Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the
birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Today
marks the 50th year.

President Coolidge (center) illuminating the community Christmas
tree, south of the White House.

On December 24, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge presses a button and
lights up the first national Christmas tree to grace the White House
grounds.

Not only was this the first White House “community” Christmas tree, but
it was the first to be decorated with electric lights–a strand of 2,500 red,
white and green bulbs. The balsam fir came from Coolidge’s home state
of Vermont and stood 48 feet tall. Several musical groups performed at
the tree-lighting ceremony, including the Epiphany Church choir and the
U.S. Marine Band. Later that evening, President Coolidge and first lady
Grace were treated to carols sung by members of Washington, D.C.’s
First Congregational Church.

President Coolidge and the first lady Grace.

The Washington Monument is seen in the background.

John Calvin Coolidge Jr.
(July 4, 1872 – January 5, 1933)         
        
        
        
        
First Lady Melania Trump, joined by President Donald J. Trump,
lights the 2019 National Christmas Tree during the 97th annual
National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Thursday, Dec. 5,
2019, on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. 
        
        
       

From left: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, U.S. President Bill
Clinton, and Yasser Arafat at the agreement signing ceremony.   
    
 

After decades of bloody animosity, representatives of Israel and Palestine
meet on the South Lawn of the White House and sign a framework for
peace. The “Declaration of Principles” was the first agreement between
the Israelis and Palestinians towards ending their conflict and sharing
the holy land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea that
they both claim as their homeland.

Israel and Palestine signed their first major agreement. Palestine was
granted limited self-government in the Gaza Strip and in Jericho.

ROSS SIMPSON

In New York on this day in 2002, a ceremony was held to officially
mark the end of the clean up from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.