Library of Congress
Today in History - August 18

Today in History - August 18

Explorer Meriwether Lewis, who joined William Clark to blaze a trail across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, was born on August 18, 1774, near Charlottesville, Virginia. Continue reading.

Click here to search Today in History for other historic moments.

 

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FALQs: Iceland’s EU Accession Negotiation Referendum

08/18/2026 08:30 AM EDT

This blog post described the 2026 Icelandic referendum on whether Iceland should resume accession negotiations with the European Union.

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Law Library: News & Events: Join us this Thursday, August 20, for an Introduction to Congress.gov Webinar at 2:00 PM EDT

Join instructors Barbara Bavis and Robert Brammer for an Introduction to Congress.gov webinar this Thursday, August 20 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. This orientation provides a basic overview of Congress.gov. While the focus of the session will be searching legislation and the Congressional member information associated with it, the new features of Congress.gov will also be highlighted.

Please register here.

Connect with Library Digital Collections at the 2026 National Book Festival

08/18/2026 08:40 AM EDT

It's the best time of year! The National Book Festival is coming up on Saturday, August 22 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Come see your friendly digital collections staff at our table in the Exhibit Hall. Click through to learn more about how to register for free tickets.

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NLS BARD Support: Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker, August 2026

Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker, August 2026

The topic for the Thursday, August 20, 2026, Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker online program will be Updated Preference Options in the My Talking Books Skill on Alexa: Part 2. Part 1 was presented earlier this summer, and the recording is available on the NLS website. After the presentation and demonstration, we will answer any questions you have about the My Talking Books skill for Alexa-enabled smart speakers.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time and will last for one hour. To access the meeting, go to: https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1613454948?pwd=2ag8UwHBsBuV12Ca4pqHAXaQeTMFvl.1

Remember that the meeting is recorded. Do not speak if you do not wish to be on the recording. If you wish to speak, you may request to do so by raising your hand. On a PC, press Alt Y to toggle raising and lowering your hand; on a Mac, press Option Y; and if dialing in via telephone, press Star 9. To mute or unmute yourself on a PC, press Alt A; on a Mac, press Command-Shift A; and on a telephone, press Star 6. If you choose to dial in to the call, use the telephone numbers provided below. The Zoom.gov ID will not work with standard Zoom.us.

The complete Zoom invitation is below. To review past programming, including Part 1 of the Updated Preference Options, please go to www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/smart-speaking-to-the-smart-speaker.

 

Hi there,

Rorie, Tamara is inviting you to a scheduled ZoomGov meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

One tap mobile:

US: +16692545252,,1613454948# or +16468287666,,1613454948#

Meeting URL:

https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1613454948?pwd=2ag8UwHBsBuV12Ca4pqHAXaQeTMFvl.1

Meeting ID:

161 345 4948

Passcode:

912911

Join by Telephone

For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.

Dial:

+1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose) +1 646 828 7666 US (New York) +1 646 964 1167 US (US Spanish Line) +1 415 449 4000 US (US Spanish Line) +1 551 285 1373 US (New Jersey) +1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID:

161 345 4948

International numbers

Join from an H.323/SIP room system

H.323:

166.108.98.42 (US West) 166.108.66.42 (US East)

Meeting ID:

161 345 4948

Passcode:

912911

SIP:

1613454948@sip.zoomgov.com

Passcode:

912911

 

—The BARD Support Team

Send comments, questions, or concerns to NLSDownload@loc.gov
Like NLS on Facebook or subscribe to the NLS Music Notes Blog

 

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Let’s Get Ready to Research! Back to School Orientations

08/18/2026 12:00 PM EDT

Are you curious about what you can find in the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room? Are you heading back to school and looking for a good place to get started with research? Take a look at our upcoming virtual orientations! We hope to see you there!

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Exploring Korean Folk Traditions Through a Hundred-Year-Old Photograph

08/18/2026 11:00 AM EDT

By viewing an image through multiple lenses, students can better understand how history, culture, science, and media intersect and how folk traditions inspire many of the stories we see today.

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Italy: Law Enacted to Promote Major Sports Events

08/18/2026 12:42 PM EDT

On June 26, 2026, Decree-Law No. 108 of June 26, 2026 (D.L. No. 108), which provides support to promote major sports events at the European level, such as the European Football Championship (UEFA EURO 2032), and the 20th  Mediterranean Games in Taranto 2026, entered into effect in Italy.  D.L. No. 108 also contains provisions addressing Italy’s transition to an electronic national identity card. It was converted to permanent law by Law No. 142 of August 4, 2026.Support for Sports EventsD.L. No. 108 amends prior law to encourage the development of infrastructure projects that will be used in the UEFA Euro 2032 championship. (Art. 1....

 

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Patron Services: Strategies of Communication in the Uplands of Vietnam and Laos

Strategies of Communication in the Uplands of Vietnam and Laos