Each day features three historical moments paired with ready-to-use discussion prompts.
Watch the short video, choose one moment, and guide conversation. No prep required.
January 20
1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for an unprecedented fourth term as president
1980 – President Jimmy Carter announces a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympics
1981 – After 444 days in captivity, American diplomats and citizens held hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran are released
Classroom
1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for a fourth presidential term
1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for a fourth presidential term
1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for a fourth presidential term
Why did Americans prioritize continuity and stability over tradition during World War II?
What concerns did a fourth term raise about executive power in a democracy?
Why did this moment lead to a permanent constitutional limit on presidential terms?
1980 – The United States boycotts the Moscow Summer Olympics
1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for a fourth presidential term
1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for a fourth presidential term
Why did the Carter administration believe a sports boycott was an effective political response?
How did this decision affect athletes who had trained for years to compete?
What does this event reveal about the limits and power of symbolic political action?
1981 – U.S. hostages are released from Iran
1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for a fourth presidential term
1981 – U.S. hostages are released from Iran
Why did the hostage crisis have such a powerful emotional impact on the American public?
How did the crisis change U.S. foreign policy toward Iran and the Middle East?
In what ways can a single diplomatic crisis reshape international relationships for decades?
January 21
1793 – King Louis XVI of France is executed in Paris
1910 – The Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay
1977 – President Jimmy Carter issues a full pardon to Vietnam War draft evaders
Classroom
1793 – King Louis XVI is executed in Paris
1910 – Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay
1910 – Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay
Why did the French revolutionaries believe executing the king was necessary to secure the revolution?
How did making the execution public change the meaning of political power in France?
What risks come with replacing a monarchy with a revolutionary government claiming absolute authority?
1910 – Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay
1910 – Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay
1910 – Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay
Why did the United States create a different immigration system on the West Coast compared to Ellis Island?
How did detention and interrogation policies shape the experiences of Asian immigrants?
What does Angel Island reveal about how nations decide who belongs and who does not?
1977 – President Carter pardons Vietnam War draft evaders
1910 – Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay
1977 – President Carter pardons Vietnam War draft evaders
Why was the Vietnam War draft so deeply divisive within American society?
What message did the pardon send about protest, conscience, and government authority?
How can acts of reconciliation help a nation move forward after periods of conflict?
January 22
1528 – England and France set aside rivalry to oppose Emperor Charles V
1905 – Russian imperial troops fire on unarmed civilians marching to the Winter Palace
1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court decides Roe v. Wade
Classroom
1528 – England and France ally against Emperor Charles V
1905 – Russian troops fire on civilians in St. Petersburg
1905 – Russian troops fire on civilians in St. Petersburg
Why did England and France see Charles V as a threat large enough to set aside their rivalry?
How can alliances formed out of fear differ from alliances based on shared values or culture?
What does this moment show about how balance of power shaped political decisions in early modern Europe?
1905 – Russian troops fire on civilians in St. Petersburg
1905 – Russian troops fire on civilians in St. Petersburg
1905 – Russian troops fire on civilians in St. Petersburg
What motivated ordinary Russians to march toward the Winter Palace, and what were they hoping the government would do in response?
How did the use of violence against unarmed civilians change public trust in the monarchy?
In what ways did this event lay groundwork for later revolutions in Russia?
1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court decides Roe v. Wade
1905 – Russian troops fire on civilians in St. Petersburg
1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court decides Roe v. Wade
Why did the Supreme Court shift reproductive rights from state authority to a constitutional question?
How did this decision reshape American politics, law, and public debate over the following decades?
What does the long-term impact of this ruling reveal about the relationship between courts and social change?
January 23
1368 – Zhu Yuanzhang is crowned the Hongwu Emperor
1848 – Gold is discovered in California
1964 – The Twenty-Fourth Amendment is ratified
Classroom
1368 – Zhu Yuanzhang crowned the Hongwu Emperor
1368 – Zhu Yuanzhang crowned the Hongwu Emperor
1368 – Zhu Yuanzhang crowned the Hongwu Emperor
How did Zhu Yuanzhang rise to power, and what conditions in China made his rise possible?
In what ways did the founding of the Ming Dynasty attempt to reverse or correct Mongol rule?
How might life have changed for ordinary people under the early Ming compared to the final years of Yuan rule?
1848 – Gold is discovered in California
1368 – Zhu Yuanzhang crowned the Hongwu Emperor
1368 – Zhu Yuanzhang crowned the Hongwu Emperor
Who benefited most from the Gold Rush, and who was harmed or displaced as a result?
How did the Gold Rush reshape migration patterns within the United States and globally?
What environmental and social consequences of the Gold Rush are still visible today?
1964 – The Twenty-Fourth Amendment is ratified
1368 – Zhu Yuanzhang crowned the Hongwu Emperor
1964 – The Twenty-Fourth Amendment is ratified
Why were poll taxes originally used, and who did they exclude from voting?
What obstacles to voting remained even after the Twenty-Fourth Amendment was ratified?
How does this amendment connect to ongoing debates about voting access today?