Estate sales are neat because they give us the chance to learn (or relive) history. For example, once upon a time, long ago, people relied on the newspaper to get their news. (Doesn’t that sound quaint?) And if something especially newsworthy happened, some people would save the newspaper to pass along to future generations. While we might think it’s silly now in our digital age, estate sale ephemera certainly makes for interesting browsing! Part of the fun of shopping estate sales is getting to dig through all those yellowed, tattered pages torn from history – a thrill you just won’t get from trawling Wikipedia.
Below are a few important headlines from history somebody thought to save. Do you remember where you were during these historical events?
1. World War II
As the last of the World War II soldiers pass on, these old newspaper clippings are more important than ever to let us know what the US was like then, according to the media.
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt Dies
FDR was the only U.S. President to serve three consecutive terms, and by the time he died, he’d been President for many Americans’ entire lives.
3. Engel v. Vitale Rules Against Public School Prayer
This controversial court decision ruled prayer in public schools unconstitutional in an attempt to keep the separation between church and state.
4. JFK is Assassinated
America has never gotten over the day JFK was shot in Dallas, as all the movies, books, and conspiracy theories surrounding the mysterious murder prove.
5. Kennedy is Buried
John F. Kennedy was buried in Arlington Cemetery; an eternal flame burns at his grave site.
6. President Eisenhower Dies
The nation’s 34th president, as well as a 5 star general during WW II , died in 1969.
7. The U.S. Lunar Landing
The first moon landing secured the U.S.’s lead in the Space Race and promised a new frontier.
8. Nixon Resigns
Watergate marked the end of America’s faith in politics, and it definitely had an effect on the American psyche: this event was the most saved from estate sale newspapers.
9. John Lennon Is Killed
John Lennon was shot in front of his apartment building in New York at the end of 1980.
10. The Gulf War
Print media still thrived in the 90s, as these newspapers reporting on the Iraqi War prove.
Which important newspapers have you held onto? Share your photos or comments below!
