On July 20 and beyond, take a moment to remember humankind’s first visit to the Moon with the landing of the Lunar Module from the Apollo 11 spacecraft and that first step on the Moon’s surface taken by Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong, accompanied by Lunar Module pilot Edwin “Buzz” […]
On June 21-24 and beyond, let us take time to acknowledge the contribution of Laura Ingersoll Secord who set out on foot from her home on June 21, 1813 to warn British forces of an impending American attack during the War of 1812 that resulted in a victory for British troops and allied First Nations […]
On June 18 and beyond, take a moment to remember British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill’s “This was their finest hour” speech to the British House of Commons on June 18, 1940, following the surrender of France to Nazi Germany on June 17, 1940. Churchill was in a defiant mood. With reference to […]
On June 16 and beyond, take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of past, present and future women astronauts and cosmonauts, beginning with the first female cosmonaut in space, Soviet/Russian space pioneer Valentina Tereshkova, who blasted off in Vostok (Orient or East) 6 on June 16, 1963, piloting the spacecraft for […]
Magna Carta: Legacy from Beakus on Vimeo. Professor Ailsa Henderson – Magna Carta and Canada from Magna Carta 800th on Vimeo. On June 15 and beyond, we should take a moment to remember Magna Carta (“the Great Charter”) or Magna Carta Libertatum (“the Great Charter of the Liberties”) that was […]
On June 14 and beyond, take a moment to remember the moment when trade unions were deemed legal entities in Canada: June 14, 1872. Prior to this date, consider the backdrop of the Nine-Hours Movement which sought to reduce the length of a working day for most workers by two to three hours per day. […]
“In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labour” - Malala Yousafzai (Co-Winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize) “Some girls cannot go to school because of the child labour and child trafficking” - Malala Yousafzai (Co-Winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize) “Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is […]
On June 11 and beyond, take a moment to remember the Government of Canada’s statement of apology to former students of the Indian residential school system given by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the House of Commons on June 11, 2008. This move by the […]
Canada has a federal election scheduled to be held on October 19, 2015. While some voters may have already decided which political party and leader to support, others have not and may be seeking information and research to help them to make a personal, informed decision. Toronto Public Library can help those individuals in a […]
On June 9 and beyond, take a moment to remember Canadian-British media tycoon and politician, William Maxwell “Max” Aitken, otherwise known as Lord Beaverbrook or 1st Baron Beaverbrook. Born in the Greater Toronto Area in Maple, Ontario on May 25, 1879, Max Aitken moved with his family to Newcastle, New Brunswick in 1880. While […]