Did you know that Hispanic Heritage Month is more than fifty years old? It was signed into law as a national week of observance by President Johnson in 1968 and expanded to a full month by President Reagan in 1988. It runs from September 15 to October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month does two important things: […]

By Lora Key, Ph.D. and Shannon Fleischman Americans celebrate the last three-day weekend of the summer with barbecues, pool parties, and shopping. Labor Day is an American tradition, but where did Labor Day come from?  A Short History of Labor Day Who were the essential workers of the past? In the late 1880s, essential workers […]

During Worl War II, the first Navajo Code Talkers created a unique code that would prove vital to America’s victory in the Pacific. The Navajo were not the first tribe to use their language to transmit messages for the United States during a war. During World War I, Cherokee soldiers became the first known code […]

A Storm Has Arrived! Share your love of Arizona history and outfit your vehicle with the Arizona Historical Society’s new specialty license plate, which features an image of a stunning Arizona monsoon storm. “In the same way that monsoons have a powerful impact on the landscape, history has a profound and powerful impact on our […]

On July 15th, 1948, Native American suffrage was finally passed with the Arizona Supreme Court overturning the case of Porter v. Hall, a case where Arizona Native Americans unsuccessfully sued for the right to vote. This gave the Indigenous population of Arizona the right to vote. This historic day came into fruition after decades of […]

The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) is proud to honor Delia Muñoz and the Superstition Mountain Historical Society with the 2020 Al Merito Awards. Both award recipients were recognized virtually at the Annual Arizona Historical Society Membership Meeting on June 30. Dr. James Burns, Executive Director of the Arizona Historical Society said, “Congratulations to Delia Muñoz […]

Dear Members & Friends of Arizona History, We hope that you and your families are safe and staying well. We know many of you have been looking forward to visiting our museums and libraries. Please be advised that as of Tuesday, June 30, Arizona History Museum in Tucson and the Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park in Tempe will […]

Important Update: June 30, 2020 As of June 30, 2020, the Arizona Historical Society has temporarily closed the Arizona History Museum and Arizona Heritage Center. Please read the latest news posted on June 30. — June 5, 2020 The Arizona Historical Society is excited to welcome you back into our museums. For more than 150 […]

Across Arizona and the country, Americans are expressing their anguish and anger over the death of George Floyd, and the senseless loss of other Black American lives. Understanding history matters more than ever in times like these. It helps us understand and contextualize current events. History can also teach us to be more empathetic. As […]

Greetings Members & Friends of Arizona History, I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and well. And I hope during this strange and unsettling time that you found comfort, and maybe even joy, in a few unexpected places. For me it’s been my garden. I’ve harvested more than 50 eggplants this spring […]