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U.S. Capitol Historical Society, 200 Maryland Avenue NE, Washington D.C., DC (2026)

06/06/2026

in 1944 — — and Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. Three years of planning had changed the world forever. For as Roosevelt prayed to : “Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity…by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.”

The objective of D-Day was to break Hitler’s seemingly impregnable Atlantic Wall, and in so doing, create a second front—what had crippled during WWI. The optimal target was the port city of Calais: the shortest route to Germany, the shortest route to the Rhineland (the N**i industrial base), and close enough to to provide crucial Allied air support. But Germany understood this and thus maintained its strongest defenses in Calais. The Allies, in turn, settled on the 50-mile stretch of beaches in .

For months, they clandestinely developed fake armies, tanks, and radio traffic to trick N**i reconnaissance into believing that Calais—not Normandy—was their actual target. The date to attack was June 5. But poor weather delayed the invasion by 24 hours. Based on tidal patterns, any further delay would force another two-week postponement. General Eisenhower therefore ordered a June 6 invasion. It was a necessary but fateful decision; strong currents landed many troops up to 2,000 yards from Omaha Beach’s preferred targets—exposing them to D-Day’s deadliest machine gun fire.

But in a scene worthy of Homer, 160,000 American, , and troops—operating 12,000 aircrafts, 4,000 landing crafts, 3,000 tanks, and 1,200 warships—broke through N**i-controlled . It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The ensuing victory turned the tide of , enabling the Allies to push the Germans back toward on the Western Front, just as the Soviets worked to achieve the same on the Eastern Front. By 1945, both had reached the German capital, tolling the death knell for the N**i’s reign of terror.

One day after the historic invasion, a NYT editorial reflected on the greatest of the Greatest Generation: “A year, two years ago,” soldiers “were the grinning, careless youngsters, we saw on the campuses and ball fields and streets of every town. Now they are steeled and exalted into men; they are the heroes in the hardest and most crucial adventure in .

“All too literally, their flesh and their spirit are our shield, the shield of the Republic.”

in Photo: an orphan helmet in Normandy

06/05/2026

in , 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was felled by an assassin’s bullet. The presidential candidate had campaigned for , for , and for the working poor. But though his life now ceased, he insisted after ’s death: “No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by his assassin's bullet.”

When named his little brother Attorney General, there were immediate shouts of nepotism. Yet to ’s credit, he grew into one of ’s leading voices of conscience. As AG, he deployed federal marshals to protect the Freedom Riders and James Meredith; lobbied Senate leadership on historic civil rights legislation; and played a crucial role during the Cuban Missile Crisis to avert nuclear warfare.

But by 1968, the was on the brink of exploding—now from the inside. The Vietnam War had caused a deep chasm, inspiring the senator to run for as an anti-war candidate. It was on the campaign trail—in —that he learned of MLK’s assassination. Prepared only with talking points, Kennedy broke the news to his predominantly Black audience.

He spoke of “love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another.” Though he entertained thoughts of “hatred” and “mistrust” after his brother’s assassination, he pleaded: “Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote…to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.” While his audience was shocked and disillusioned at his speech’s beginning, they had become so moved, even calmed by Kennedy’s words, that they cheered him with each passing stanza.

That night, riots erupted across the —but stood quiet. Just two months later, so did Kennedy.

With his body soon laid to rest near JFK’s eternal flame, his last living brother eulogized:

“My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. [He should] be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it.”

in Photo: a haunting image of the Kennedy brothers

06/04/2026

in , 1919, Congress passed the 19th Amendment. Once ratified, it granted women the universal right to vote, and in so doing, brought the one step closer to its full potential. A half century prior, Susan B. Anthony famously said, “There shall never be another season of silence until women have the same rights men have on this green earth.” Here's to those who make noise.

Anthony uttered her pledge in 1872 after being arrested for illegally voting. Fifty miles away sat the location of the Seneca Falls Convention where the women’s suffrage movement had formally begun. After years of building, however, its momentum stalled when the Civil War erupted; then, after a Union victory, the focus on rights shifted from women to the once enslaved.

