Some things don't change over time...

Last year I asked History Professor Charles Desnoyers to write an oped for the Philadelphia Inquirer about a topic he knew quite well: He translated a journal by a Chinese diplomat who was sent by the government to attend the world's fair then being held in Philadelphia, the highlight being the 100th anniversary of the United States, July 4, 1876.

It didn't quite work out, but the beauty of a story like this is that nothing has changed since last year: the focus of the piece, Philadelphia on July 4, 1876, is the same. Well, the Inqurier is scheduled -- repeat, scheduled -- to run Dr. Desnoyers' piece on Monday, July 4, 2011.

That said, two other anniversary stories probably won't come through:

The first is Dr. Richard Goedkoop talking about the Battle of Gettysburg (which was fought from July 1 to July 3 in 1863); he's a licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Park, and knows everything about what happened. I asked him to put together a list of Gettysburg facts; some of them are that it was the largest battle every fought in the Americas; more than 52,000 casualties; it was the only time Gen. Robert E. Lee lost to a Union General. KYW newsradio interviewed Goedkoop and I sent the info to the Associated Press (for their Pennsylvania wire) and to TV stations in Lancaster, PA, where Goedkoop lives.

The second is on the topic of "Thomas Jefferson and the unknown Delaware Man Who Got Him Elected President"; John Schropp graduated from La Salle's graduate history program as the top student; his thesis was on John Bayard, a Delaware politician who did some behind-the-scenes Maneuvering to help Jefferson with the presidential election of 1800. I sent this info to the Wilmington News-Journal and a Wilmington news radio stations. (This was pegged to July 4 because not only was that the day Jefferson's declaration was made, and that he died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the piece).

Well, today, a rare copy of the Declaration of Independance is on display in Bucks County; that's what's going to get the media attention today and this weekend. Oh well, the good thing is that whatever Goedkoop and Schropp had to say will still be relevant next year (in Goedkoop's case, the story might be more suited to run on July 1, 2013, the 150th anniversary of the contest).