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Labor Day - Blog Posts
Happy Labor Day. Today I learned about probably the first strike to happen IN SPACE.
Labor Day reflections: the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary mirror reflects an American flag hanging overhead. The mirror, which will collect and focus light from cosmic objects near and far, has been completed. Renamed after our first chief astronomer and "Mother of Hubble," the Roman Space Telescope will capture stunning space vistas with a field of view 100 times greater than Hubble Space Telescope images. The spacecraft will study the universe using infrared light, which human eyes can’t detect without assistance. This Labor Day, we thank all the people who work to advance the future for humanity. Credit: L3Harris Technologies Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
The Industrial Revolution of the 1800s saw a boom in manufacturing and technological achievement. Products as diverse as car parts to cleaning supplies were being assembled, built, woven, or otherwise created on a scale never before seen. But this renaissance required workers - lots of them. In capitalist countries in the West, business tycoons made profit off of the cheap labor of thousands of men, women and children. Most of them worked up to 16 hours a day, in insanely dangerous conditions. But where there is oppression there is resistance, and in the 1880s, worker’s unions across the United States began to fight for their rights.
Many members of the movement at this time were communists and anarchists, who believed that the capitalist system exploited members of the working class. They demonstrated for an 8-hour day, as well as better wages and working conditions.
In 1886, in the first days of May, thousands of Chicago’s working class went on strike. In Haymarket Square, a meeting of up to 3,000 radicals gathered to protest the conditions they worked in. When the Chicago police came to disperse the demonstrators, someone threw a bomb. At least 8 people died, and more than a hundred were wounded.
Three years later, in commemoration of what was called the Haymarket affair, the International Socialist Conference declared May first an international holiday for the world’s workers. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (now know as the American Federation of Labor) declared that “eight hours shall now constitute a legal day’s labor.”
But the US no longer celebrates Labor Day on May first, or May Day. During the Cold War, May first became associated with the socialist and communist movements that it had been born from. President Eisenhower signed a resolution renaming May Day as ‘Loyalty Day’, a holiday dedicated to American patriotism. We now celebrate Labor Day on September second.
But hey, in recognition of global celebrations and the industrious working class, here’s a shout out to May Day. Equality and vacation days for all!
rick nelson in concert labor day monday, sept. 1
concert begins - 12:30 p.m.
post time - 2:00 p.m.
admission - $2.00
chicken bar-b-q
(gates open at 10:30 a.m.)
penn national race course exit 28 — off i-81 — grantville, pa.
rick nelson in concert, penn national race course labor day (september 1, 1980)
A selection of artwork I created at another time in my life, when I was pursuing professional illustration
Guys, Todaybor Day got shouted out by Puyo Puyo
Today-bor Day-bor is Labor Day-bor