This splintered the movement—and inhibited its progress—as some opposed Black suffrage if women were not included. Though it took decades, by the end of the 19th century, these divisions healed, and the two factions merged, growing their strength toward the one goal each citizen aspires to: equal access to the dream.

As early as 1878, had debated women’s suffrage. But it took the Progressive Era before a federal amendment became a genuine possibility. In 1913, thousands of suffragists paraded a day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration. There, they delivered petitions bearing 750,000 signatures in what was referred to as a “Siege of the Senate.”

Three years later, Jeanette Rankin became the first female elected to Congress. On her first day, she introduced the Susan B. Anthony amendment—what eventually became the . Though a pacifist, Rankin’s crusade was soon aided by the contributions of women during WWI, leading President Wilson to lobby Congress: “Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?”

When Congress finally delivered its answer, it not only changed the fortunes for half of — it proved Anthony’s belief for the whole of humanity: “Nothing is hopeless that is right.”

in Photo: Mural in the Capitol (Credit: Architect of the Capitol)

06/03/2026

June is Pride Month, an annual observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride and commemorating the contributions of LGBTQ culture and community. It traces its origins to the Stonewall Uprising of June 1969. Following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, members of the LGBTQ+ community resisted longstanding discrimination and harassment, sparking a series of demonstrations that became a defining moment in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

One year later, New York City hosted the first Pride March to commemorate Stonewall's anniversary. Held on June 28, 1970, the march was called the Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day and quickly gained national attention. One of the first Black pride celebrations was held in Washington, D.C. on Memorial Day in 1990. As Pride celebrations grew across the country, Congress and the federal government also became part of the story. In 1999, President Clinton officially recognized June as Gay and Le***an Pride Month. In 2009, President Obama expanded the observance to include the broader LGBTQ+ community. Since then, members of Congress continue to mark Pride Month through resolutions, speeches, and commemorations.

This June, we're exploring the history of Pride Month and its connections to Congress and the Capitol. Follow along as we highlight key moments, milestones, and figures throughout the month.

06/02/2026

in , 1924, Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to all . Complicating the law’s legacy, though, is the fact that for many Indians, their primary objective was never to obtain citizenship—but to maintain sovereignty.

When the was written in 1787, it excluded “Indians not taxed” from U.S. citizenship and instead treated tribes as independently governed. Decades later, the 14th Amendment—which defined U.S. citizenship—made the same exclusion. But in 1887, with support from Western settlers, passed the Dawes Act.

The law sought to break up tribal structures by turning their communal land into private property that the U.S. then sold to settlers. Some was also offered to the heads of Indian households, who became eligible for citizenship. But in so doing—and by design—tribal communities became divided. During this era, troops and hunters killed bison populations in attempts to eliminate tribal hunting and to compel to move off tribal land to farm. Church and government-run boarding schools also forced Indian children to abandon Native traditions by changing their dress, language, and religion.

Many Indians therefore viewed the Citizenship Act as an extension of assimilation policies that stripped tribes of their identity. And yet, many Indians did desire citizenship. During , some 12,000 fought for the , leading Congress to grant them citizenship in 1919. Those who sought this status believed it a pathway to opportunity—for themselves and their communities—which faced immense challenges.

Due in part to the veterans’ service, Congress eventually passed the Citizenship Act with the support of Coolidge, who had long claimed Indian ancestry on his father’s side. He was optimistic about the “epoch-making law.” Yet he contended, “It is a curious fact that most people in this country seem to believe that the Indians are a homogenous people”— why, even today, U.S.-tribal progress remains a matter of perception.

To learn more about this subject, please watch our 2024 Native American Suffrage Symposium at https://bit.ly/43HBlqb

in Photo: Coolidge was tribal leaders at the (Credit: LOC)

06/01/2026

in , 1812, Pres. asked to declare war on —retaliation for its “continued practice of violating the American flag.” The War of 1812 that followed is often referred to as the ’s “Second War of Independence,” for as Madison insisted: “To have shrunk under such circumstances…would have acknowledged that…the people were not an independent people, but colonists and vassals.”

