Have You Seen Me?
His rise in New York politics surprised many, but his departure was even more stunning. August 6, 1930, he left friends on the sidewalk outside... More
About: Jeff Nilsson
Jeff Nilsson is the director of Post archives and a website editor. He is a specialist in American History, with graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, University of New Mexico, and Eastern Michigan University. He writes our website's weekly Retrospective feature, and is directing the program of digitally converting the magazine's 190 years of issues.
Posts by Jeff Nilsson:
To Reach Old Age, Stop Counting
Ben Franklin liked to point, with pride, to the number of elderly Americans. Every man and woman who reached 80 was further evidence of the... More
Walter Cronkite: A Few Last Words
A generation of Americans must be wondering about Walter Cronkite, who made his last regular newscast in 1981. Why is he remembered so fondly by... More
Truth and the Gunfighters
July 21st, according to American history books, is the anniversary of the first Western gunfight. On this date in 1865, James B. Hickok faced Davis... More
President Obama to Speak at NAACP
President Obama will be in New York on July 16 speaking to a crowd of 10,000 people. While he has addressed much larger groups, rarely... More
The Spirit of the Fifth of July
On the day after the nation’s birthday, after the smoke from the fireworks has cleared, and we’ve cleaned up after guests, America will return to... More
It’s the City Versus the Car, and This Is Your Referee
The spirit of free-range motoring was already coming to an end in America when, on July 16, 1935, the nation’s first parking meter was installed.... More
Not Learning Our Lessons in Farsi
The faces in the Tehran crowd are young, yet many are old enough to recall the last uprising in their country. Look a little closer... More
The Need for a Monitor
Mr. R. Allen Stanford has been indicted on 21 counts of embezzling up to $7 billion. We would like to think that, if we were... More
Strategic Hatred
American outrage has run high since September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda’s vicious attack roused our country to a combative anger, which has had little opportunity to... More
Do Not Forget Moral Science
Modern technology is enabling us to recognize potential trouble before it strikes us, but we are still vulnerable. And while technology has evolved incredibly, human... More
Remember General Motors?
Is it possible that the great General Motors Corporation is fated to join the list of more than 500 failed U.S. auto makers?... More
Picking on Journalists
Journalists are easy targets. They are unprotected, unarmed, and vulnerable to any tyrant who can hijack them to grab the world’s attention. The hostility against... More
More Than a Flag
It was proclaimed by President Wilson in 1916. It became official with an Act of Congress in 1949. It is “observed” today at all federal... More
The First Kite Experiment
Most us know something about Franklin’s airborne tests of electrical theory. Few are aware of another kite-based experiment he performed years before. Here is his... More
June 6, 1933: America Goes Out to the Movies
The first drive-in opened for business near Camden, New Jersey, 66 years ago this week. The drive-in movie craze peaked in 1958. As twilight fell... More
Franklin, Relax!
Mr. Franklin could barely imagine life without work, though his idea of work covered all manner of activities into which he could pour his energies.... More
