Although Alessandro Aldobrandini (1664-1734) was not the first in the long history of Italy’s Aldobrandini family to traverse the cursus honorum of the church’s hierarchy, his record of achievement was substantial: educated first in the Seminario Romano and later in the University of Pisa, where he attained the degree of doctor utriusque juris, he was …
Today (currently Saturday, November 26 in New Zealand) is election day in New Zealand. In addition to voting for a candidate standing in their district (“electorate“) and for the political party that they want in Parliament, voters will be participating in a referendum on whether the electoral system should be changed. The current electoral system …
On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. In so doing, he inaugurated a period of centuries of intense, though intermittent, warfare fought at the peripheries of Christendom. The Crusades exist in our historical memory as a period of near constant bloodshed and destruction, but out of the chaos …
The following is a guest post by Constance Johnson, a Legal Research Analyst in the Law Library’s Global Legal Research Center. She previous guest posted on Water Rights at Star Island. On Friday, December 9, 2011, the Law Library of Congress will hold its fourth annual Human Rights Day celebration. International Human Rights Day is actually observed on …
Shortly after giving me the THOMAS Memo dated January 10, 1995, Pam showed me a copy of the Library of Congress Information Bulletin that announced THOMAS in a front page story entitled “Congress on the Internet.” I saw this screen shot and thought it would make a perfect Pic of the Week. Note that there was …
The following is a guest post by Dante Figueroa, Senior Legal Analyst at the Law Library of Congress. On November 22, 2011, from noon to 1:30 pm, the Law Library of Congress will host the renowned Venezuelan academic, intellectual, and constitutional scholar Allan Brewer-Carías, who will present a lecture titled: The Connection between the U.S. …
This week’s interview is with LeeAnne Rupple, Special Assistant to the Law Librarian. Enjoy! Describe your background. I was born in South Carolina to a family of die-hard, born and bred, Texans! I spent the bulk of my adolescent years in St. Louis, Missouri; however, my dad’s job required us to move frequently, so I …
The recent release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has forced Israelis to reflect again on the cost of releasing kidnapped soldiers. Shalit was abducted by the military wing of Hamas from inside Israel’s borders in June 2006 and had been held captive for over five years. Israel agreed to release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the …
Christine and I received a memo from Pam dated January 10, 1995, on the original THOMAS launch. It was so fascinating to read that we thought we should share it. We also found the original press release online. SUBJECT: Legislative Information on the Internet (“THOMAS”) Here is a copy of a handout on the new legislative information system …
Veterans Day is November 11, 2011. As Andrew wrote last year, the Library is home to the Veterans History Project. The Veterans History Project was created by Congress in 2000 (P.L. 106-380) as part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The Project’s mission is to collect, preserve, and make accessible personal …