 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, marking the first-ever attempt to put men on the moon. The mission, crewed by astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins was the culmination of years of scientific research and testing. While we know the mission was a… Read More »Contingency Letter for the Moon Landing
One of the greatest innovations of WWII was without question the development of the atomic bomb. By the end of the conflict, warfare was changed forever and a new level of destruction was reached. However, this did not come immediately, and took many months of research and development before testing was conducted. With that research… Read More »Letters of the Manhattan Project
Despite an attempt to return to power, Napoloen’s hundred-day campaign failed as he was eventually defeated in the Battle of Waterloo by the Seventh Coalition. This battle resulted in the permanent end of the Napoleonic Empire with Napoleon Bonaparte being exiled from France. The defeat was immortalized was captured by Napoleon’s letter to the royal… Read More »Letter of Surrender
On July 13, 1793, Jean-Paul Marat, a key figure in the French Revolution, was assassinated by Charlotte Corday. Marat was one of the most radical voices of the French Revolution and a member of the Jacobin faction. His support of the tyrannical rule of Maximilien Robespierre and the Reign of Terror that ensued made him many… Read More »Final Letter of A Revolutionary
On this day, one of the most fateful duels in history took place. This was the final encounter between two American founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr. Throughout their years, the two men have had multiple disagreements that culminated in this duel. As they prepared for this encounter, Alexander knew that there was a… Read More »Last Letter of Alexander Hamilton