From the ’ perspective, the War of 1812 was fought over a number of grievances. The British had been at war with Napoleon and forbid the neutral Americans to trade with France. But because the British also needed manpower, they forced American sailors to serve in the Royal Navy. Finally, the U.S. believed the British were instigating conflict between and Native Americans. Madison therefore asked to exercise its power to declare war—the first time it did so in .

“War Hawks” from the West and the South—regions that supported Westward expansion—had fervently pushed for retaliation, hoping to assert U.S. sovereignty and power into British-controlled lands. Meanwhile, Federalists from industrial argued that war with Britain would hurt trade. Thus, a declaration of war passed, but along sectional lines. Secretary of State John Q. Adams conceded that the President’s primary “duty” was “preserving with the other nations of the earth.” But he admitted “to seek peace is not always to ensure it.”

Two years later, with the war still raging, the British stormed and set fire to the and —threatening the whole of the American experiment. It was a devastating gut punch. But only weeks later, in nearby , a man named Francis Scott Key witnessed another brutal attack.

Only this time, prevailed. And when he saw Her flag still waving, he wrote a poem that “lifted the national spirit,” a Congressman reflected. “From the vale of gloom and despair…to the sunlit heights of confidence and victory.

“It heralded the dawn of a new day to our Federal Government.”

Pictures: Montage of paintings depicting scenes from the War of 1812

05/30/2026

Next in our Rural Stories series is Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg of Trappe, Pennsylvania, a man from a small town who became the United States’ first Speaker of the House.

Born in Trappe, PA in 1750, Muhlenberg studied in Germany before returning to America to become a Lutheran minister in New York City. As tensions with Britain escalated in 1776, Muhlenberg left the ministry and entered politics, quickly becoming involved in Pennsylvania’s government and the Continental Congress.

Muhlenberg played an important role in the early years of the United States. He helped advocate for ratification of the Constitution among German-speaking Americans in his home state. In 1789, he became the very first Speaker of the House of Representatives, helping establish many of the precedents for the office that still exist today. He went on to serve in the first four U.S. Congresses.

Muhlenberg was also one of the signers of the Bill of Rights and is remembered for casting the deciding vote to place the nation’s capital along the Potomac River, paving the way for the creation of our capital city, Washington, D.C.

Although he served at the highest levels of the federal government, Muhlenberg remained closely tied to his hometown of Trappe, where he operated a general store and served as a justice of the peace. Today, many historic sites connected to the Muhlenberg family still stand in Trappe, preserving the story of one of the nation’s earliest congressional leaders.

05/29/2026

During AAPI Heritage Month, we recognize the life and legacy of Senator Daniel Inouye, a decorated World War II veteran and Asian American. Inouye became the first Japanese American to serve in both the House and Senate, and the first representative for the state of Hawaiʻi. Inouye served in Congress for over 53 years.

Daniel Inouye was born in Hawaiʻi in 1924 to Japanese immigrant parents. As a teenager, he volunteered with the Red Cross to care for victims wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the U.S. entered World War II, Inouye initially attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army but was rejected because of his Japanese ancestry. Following petitions from Japanese Americans across the country including Inouye, the U.S. government eventually formed segregated Japanese American combat units. Inouye joined the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team, in 1943.

Inouye's leadership and combat skills quickly propelled him through the ranks while serving in both Italy and France. In 1945, while leading an assault on German positions in Italy, he suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck by a rifle gr***de. Despite his injuries, Inouye continued directing his men until they completed the mission. Inouye received several surgeries, including the amputation of his right arm, and recuperated in military hospitals for two years.

After the war, Inouye attended the University of Hawaiʻi earning a law degree from George Washington University. When Hawaiʻi became a state in 1959, Inouye was elected as its first U.S. Representative. Just a few years later, he won election to the Senate, where he became known for his advocacy for Hawaiʻi, veterans, and minority communities. From 2010 to 2012, he served as President pro tempore of the Senate. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest military decoration, in 2000 alongside several of his 442nd Regimental Combat Team veterans.

