On this day in history, March 5th, many things happened - and we have lots of books to get you up to speed! And if you're curious about other days in history, just visit our Online Resource
US History in Context, and type in the date (March 5) in the search box to find articles about events from our past. For more info about any of the people below, visit
Biography in Context, where you'll find articles, photos, videos, and more! And here's the
link to a list of all of our Online Resources. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at askus@brownsburg.lib.in.us, or (317) 852-3167 option 2.
- 1770: Boston Massacre.
- 1839: Charlotte Bronte declines marriage.
- 1946: Churchill delivered the Iron Curtain Speech.
- 1953: Joseph Stalin dies.
- 1963: The hula-hoop was patented.
- 1969: Jim Morrison charged with lewd behavior at Miami concert.
- 1971: "Blackhorse" departs Vietnam.
- 2006: Jon Stewart hosts 78th annual Academy Awards ceremony.
Charlotte Bronte's impassioned novel is the love story of Jane Eyre, a
plain yet spirited governess, and her arrogant, brooding Mr. Rochester.
Published in 1847, under the pseudonym of Currer Bell, the book
heralded a new kind of heroine--one whose virtuous integrity, keen
intellect and tireless perseverance broke through class barriers to win
equal stature with the man she loved. Hailed by William Makepeace
Thackeray as "the masterwork of great genius," "Jane Eyre" is still
regarded, over a century later, as one of the finest novels in English
literature.
Winston Churchill rages against time and his own mortality, in
conflict with friend and foe alike, in this tumultuous political drama
of his last 10 years of public life.
Giving the best and most informative explanation to date of the
mystery of Stalin’s death, renowned historians Roy and Zhores Medvedev
have written a gripping new biography of Joseph Stalin, based on
findings from research into archives only recently made available, as
well as the Medvedev brothers’ own experiences during and after Stalin’s
brutal regime. Conventional beliefs and cliches are contradicted and
disproved, inaccuracies and misconceptions are corrected, and the facts
about Stalin’s intellect, ancestry, and the fortunes of his personal
effects after his death are fully examined.
Have you ever wondered about the science behind Alice's strange
adventures in Wonderland, Casanova's experiments with "Spanish Fly," and
zombies in Haiti? In Radar, Hula Hoops, and Playful Pigs , chemist and
columnist Dr. Joe Schwarcz offers 67 entertaining essays exploring these
and other delightful nooks and crannies of chemistry. Learn how shampoos really work, and discover which cleaning agents must never be combined. Read about the ups and downs of underwear, the invention of
gunpowder, Van Gogh's brain, John Dillinger's chemical exploits, and
Dinshah Ghadiali's bizarre attempts to cure diseasewith colored lights.
Finally, discover the amazing links between radar, hula hoops, and
playful pigs!
More than simply a fascinating look at a rock legend whose cult
following never stops growing, here is the definitive Morrison
biography: his angry relationship with his father; the early tragedies
and terrible events responsible for the darkness of his artistic vision;
his private life and legal trials, including his infamous Miami
obscenity bust; and the truth about his final hours. Based on extensive
research and featuring dozens of rarely published photographs, this is
the authoritative portrait of the poet, the grim visionary, the haunted
man, and his haunting music.
Pulitzer Prize--winning author Ted Morgan has now written a rich and
definitive account of the fateful battle that ended French rule in
Indochina-and led inexorably to America's Vietnam War. A veteran of the French Army, Ted Morgan has made use of exclusive
firsthand reports to create the most complete and dramatic telling of
the conflict ever written. Morgan paints indelible portraits of all the major players, from
Henri Navarre, head of the French Union forces, a rigid professional
unprepared for an enemy fortified by rice carried on bicycles, to his
commander, General Christian de Castries, a privileged, miscast cavalry
officer, and General Vo Nguyen Giap, a master of guerrilla warfare
working out of a one-room hut on the side of a hill. Most devastatingly,
Morgan sets the stage for the Vietnam quagmire that was to come.
In America (The Book), Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" writing staff
offer their insights into our unique system of government, dissecting
its institutions, explaining its history and processes, and exploring
the reasons why concepts like "One man, one vote,""Government by the
people," and "Every vote counts" have become such popular urban myths.
