Happy New Year from Retroview, the entertaining and educational quarterly e-newsletter that lets you explore history, culture, and more through the pages of historical newspapers! As winter sets in, why not warm your hands with a free trial of ProQuest Historical Newspapers? It's free to librarians.
The Last Great Race on Earth
The Iditarod Trail in Alaska began as a mail and supply route along coastal towns and interior mining camps, and was run entirely by dogsled. In the 1920s, sled teams gave way to airplanes, but the planes ultimately were no match for Alaska's harsh weather.
During a deadly diphtheria outbreak in 1925, Alaska's sled teams received worldwide press coverage when they created a "pony express" across the Iditarod Trail, delivering lifesaving serum to the residents of Nome. Gunnar Kasson and his legendary lead dog, Balto, ran the last leg, making it in time to save many lives.
In the late 1960s, Dorothy Page, a local historian and chairperson of the Wasila-Knik Centennial, was looking for a way to celebrate Alaska's centennial year. She introduced the idea of a race across the Iditarod Trail to musher Joe Redington. Together they promoted the idea of a 1,000 plus mile race and in 1973, the first Iditarod, running from Anchorage to Nome, was completed by 22 sled teams from 14 countries. The following year, 44 mushers ran what has become known as the "Last Great Race on Earth."
Miracles on Ice
Politics and the Olympics have been intertwined throughout the history of the games. The drama of the Cold War was no exception. The U.S. and Soviet hockey teams engaged in two symbolic battles during the Cold War, both of which resulted in a "Miracle on Ice" for the Americans.
In 1980, the feat was repeated. Americans were facing a deep recession, the Iranian hostage crisis, and a war in Afghanistan. But on February 22, the U.S. hockey team defeated the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union and went on to defeat Finland for the gold medal. The U.S. victory lifted the spirits of Americans during winter's darkest days in 1980.
Not Ready for Prime Time Athletics
The Winter Olympic Games always inspire Retroview's editors to shrug off their Snuggies™ and become more active. We're wise enough to know, however, that we probably can't perform a triple salchow without breaking some bones....
The Secret Lives of Snowballs
Snowballs aren't as innocent or mundane as one might assume. We think you'll be surprised to learn what they've been up to when you haven't been looking.
Winter Oopsies
The icy grip of winter can't freeze the funny bones or ink pens of the cartoonists waiting to be discovered in ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
Big Winter Sales
The holidays are over, but the great deals keep coming! Let's see what's on sale.
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Then next quarterly issue of Retroview is scheduled for April 2010. If you wish to continue receiving this e-newsletter and haven't yet done so, please register today. You may also wish to forward this issue to a friend.
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