Black text on a off-white background

Black text over an illustration of a red rose on a white background

On December 6, 1989, fourteen female students at an engineering school in Montreal were murdered by an armed gunman named Marc Lépine. The event became known as both the École Polytechnique massacre and the Montreal massacre. Lépine targeted women. He entered classrooms and separated the students by gender before shooting the female students. After the twenty minute massacre, Lépine shot himself with his final bullet. The fourteen women who lost their lives on that day were Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte, and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz. While the futures of these women had been bright, the past of shooter Marc Lépine had been shadowed by abuse, misogyny, and rejection. After applying to and being rejected by the École Polytechnique in 1986 and 1989, Lépine apparently refused to accept that it was due to the fact that he failed to meet the requirements for admission. Instead, he blamed the female students who attended instead of him, specifically, “feminists.” Lépine’s suicide letter was leaked to the press, including the list of women’s names whom Lépine planned to kill for being feminists.

Illustration of the state of Illinois on a green circle with an outer white edge with green text

June is designated the Illinois Rivers Appreciation Month and consists of several river-related events coordinated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In 1985, the Iron Ores Marathon was launched by the Chicago River Aquatic Center and Friends of the Chicago River to raise awareness of river ecosystems and the benefits of rivers as natural, recreational, and community assets. The marathon began in Evanston and ended at the Columbus Bridge downtown with a best time of 1:56:50.

Red text and an illustration of a tree, flowers, a fish, a boat, bridge and a mountain on an off-white background

The state of Alaska was admitted into the United States union in 1959 by President Eisenhower. Alaska Day was designated October 18th of that year by Governor William Egan for celebration of the land’s history and has become a yearly event. There is traditionally an Alaska Day Festival during which residents and tourists can enjoy a parade led by the pipe and drum regiment of the Seattle Fire Department, a ball with music by the Fort Wainwright’s 9th Army Band, historical reenactments, panel discussions, and occasional visits by governors and senators.

Black text and an illustration of a person with a hammer and a strength tester on a green background

The high striker or strongman game is a popular attraction at amusement parks and carnivals.  Contestants use a mallet or hammer to hit a target in order to send a puck up to the top of the tower and ring the bell.  Those who are able to ring the bell are rewarded with a prize.  In the 1930s it was revealed that many high striker machines were rigged at carnivals in order to keep contestants from winning a prize.

Blue text on a white background with an outer blue edge

“I Have Seen the Future” was a phrase that appeared on souvenir buttons from Nelson Bel Geddes “Futurama” ride at the 1939 New York City World’s Fair. The ride was part of General Motors’ “Highways and Horizons” exhibit. It  took up approximately 35,000 square feet of exhibit space and was ridden by more than five million people between 1930 and 1940.

“Futurama” consisted of 408 sections showing Bel Geddes’ perception of the future of America, or “world of tomorrow.” Each section showed various parts of the country, including rural areas, suburbs, cities, and roadways. The sections were viewed from a carry-go-round of moving chairs that brought riders on a “transcontinental flight over America in 1960.”

Light blue text over an illustration of a brown bunny holding a purple tulip on a yellow background

The illustration of a bunny holding a tulip celebrates Easter and springtime. Traditionally, tulips are the most colorful of flowers associated with the season; they are spring-blooming perennials. Rabbits and bunnies are usually associated with spring and rebirth. A typical spring tradition is the Easter Bunny, who goes from house to house, leaving colored eggs and candy for children. 

The custom in America may have begun in Pennsylvania from German immigrants. They believed in a mythological springtime figure named "Ostara" or "Osterhase," which was symbolic of new life and the coming spring. In the spring, Osterhase laid eggs and gave gifts to children. This myth eventually transformed into the modern Easter Bunny. The tradition is still practiced; children fill baskets with plastic grass, waiting for the Easter Bunny to fill their basket with gifts. Some regional cultures vary the tradition where children leave out a plate of carrots in case the bunny gets hungry. The addition of chocolates to the basket's offerings started around the late 19th century.

Red and blue text around an illustration of fruit on a white background

Harvest Days is a celebration of Battle Ground, Washington, supported by the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce. The festival is the largest event in Battle Ground that continues today and consists of main events including a parade and a vendor fair providing food, beverage, arts, crafts, and music.

Illustration of a young girl in a pink and white dress over green grass with pink, orange and yellow tulips with a blue sky and white text

Hallmark Cards, Inc. was founded on January 10, 1910, by the then 18-year-old Joyce Clyde Hall. It is a private, family-owned American company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. This business is the leader of the greeting card industry, though its brand is ever evolving. It aims to help nurture creativity and connections between people, friends, and family through its diverse portfolio of businesses like Hallmark, Crayola, Hallmark Media, and Crown Center.

In addition to greeting cards, Hallmark also manufactures gift wrap, stationery, ornaments, gifts, and other related products like buttons. This particular button is a 1978 Hallmark Collectible released for the spring season. Tulip plants are generally known to bloom during this season, but can bloom before or after as well, depending on the group and cultivar.

Purple text around an illustration of green masks with pink flowers on a yellow background

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday". It is a celebration that commemorates the feast before the fasting of Lent and it takes place on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is not observed as a national holiday in the United States, but it is celebrated in traditionally French cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans had their first Mardi Gras parade in 1837 and continue the tradition each year with participants in colorful costumes and masks.