Well readers, I know I always say “it’s been a big week”, but this truly has been a big week . America made history last night by electing the first African American President, Barack Obama. Now I don’t think anything I’m going to write today will top that, so let’s just lower our expectations a bit and begin what I’m sure will end up being a very interesting, albeit not groundbreaking, This Week in history.

November 3, 1969: Richard Nixon addresses the nation asking that the “silent majority” to support him in the Vietnam War and his policies.

There is never enough to say about the Vietnam War, it has permeated history and infiltrated the lives of countless Americans. You can check out the individual tale of Bruce O. Solheim in the Vietnam War Era: A Personal Journey.

November 4, 2008: Barack Obama is elected the first African American President of the United States of America.

There is no book for this, but history is history so I’m confident a few reminders will not be considered excessive.

 November 5, 1862: Indian Wars:  303 Dakota warriors in Minnesota were executed on accusations
of rape and murder.

The first American national museum designed and run by indigenous peoples opened in Washington D.C. in 2004. It contains more than 800,000 objects in three permanent galleries. You read the dialogue of the contributors in The National Museum of the American Indian: Critical
Conversations, edited by Amy Lonetree and Amanda J. Cobb.

November 6, 1947: Meet the Press makes its television debut on NBC
.
Another significant news show, with a very similar name, was CBS Views the Press. Although it aired on the radio rather than television, the impact it had on the political climate was significant to say the least. You can checkout Radio’s Revolution: Don  Hollenbecks’ CBS Views the Press at the UNP website.

November 7, 1991: Magic Johnson retires from the NBA after announcing he has HIV.

Basketball is not just all NBA, big diamond ring, and personal drama. Some times it’s about laying in obscurity and working hard until your moment. This close-up account, found in Cinderella Ball: A Look Inside Small College Basketball in West Virginia, by Bob Kuska, is of one team’s unlikely rags-to-riches tale. Kuska offers a unique perspective on the state of small –college basketball in America, from the bleachers and from the court.

Well readers, I hope you enjoyed this week’s historical tidbits. You can find all these books and more at the University of Nebraska Press.  Be sure to join us next week for some Tuesday Trivia. Have a great weekend!