Today in labor history: Poet Carl Sandburg is born
On January 6, 1878: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author Carl Sandburg was born in Galesburg, Illinois.
Today in labor history: Petition sent to Congress to end Fugitive Slave Act
On January 2, 1800 the Philadelphia black community petitioned Congress to rescind the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793.
Today in labor history: The human cost of mining
On December 19, 1907, 239 workers died in a coal mine explosion. This same day in 1984, 27 workers at Wilberg Mine died in Orangeville, Utah.
Today in labor history: Operation PUSH founded
Eventually the organization was able to expand into areas of social and political development for blacks in Chicago and across the nation.
Today in labor history: Wright brothers make first flight
At 10:35 a.m. on this day in 1903, Orville Wright flew the Flyer over 120 feet of ground for 12 seconds.
Today in labor history: Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison born
William Lloyd Garrison, one of the nation's most outstanding abolitionist leaders, was born Dec. 12, 1805, in Newburyport, Mass.
Today in labor history: Worst-ever U.S. mine disaster occurs
1907 was a particularly troubling year in West Virginia, during which a total of 3,242 people were killed in mining accidents.
Today in labor history: Abolitionist John Brown was hanged
On Dec. 2, 1859, abolitionist John Brown was hanged in Charleston, Va., for his leadership of a plot to incite slave rebellion.
Today in labor history: Workers perform "Pins and Needles" on Broadway
Today in labor history, Nov. 27, 1937, the pro-labor musical revue, "Pins & Needles," opens on Broadway with a cast of International Ladies Garment Workers Union members.
Today in labor history: FDR establishes Thanksgiving holiday
President George Washington became the first president to proclaim a Thanksgiving holiday, when, at the request of Congress, he proclaimed November 26 as a day of national thanksgiving for the U.S. Constitution.
