• Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1): Considered by some to be the most radical document since the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation marked the beginning of the end of slavery in the United States.
  • Dred Scott's Case for Freedom (March 6): Dred Scott filed a lawsuit stating that because they lived in a free territory, he and his wife Harriet should be free. His case made it to the Supreme Court, where pro-slavery justices gave a ruling which inflamed tensions leading to the Civil War.
  • Anniversary of Apollo 13 Moon Mission (April 11 - 17): In one of the most dramatic space flights ever, an explosion crippled a spacecraft intended to land on the moon. Faced with daunting odds, the crew became an inspiring model of teamwork, patience, and resilience.
  • American Friends Service Committee Founding (April 30): Founded by Quakers during World War I to give young conscientious objectors ways to serve without joining the military or taking lives, the AFSC continues work of compassion and peacemaking.
  • Kent State Shootings Remembrance Day (May 4): In 1970 at Kent State University, students peacefully demonstrating against the Vietnam War were shot — four killed — by the Ohio national guard. The shootings set off a national discussion about response to protesters.
  • Remembrance Day for Carrie Nation (June 2): Carrie Nation's personal efforts — questionably zealous — helped pave the way for the 18th and 19th amendments to the U.S. Constitution: prohibition and women's right to vote.
  • Anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn (June 25): Although at first seen as victory for indigenous people, this battle had a dire longer-term consequence as the U.S. government increased its efforts to confine tribes to reservations.
  • Anniversary of the First Lunar Landing (July 20): On this date in 1969, Neil A. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first human beings to land on another celestial body. The occasion was celebrated by a pause to give thanks.
  • Anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment (August 18): This amendment gave U.S. women the right to vote, ending a legal challange that lasted seven decades. It opened opportunity for female leadership at all levels and wedged a foot in the door of universal suffrage.
  • Memorial Day for Sacco and Vanzetti (August 23): This controversial case signaled America's growing gap between the privileged and the powerless, as two Italian immigrants who were radical anarchists were executed after an unfair trial.