Word on the Street

The March on Washington

This Saturday marks the 47th anniversary of The March on Washington and Martin Luther King's legendary "I Have A Dream" speech. The March was organized to put pressure on Congress to pass civil rights legislation.

Below is newsreel coverage of The March on Washington from Universal Newsreels. Subscribers to American History in Video can find the video, along with its synchronized, scrolling transcript, here.

American History in Video continues to grow to 2,000 hours of important documentaries, newsreels, public affairs videos, and archival footage. For more information, and to request a free trial and price quote for your library, please email [email protected].

Today in History: 1986

We're opening access to American History in Video through April 30, 2009 at http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com. Through our blog series, Today in History, we'll feature video clips related to historical events occurring on today's date.

For pricing information and institution-wide trial access after the open access period, please email [email protected].

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On this day in 1986, television reporter Geraldo Rivera hosted The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault, a live TV special that promised to uncover the treasures left behind by the notorious Chicago mobster. What Geraldo ultimately uncovered was debris and a few empty bottles. Despite the lackluster outcome, the program became the most-watched syndicated television special, drawing an estimated 30 million viewers, and furthering the celebrity status of Al Capone.

Experience history as never before with American History in Video. Click the image below to view documentary footage of Al Capone in streaming video.

Today in History: 1960

We're opening access to American History in Video through April 30, 2009 at http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com. Through our blog series, Today in History, we'll feature video clips related to historical events occurring on today's date.

For pricing information and institution-wide trial access after the open access period, please email [email protected].

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On April 1, 1960, the first successful weather satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. TIROS I, the first in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites, was designed to take television footage of weather patterns while orbiting Earth. Although short-lived, TIROS I proved the usefulness of satellite weather observation. A joint project between several government agencies (NASA, US Army Signal Corps, NGA, NWS) and electronics company RCA, the TIROS series paved the way modern weather satellits including those laucnhed by NOAA.

Experience history as never before with American History in Video. Click the image below to view newsreel footage of the launch of TIROS in streaming video.