The Holocaust Through Hidden Family Stories
A Past Whispered, Not Forgotten For decades after World War II, many Holocaust survivors remained silent. Not because they forgot, but because the memories were too painful to share, and the world often seemed unwilling to listen. It wasn’t until their children and grandchildren began asking questions—sometimes prompted by hidden letters in attic boxes or […]
The 2004 Tsunami: Community Oral Histories
A Wall of Water and a Wave of Memory At 7:58 a.m. local time on December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra sent a series of towering tsunamis racing across the Indian Ocean. Within hours, the coastlines of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and other nations were devastated. Over 230,000 […]
Fall of the Berlin Wall: A Family Perspective
When a Wall Divided More Than a City On the night of November 9, 1989, the world watched in disbelief as thousands of East and West Berliners surged toward the concrete wall that had divided their city—and their lives—for nearly three decades. But while the images of hammers and cheers became iconic, for many, the […]
Cuban Missile Crisis: Inside the Homes of 1962
A World on the Edge — and in the Living Room In October 1962, for thirteen tense days, the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war. The confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over ballistic missiles in Cuba is often told through the lens of diplomatic cables, aerial photographs, and war […]
The Civil Rights March on Washington: Voices from the Ground
On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., creating one of the largest political demonstrations in American history. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom united Americans of all races, backgrounds, and faiths around a common demand: civil and economic justice. While the day is often […]
Tiananmen Square 1989: Personal Accounts and Legacy
A Summer of Hope and Silence In the early summer of 1989, the world watched in awe and then horror as thousands of students gathered in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, to call for political reform. What began as a peaceful movement grounded in ideals of democracy, transparency, and anti-corruption quickly turned into one of the most […]