A primary-sources web site which links to hand-selected pictures, documents, maps, and audio/visual clips from the world's leading libraries, archives and governmental web sites is now free to all UK libraries (public and academic), schools and educators. It features the following stories for October dates/issues:
1. BIRD FLU. Health-care providers worldwide are discussing cooperative measures to address Avian ("Bird") Flu. Governments are concerned that the virus, H5N1, could cause a flu pandemic. They want to prevent what happened with "Spanish Flu," which killed far more people (during 1918-1919) than World War I itself. http://www.awesomestories.com/disasters/spanish_flu/spanish_flu_ch1.htm
2. FALL OF JERUSALEM. October 2, 1187: Sultan Saladin captured Jerusalem from the Crusaders. http://www.awesomestories.com/movies/kingdom_heaven/kingdom_heaven_ch1.htm
3. GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. October 8, 1871: Chicago was not the only American city to catastrophically burn on this date. So did Peshtigo, Wisconsin and Holland, Michigan. http://www.awesomestories.com/disasters/great_fire/great_fire_ch1.htm
4. BATTLE FOR THE PHILIPPINES. October 20, 1944: Allied Forces Commander, General Douglas MacArthur, makes good his promise to the Philippine people: "I shall return." http://www.awesomestories.com/movies/great_raid/great_raid_ch1.htm
5. CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. October 22, 1962: Unclassified government documents show how close the world really came to nuclear war in the fall of 1962. Resolution of the missile crisis was President Kennedy's "finest hour." http://www.awesomestories.com/history/thirteen_days/thirteen_days_ch1.htm
6. PROHIBITION. October 28, 1919: The U.S. Congress enforces prohibition of all alcoholic beverages. http://www.awesomestories.com/movies/road_perdition/road_perdition_ch1.htm
7. STOCK MARKET CRASH. October 29, 1929: When markets crashed, the "Great Depression" was not far behind. http://www.awesomestories.com/history/great_depression/great_depression_ch1.htm
8. PROTESTANT REFORMATION. October 31, 1517: Martin Luther, a German monk, had 95 points of disagreement with the Catholic Church. When he nailed those "95 Theses" to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg, he ushered in the Protestant Reformation. http://www.awesomestories.com/history/book_burning/book_burning_ch1.htm
Although this primary-sources site is subscription-based, it is free to all UK libraries, schools, educators and librarians. Simply request an academic membership at the site's main URL: http://www.awesomestories.com/
Carole Bos, J.D.
Grand Valley State University
Dean's Advisory Board
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