Observances

As recently as the 1970's, women's history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness.

 

To address this situation, the Education Task force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a "Women's History Week" celebration for 1978. March 8th, International Women's Day, was selected as the focal point to ensure that the events and celebration would include a multicultural perspective, recognize the connection between and among all women, and celebrate the important role of women in the paid labor force.

Sara Lee Corporation joins the Nation in observing Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.  This year's theme is "Bridging The Gap Between Our Differences." 

The origins of Gay and Lesbian Pride month can be traced back to a turbulent weekend in New York City in June of 1969.

 

On the night of June 27th of that year, the usual crowd gathered at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village. New York Beverage Control Board agents and NYC police officers raided the bar to enforce an alcohol control law that was seldom enforced anywhere else in the city.

Hispanic Heritage Month evolved from a Congressional declaration of Hispanic Heritage week in 1968. It was to be celebrated during the week of September 15th and 16th, covering a wide number of Independence Days for Latin American countries. On September 15th, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua celebrate their independence. On September 16th, Mexico celebrates its independence. In 1988, the celebration of Hispanic heritage was officially extended to 31 days. Now it includes the independence of Chile on September 18th, and Da de la Raza (Columbus Day) on October 12th. The final holiday recognizes the first immigration of Hispanic ancestors from the Eastern Hemisphere (Europe/Africa/Asia) to the Americas.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This annual observance, designed to recognize the contributions of workers with disabilities, began in 1988 with the Presidential Proclamation of Public Law 100-630 (Title III, Sec 301a). This law replaced "National Employ the Handicapped Week," which had been celebrated annually since 1945 during the first week in October.

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S. has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.

World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Armistice Day, as November 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later.