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2350 BCE
The First Wedding
The first recorded evidence of marriage ceremonies uniting one woman and one man dates from about 2350 B.C., in Mesopotamia. Over the next several hundred years, marriage evolved into a widespread institution embraced by the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans. But back then, marriage had little to do with love or with religion.
Reference: https://theweek.com/articles/528746/origins-marriage -
1300
The Medieval Europe Families
People use the phrase “Middle Ages” to describe Europe between the fall of Rome in 476 CE and the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century. Many scholars call the era the “medieval period” instead; “Middle Ages,” they say, incorrectly implies that the period is an insignificant blip sandwiched between two much more important epochs.
Reference: https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages -
The First Interracial Marriage
On April 5, 1614, Pocahontas and John Rolfe married with the blessing of Chief Powhatan and the governor of Virginia. Their marriage brought a peace between the English colonists and the Powhatans, and in 1615 Pocahontas gave birth to their first child, Thomas. In 1616, the couple sailed to England.
Reference: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pocahontas-marries-john-rolfe -
Ellen Swallow Richards
America’s first female professional chemists and the first woman to be accepted by a scientific school, Ellen H. Swallow Richards is known for pioneering the field of sanitary engineering. Richards performed an unprecedented survey in 1890 that led to the first state water-quality standards in the nation. She is credited for making contributions to the understanding of environmental systems.
Reference: https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/women-scientists/ellen-h-swallow-richards.html -
Polygamy in the Mormon Church
Of all the Mormon doctrines, none caused as much controversy as polygamy, called plural or celestial marriage within the church. It divided prophet Joseph Smith's own household, caused a schism in his church, and brought the wrath of many Americans down on the Mormons for decades to come.
Reference: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/mormons-polygamy/ -
The Royal Family
The House of Windsor came into being in 1917, when the name was adopted as the British Royal Family's official name by a proclamation of King George V, replacing the historic name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. It remains the family name of the current Royal Family.
Reference: https://www.royal.uk/house-windsor -
Head Start Program
Head Start programs have served more than 36 million children since 1965, growing from an eight-week demonstration project to include full-day/full-year services and many program options. Head Start programs serve more than 1 million children and their families each year.
Reference: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs/about/history-head-start -
Legalization of Interracial Marriages
On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court issued its Loving v. Virginia decision, which struck down laws that banned marriages between people of different races as unconstitutional. Here is a brief recap of this landmark civil rights case.
Reference: References: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/today-in-supreme-court-history-loving-v-virginia -
Family Medical Leave Act
Public Law 103-3 Enacted February 5, 1993
An Act to grant family and temporary medical leave under certain circumstances.
References: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/laws-and-regulations/laws/fmla -
Roe v. Wade
On Friday, June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark piece of legislation that made access to an abortion a federal right in the United States. The decision dismantled 50 years of legal protection and paved the way for individual states to curtail or outright ban abortion rights.
Reference:https://www.american.edu/cas/news/roe-v-wade-overturned-what-it-means-whats-next.cfm