UWA History and Social Sciences

09/07/2026

On this day in history:

Enslaved African Kharijite freedom fighters captured and sacked Basra from the Abbasids (871); First Battle of Ramalah: Crusaders defeat the Fatimids (1101); Naval Battle of Curzola: Genoese defeat the Venetians, capture Marco Polo (1298); Treaty of Baden is signed by the Holy Roman Empire and France, ending the War of the Spanish Succession; France retains Alsace and Landau, and Austria gains the east bank of the Rhine (1714); Zion AME Church is dedicated in New York City(1800); Napoleon gained a Pyrrhic victory over Kutuzov at Borodino (1812); "Uncle Sam" is first used to refer to the US by Troy Post of New York (1813); Battle of Cumberland Gap, TN: By 9 September Union forces have seized the Gap and c. 2,500 prisoners (1862); Frank James and his gang are involved in a disastrous raid in Northfield, Minnesota, resulting in the death or capture of multiple gang members (Cole, Bob, and Jim Younger are arrested) (1876); James Corbett knocks out 4 to 1 favorite and defending champion John L. Sullivan in 21 rounds at the Olympic Club, New Orleans, for the world heavyweight boxing title; Sullivan's only defeat and his last fight (1892); The Peace of Peking puts an end to the Boxer Rebellion in China (1901); Workers' Compensation Act is passed by US Congress (1916); Philo Farnsworth demonstrates the first use of his electronic television in San Francisco (1927); The London "Blitz" Begins: As Britain goes on "invasion Imminent" status, the Luftwaffe begins 57 consecutive nights of air raids (1940); Communists close all monasteries in Hungary (1950); Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham make their live debut as Led Zeppelin (billed as The New Yardbirds) before about 1,200 students at Egegård School's Teen Club in Gladsaxe, Denmark (1968); Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) launches; the first show is SportsCenter (1979); Pope Leo XIV canonizes English-Italian teenager Carlo Acutis after his death at 15 years old, making Acutis the first millennial saint (2025).

09/04/2026

"Wouldn't want to be ya."

09/03/2026

On this day in history:

San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus (301); Richard I "Lionheart" is crowned King of England (1189-99); Battle of Ain Jaluit: Egyptian Mamluks defeat the Mongols in Palestine (1260); Ottoman Sultan Suleiman "The Magnificent" captures Buda, Hungary. (1529); Battle of the Narva: Swedes defeat Peter the Great (1700); Treaty of Paris signed, ending American War of Independence (1783); Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery disguised as a sailor, catching a train from Baltimore to Philadelphia, and finally New York City (1838); Anti-Semitic rioting in Stockholm (1852); Confederates under Leonidas Polk invade Kentucky, insuring its adherence to the Union (1861); Jesse James' gang robs the Mammoth Cave stagecoach in Kentucky (1880); Philadelphia Giants win the Negro Championship Cup in Philadelphia before 10,000 fans, Black baseball's largest crowd ever (1906); Imperial German Air Service conducts its first night bombing of London (1917); Five black soldiers are hanged on charges of "mutiny" for a riot protesting racism in Houston in 1917 (1918); Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Marguerite Higgins born (1920); Britain and France declare war on Germany (1939); Author Malcolm Gladwell born (1963); Football coaching legend Vince Lombardi died (1970); Unknown text by John Locke, “Reasons for Tolerating Papists Equally with Others” (1667–68), an argument for religious toleration, is discovered at St John’s College, Annapolis (2019).

09/02/2026

Here's an opportunity for students to get their research published (including book, film, and game reviews).

Calling all student historians! The Welebaethan: A Journal of History at Cal State Fullerton is accepting submissions for their next issue, and we wanted our members to know about it. They're looking for scholarly articles and essays (including article-length theses), plus reviews of books, exhibitions, films, and games of interest to historians.

The deadline is Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at noon PDT. CSUF students can submit directly, and students from other institutions can too, as long as a faculty member sends a brief letter of recommendation straight to the journal by the deadline. Full guidelines are at welebaethan.org/submissions.

Know a student sitting on a paper that deserves a wider audience? Tag them below!