Senator Inouye passed away in 2012 and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom the following year. His life remains a powerful example of perseverance, public service, and patriotism in the face of discrimination and adversity.

To learn more about Daniel Inouye, you can view our oral history interviews with him here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl-HL8esvkUfz95w9JhmVCCBi-lL22BuL

We also have several oral histories with other AAPI members of Congress here: https://capitolhistory.org/explore/united-states-capitol-oral-history-interviews/.

05/29/2026

in , 2004, the Memorial was dedicated in . It reads, “here we mark the price of freedom,” flanked by 4,048 gold stars. They represent the 405,399 soldiers who perished: a third of the more than 1 million Americans since 1775 to give their last full measure of devotion: to , and Her cause of liberty.

When in 1993, passed legislation authorizing a , donations flooded in from and Americans alike. The memorial that followed is strategically located between the monuments to , the commander whose victory gave birth to the Union, and , the Commander in Chief whose victory saved the Union.

Its dedication on 2004 was attended by 150,000 people, including heroic veterans of the Greatest Generation. Fifty-six granite pillars encircle the memorial, representing each of our states and territories. At the entrance stand 24 bronze panels that narrate ’s story, from the Lend-Lease Act and Pearl Harbor, to D-Day through Victory in Europe & Japan.

After ’s end, Truman delivered a proclamation to the . With careful reflection, he stated: “Our first thoughts, of course—thoughts of gratefulness and deep obligation—go out to those of our loved ones who have been killed or maimed in this terrible war. On land and sea and in the air American men and women have given their lives so that this day of ultimate victory might come and assure the survival of a civilized world. No victory can make good their loss.”

Still, Truman said, echoing the Gettysburg Address, “it is our responsibility—ours, the living—to see to it that this victory shall be a monument worthy of the dead who died to win it.”

Six decades later, a monument now stood worthy of the dead who died to earn it.

in Photo: a night-lit WWII Memorial

05/28/2026

in , 1830, Pres. Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. The controversial law authorized the to grant western territory to tribes in order to displace them from the southeast . Though it narrowly passed , a Senator forewarned: “Let us beware how, by oppressive encroachments upon the sacred privileges of our Indian neighbors, we minister to the agonies of future remorse.”

When was president, he largely sought conciliation with tribes, with his Sec. of War arguing “The Indians being the prior occupants, possess the right of the soil.” At the time, there were fewer than 4 million Americans, mostly along the east coast. However, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the ’s landmass, opening much of the west to migration. And by 1830, the population tripled to 13 million—many wishing to settle new land, some to expand slavery.

Thus, to achieve self-preservation, multiple southern tribes adopted white culture and ceded territory. But their culture was never the sole issue, as they remained different in settlers’ eyes, and remained on the land. Settlers therefore demanded their full removal—what Jackson proposed to in his first annual address: he argued that if Indians remained, they would face the same fate as extinct northern tribes. “Humanity” therefore demanded their “voluntary” relocation.

The bill that followed was said to be “the greatest question that ever came before Congress.” One opponent was Representative Davy Crockett. Another was Senator Theodore Frelinghuysen; he contested Jackson’s supposed concerns for humanity by asking if “our in*******se with the Indians has been so demoralizing that we must drive them from [their land], to save them?” The act nevertheless passed. And Jackson began to negotiate—and coerce—treaties for the removal of numerous tribes.

Their migration was meant to be voluntary. But by 1838, just 2,000 Cherokee had left , inciting Jackson to order their removal—at gunpoint. During their grueling six-month journey, at least 6,000 Cherokee perished. A survivor recounted that “Womens cry and make sad wails. Children cry and many men cry...Many days pass and people die very much."

Or as Frelinghuysen protested: “Do obligations of justice change with the color of the skin?”

in Picture: Depiction of the Trail of Tears for several tribes

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