In 1901, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt made his “speak softly and carry a big stick” speech on American foreign policy. In 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace prevented the integration of Tuskegee High School by stationing state troopers around the building. In 1991, the United States officially recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Christa McAuliffe (1948-86), teacher/astronaut; Nathaniel “Tiny” Archibald (1948- ), basketball player; Terry Bradshaw (1948- ), sportscaster/football player; Mark Harmon (1951- ), actor; Jimmy Connors (1952- ), tennis player; Keanu Reeves (1964- ), actor; Salma Hayek (1966- ), actress.

In 1960, Wilma Rudolph ran the 100-meter dash in 11 seconds to claim the gold at the Rome Olympics. She was awarded the world record for her sprint, only to have it revoked because wind speeds were higher than allowed.

Although Theodore Roosevelt is often credited with coining “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” he attributed the phrase to a West African proverb.

“This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in.” – President Theodore Roosevelt