October 4, 2025
Gutzon Borglum Begins Sculpting Mount Rushmore (1927)
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, a massive carving of four US presidents' heads, each about 60 ft (18 m) high, on the side of a South Dakota mountain, took 400 workers 14 years to complete. Its designer, sculptor Gutzon Borglum—who had previously worked on a Confederate memorial on Georgia's Stone Mountain—died before Rushmore was completed, and his unfinished Hall of Records behind the heads is off-limits to the public. What nearby mountain sculpture will dwarf Rushmore when completed? Discuss
October 3, 2025
George Washington Creates Thanksgiving Day (1789)
Though the feast held in 1621 may be better remembered, the first official national Thanksgiving in the US was declared in 1789. On that day, Washington, the president at the time, offered thanks for "the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty" following the revolution. Thanksgiving feasts were declared sporadically until 1863, when President Lincoln established it as a lasting holiday. Traditionally, the president pardons a live turkey each year. Why have recent presidents pardoned two?
October 2, 2025
The Twilight Zone Premieres on CBS (1959)
A classic science-fiction show that ran for just five years, The Twilight Zone was created by veteran television writer Rod Serling. More than half of its 155 unrelated episodes were written or co-written by Serling, who also narrated each half-hour episode with his trademark deadpan. The show often starred soon-to-be-famous actors such as William Shatner and Robert Redford. Many episodes featured frightening or ironic plot twists. What were some of the show's most celebrated episodes?