09/02/2026

On this day in history:

Viking Prince of Kiev and founder of the Kievan Rus, Oleg the Wise, signs a treaty with the Byzantines (911); Great Fire of London, ends the Great Plague (1669); Pope Clement XII renews anti-Jewish laws in Rome (1732); Battle of Cooch's Bridge, NJ: First use of the "Stars and Stripes" in combat (1777); US Treasury Department is founded (1789); The Alabama legislature suggests recruiting slaves for the Confederate Army (1863); VP Theodore Roosevelt cites the African proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick" (1901); Anne Frank was sent to Auschwitz (1944); Lt., jg, George H.W. Bush bailed out near Chichi Jima, and was rescued by _Finback_ (SS-230) (1944); Astronaut and teacher Christa McAuliffe born (1948); Dr. F. John Lewis performs the first successful human open-heart surgery using cooling blankets to induce hypothermia (1952); Alabama Governor George Wallace prevents integration of Tuskegee High School (1963); Actor and musician Keanu Reeves born (1964); Vietnamese president and revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh dies (1969).

09/01/2026

Great resources are available for teachers participating in Alabama's National History Day competition.

09/01/2026

Mark your calendars. This will be happening right up the interstate in Moundville.

Join us at Moundville Archaeological Park and Museum from October 1-3, 2026 for the Moundville Native American Festival! Bring your family and friends to meet Native American artisans, see traditional dances, listen to stories and music, check out our new exhibit, and support local and Native American businesses at an ancient city on the Black Warrior River.

Admission is $10 at the gate for adults, students, and seniors. Children 5-years-old and under are free.

Learn More: → https://go.ua.edu/3UGHPEw

09/01/2026

On this day in history:

Battle of Louvain: East Franks defeat the Danish Vikings (891); Jews expelled from Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany (1614); King Louis XIV of France dies after a reign of 72 years, the longest of any major European monarch (1715); Pennsylvania's new State House bell (known today as the Liberty Bell) arrives in Philadelphia from Whitechapel Foundry in London, England (1752); Boston: British seize Massachusetts Bay Colony's store of powder & cannon (1774); _Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,_ by American slave Phillis Wheatley, is published in the UK; the first known book of poetry published by a Black woman (1773); Sherman won the Battle of Jonesborough, causing the Confederates to evacuate & burn Atlanta (1863); Napoleon III surrenders himself and his army to the Prussians at Sedan (1870); The first sci-fi film, _A Trip To The Moon_ (Le Voyage dans la Lune), premieres in France (1902); US troops land in Vladivostok, Siberia, stay until 1920 (1918); Japan's Great Kanto Earthquake kills over 140,000 (1923); Germany invades Poland, beginning World War II in Europe (1939); A Federal court upholds detention of Japanese-Americans (1942); 13 North Korean divisions assault UN lines (1950); Paul "Bear" Bryant opens the infamous 10-day football mini-camp in Junction, Texas; the ordeal achieves legendary status, becoming the subject of the 2001 book _The Junction Boys_ and a television movie of the same name (1954); Masanori Murakami makes his debut as the first Japanese-born MLB player (1964); Bobby Fischer becomes the first American to win the World Chess Championship (1972); Wreck of the Titanic found (1985); BTS become the first all-Korean pop act to top the Billboard 100 singles chart with "Dynamite" (2020).

08/31/2026

The International House hosts great events throughout the year where you can meet your colleagues from other countries and learn about each other's culture. You can also find out about all the amazing study-abroad opportunities for UWA students. These are especially valuable for students in HY&SS.

☕🍰 Join us for Coffee & Culture this Thursday!

Start your morning with coffee, sweet treats, and great company at I-House! Come relax, meet new people, and enjoy conversations with students from different cultures and backgrounds. 🌎✨

📅 Thursday, September 3
⏰ 10:00 AM
📍 I-House

Everyone is welcome — come share a cup and connect with us! 🤎

08/31/2026

On this day in history:

Massacre of the Ciompi revolutionary cloth workers at Florence (1378); Battle of Ingolstadt: Imperialists defeat the Schamlkaldic League (1546); British troops kill 17 Stockbridge Indians in the Bronx (1778); Atlanta Campaign: Battle of Jonesborough (1864); Britain, Russia, & France form the Triple Entente (1907); Chinese forces in north Burma and south China approach linkup (1944); Actor Richard Gere born (1949); Boxing legend Rocky Marciano dies (1969); The ashes of former Ensign George Gay, sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8, were scattered across the waters into which his comrades had fallen during the Battle of Midway (1995); Princess Diana dies in car crash in Paris (1997); 953 die in bridge stampede in Iraq (2005); Baseball great Tom Seaver dies (2020).