Main Page

The Free State of Galveston was a whimsical name given to the island city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is sometimes used to describe the culture and history of that era. This free-wheeling period reached its peak during the Prohibition and Depression eras but continued well past the end of World War II. During the Roaring Twenties, Galveston Island emerged as a popular resort town, attracting celebrities from around the nation. Gambling, illegal liquor, and other vice-oriented businesses were a major part of tourism. The Free State moniker embodied a belief held by many locals that Galveston was beyond what they perceived were repressive mores and laws of Texas and the United States. Two major figures of the era were the organized crime bosses Sam and Rosario Maceo, who ran the chief casinos and clubs on the island and were heavily involved in the government and the tourism industry. The success of vice on the island, despite being illegal, was enabled by lax attitudes in the society and the government, both on the island and in the county. Much of this period represented a high point in Galveston's economy. However, crackdowns against gambling and prostitution in Texas during the mid-20th century made these businesses increasingly difficult to sustain. By the 1950s, this era of Galveston's history had ended. (more...)

Recently featured: Northrop YF-23 – Cirrus cloud – 22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

From Wikipedia's newest content:

• ... that American McCaull Comic Opera Company actress May Yohé (pictured), once the owner of the Hope Diamond, died poor?
• ... that the term eternal life is not explicitly defined in the New Testament?
• ... that before John Collee became a screenwriter, he practised medicine in places including Gabon, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and the Solomon Islands?
• ... that Eighty Five East Ridge is a major aseismic ridge in the Bay of Bengal that may have formed over a short-lived hotspot?
• ... that there were only seven copies of Miró's lithograph series that was printed in Barcelona in 1944?
• ... that, at the age of fourteen, Elizabeth Edmondson was told that she had broken a world record while swimming at Beatty Park?
  
  Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

• American and Yemeni officials report that Anwar al-Awlaki, described as a senior al-Qaeda member, has been killed in an airstrike in Ma'rib, Yemen.
• China launches its first space station, Tiangong 1, as part of its human spaceflight program.
• Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai (pictured), the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, dies at the age of 71.
• King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announces that Saudi women will be permitted to vote and stand for election.
• Patrick Makau Musyoki of Kenya wins the Berlin Marathon, setting a new world record.
  Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...

October 1: Independence Day in Cyprus and Nigeria (both 1960), Tuvalu (1978) and Palau (1994); Unification Day in Cameroon (1961); National Day in the People's Republic of China (1949)

• 1890 – At the urging of preservationist John Muir and writer Robert Underwood Johnson, the United States Congress established Yosemite National Park (Yosemite Valley pictured) in California.
• 1946 – Mensa, the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world, was formed in the United Kingdom.
• 1961 – The southern portion of British Cameroons merged with Cameroun to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
• 1987 – Denmark became the first country to legalise civil unions between same-sex couples.
• 1991 – New Zealand's Resource Management Act came into effect, regulating access to natural and physical resources such as land, air and water, to ensure their sustainable use.

More anniversaries: September 30 – October 1 – October 2