Pfau Library News

Cinco de Mayo

May 5th, or Cinco de Mayo, is often mistaken by Americans for Mexican Independence Day; however, this date commemorates the Mexican army’s victory under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin over the French at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). The victory was significant because since this battle, no country in the Americas has been invaded by any other European military force. The first to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States were Mexicans and Latinos living in California during the American Civil War. Although it is relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the state of Puebla, the date is always observed and celebrated. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is observed as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Traditions include parades, mariachi music, baile folklórico, and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.

2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Puebla; there were large celebrations such as that in Plaza del Pueblo de Los Angeles, near Olvera Street. Come and view our display located next to the Check-Out desk on the first floor of the library.

New books available in Library collection:

• Cinco de Mayo: Celebrating the Traditions of Mexico
• Celebrate! It’s Cinco de Mayo

“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.”

—Walt Disney

First introduced in the black and white cartoon, “Steamboat Willie,” which debuted on November 18, 1928, at the Colony Theater in New York, Mickey Mouse changed film and television forever.

Walt Disney designed the character while riding on a train back to Los Angeles with his wife, Lillian. After completing his sketch, Walt showed it to Lillian and said his name was Mortimer Mouse. Lillian did not like the name and suggested Mickey Mouse. Mickey appeared in more than 130 films, primarily short ones, but also in a few feature-length ones.

Minnie Mouse also appeared in “Steamboat Willie.” Over time, her look and personality changed to reflect the changes in current culture. After her beginnings in the flapper era, she became more conservative during the Great Depression and World War II. She has appeared in approximately 73 cartoons with Mickey Mouse and Pluto since 1928.

In the 1936 cartoon, “Micky’s Rival,” Micky competed with a new character, Mortimer Mouse, for Minnie’s affections. Of course, no matter how many times he was challenged, Micky always won Minnie’s heart by the end of the film.

Although Micky and Minnie never actually got hitched on screen, Walt Disney always said that Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were married in “private life.”

Find our exhibit on this iconic couple near the first floor staircase.

And the Voyage Continues: Titanic 100th Anniversary

At noon on April 9, 1912, RMS Titanic left Southampton, England, en route to America and sailed into history. A brief notice in the New York Times published that morning stated:

“Although essentially similar in design and construction to her sister ship, the Olympic, the Titanic is an improvement of the Olympic in many respects.”

The lethal encounter with the iceberg occurred just five days later, the night of April 14. The last wireless radio signals from the sinking ship were received at 12:27 a.m. the next morning. The New York Times reported:

“The Carpathia [the first boat on the scene] found only the lifeboats and the wreckage of what had been the biggest steamship afloat.”

Of the 2,228 passengers, only 705 survived.

Publicized by the White Star Line as unsinkable, the Titanic was heralded as a shining example of modern engineering and the advancement of mankind. That this invincible ship proved otherwise shocked the world.

A hundred years later, fascination with the doomed ship and the stories of her unfortunate passengers continues unabated. See our display honoring the memory of this tragedy by the staircase on the first floor.

Books and more on the Titanic:

• Titanic: legacy of the world’s greatest ocean liner
• Extra Titanic : the story of the disaster in the newspapers of the day
• The Last Log of the Titanic
• Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth
• Sinking of the Titanic; World’s Greatest Sea Disaster
• The Story of the Titanic, as told by its survivors
• A Night to Remember
• Titanic (James Cameron’s motion picture, 1997; DVD)
• Titanic: The Complete Story (History Channel, DVD)