Modern (18th-20th Century)

This site is a timeline of public health in Illinois, beginning with the organization of the first State Board of Health. The timeline is well designed with links to information grouped by decade. Many of the entries have images and some of these images can be enlarged by clicking on them. Besides the timeline, a visitor can click on a link to a section titled, "...Years Ago in Public Health." In this section, there are more than thirty short articles about new initiatives or developments in the Illinois public health system. As the title of the section would suggest, these articles each represent the state of public health at certain points in the past. For example, one article tells the reader that 37 years ago, Illinois enacted a law requiring all newborn infants to be tested for phenylketonuria. It would be wise for researchers to pay special attention to the dates, because the 37 years is counted from when the website was uploaded in 2002. For further information, visitors can follow links to the Illinois Department of Public Health homepage for health statistics, laws and rules, and health fact sheets.

This site was designed as a resource for a class at the National University of Singapore. The site brings together a sampling of materials dealing with the history and philosophy of science from a multicultural perspective. The author of the site writes that in many instances western and nonwestern thinkers had difficulty integrating the modernist heritage of science with earlier inherited traditions of knowledge. The information included in the site is not always complete, but browsers will likely find the most useful information by following the link to the section "Science and Civilizations." This section is subdivided by scientific field (i.e. astronomy, chemistry, physics, etc.). After selecting a field, the visitor can choose from a list of civilizations or cultures, each of which has a number of links to historical information and, in many cases, a short essay. The site would be most interesting to those hoping to compare various cultural philosophies of science.

This site contains a huge amount of information related to the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard Fact File offers information regarding the organization today on a wide range of topics. The site also offers photographic images, art, sketches, and insignias. Vessel and aircraft data sheets give stats and specifications for all Coast Guard equipment. A browser should follow the link to the office of the USCG historian to find the largest amount of historical information. This page links to more than 30 sections on topics from lighthouses, to search and rescue, to Coast Guard mascots. This part of the site offers transcriptions of oral histories, more images, several bibliographies, and an expansive number of articles, facts, and trivia. The site is an incredible resource for anyone researching histories of the military, maritime industries, coastal communities, or an almost unlimited number of other topics.

The Ford Motor Company has partnered with the Natioinal Park Service and the National Park Foundation to collect stories and memoirs from women who worked on the homefront during World War II. Visitors are able to submit their story online, and there is one sample submission for viewing. The narratives and materials collected through this online venture will be maintained by the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Site and used by the Park and others studying this period of American history.

This website contains a directory and description of the artifact holdings of the Bakken Library and Museum. The Bakken is a not-for-profit educational institute founded by the inventor of the first transistorized cardiac pacemaker. Fittingly, the collection is largely devoted to the use of electricity and magnetism in medicine and the life sciences. The directory is sorted and listed by categories, but unfortunately the collection is not searchable. The entries for each item include an image, a physical description including materials, size, and weight, and a list of remarks that note special features or the condition of the item. The website also features a commentary that supplements the collection directory with a historical overview.

The Rosie the Riveter Memorial website provides information about the Rosie the Riveter World War II/Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, California. The park is on the site of the most productive shipyard during the period and the memorial honors American women's labor during WWII. The website has images, sheet music, and illustrative stories from the time, and articles about the memorial. Most importantly there is a request for stories from women who worked on the home front during the war. Respondents can mail a form and offer papers, photographs, or souvenirs from the war or offer to give an interview. Alternatively, they can email their story directly to the National Park Service.

Remembering Pearl Harbor provides three ways to learn about the attack on Pearl Harbor: a multimedia map and timeline, resources on the history of World War II, and a Memory Book with stories of those who were affected by the attack. The multimedia map incorporates a timeline and personal narratives, while the resources include specific details on the ships and planes involved in the attack and where to look for further information. The Memory Book archive hosts more than 1,000 entries grouped by geographic location of the contributor. The archive is searchable and includes the experiences of witnesses and other involved in World War II, frequently shared by their children and grandchildren.