New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

National Archives

Exploring Records Related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)

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Scientific Study of UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) [image cropped] National Archives Identifier 295136808The American cultural phenomena of “flying saucers” started in 1947 when a civilian aircraft pilot saw several objects from his plane that he claimed were traveling at supersonic speeds. Reports of more flying saucers soon proliferated throughout the country and the term “unidentified flying object” was coined by the military in 1952.

When a rancher found unidentified debris including rubber, tape, and tinfoil near Roswell, NM, the most enduring UFO legend was born. [Read more…] about Exploring Records Related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)

Railroad Records at the National Archives: A Primer

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At a loading platform at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, an old engine pulls a train from New York which will connect with the Southwest Limited which runs between Chicago and Los Angeles, June 1974The National Archives’ Cartographic Branch contains more than 69 record groups and 215 series that include maps, architectural and engineering drawings, and aerial photographs that all relate to railroads in the United States, with widespread coverage of regions all over the world. The dates of these records range from 1828 to 2009, with the bulk of records covering other countries and regions from the early to mid 20th century. [Read more…] about Railroad Records at the National Archives: A Primer

Help Transcribe Revolutionary War Pension Files

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Certification that John Bacon was eligible to receive a pension for Revolutionary War service. (Records of the Veterans Administration, RG 15)In celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence, the National Archives and the National Park Service are collaborating on a special project to transcribe Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, ca. 1800 – ca. 1912. These Revolutionary War Pension Files consist of applications and other records pertaining to claims for pensions and bounty land warrants. [Read more…] about Help Transcribe Revolutionary War Pension Files

JFK Assassination Records Transcription Opportunity

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Lyndon Baines Johnson takes Presidential Oath of Office aboard Air Force One on November 22, 1963 (courtesy National Archives)President John F. Kennedy was killed on November 22, 1963. Nearly 30 years after his death, Congress enacted the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. The Act mandated that all assassination-related material be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. [Read more…] about JFK Assassination Records Transcription Opportunity

Queens of the Air: American Women Aviation Pioneers

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Ruth Law in a Curtiss PusherWithin the holdings of the National Archives, you will find many resources documenting the history and early days of aviation. Among these records include the stories and flights of American women aviation pioneers, captured by newsreel footage and World War I era photographs. [Read more…] about Queens of the Air: American Women Aviation Pioneers

National Archives New Online Catalog Launches Monday

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National Child Labor Committee Photographs taken by Lewis HineThe National Archives’ new online catalog is set to launch on Monday, November 21st, replacing the legacy Catalog at catalog.archives.gov. The new Catalog focuses on scalability and in the next few years is expected to grow to 500 million digitized pages.

New back-end enhancements provide an improved search experience which makes it easier and more intuitive. [Read more…] about National Archives New Online Catalog Launches Monday

The 60th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis

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Map of Aircraft Locations in Cuba courtesy National ArchivesAt the height of the Cold War, for two weeks in October 1962, the world teetered on the edge of thermonuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Earlier that fall, the Soviet Union, under orders from Premier Nikita Khrushchev, began to secretly deploy a nuclear strike force in Cuba, just 90 miles from the United States.

President John F. Kennedy said the missiles would not be tolerated and insisted on their removal. Khrushchev refused. [Read more…] about The 60th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis

US Archivist Appointment Still On Hold

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national archives building on pennsylvania avenue in Washington DC (courtesy National Archives)In September, the President’s nominee for Archivist of the United States (AOTUS), Dr. Colleen Shogan, appeared before the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs (HSGAC) in accordance with the Senate’s advice and consent capacity for presidential appointments. [Read more…] about US Archivist Appointment Still On Hold

Universal Newsreels In The National Archives

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universal international newsThe Universal Newsreel Collection is the largest donated newsreel collection in the Moving Image and Sound Branch at the National Archives. The popular collection includes nearly 4,000 edited releases which were originally shown in movie theaters, as well as 8,500 reels of unedited outtakes. [Read more…] about Universal Newsreels In The National Archives

Featured Collections: West Point Military Academy Photographs

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Formation Review at West Point courtesy National Archives CatalogMore than 2,500 photographs taken at the West Point Military Academy in the early 20th century are now available in the National Archives Catalog. [Read more…] about Featured Collections: West Point Military Academy Photographs