In 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union, the same day the Star of the West, a merchant vessel bringing reinforcements and supplies to Federal troops at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, retreated because of artillery fire. In 1916, the World War I Battle of Gallipoli ...

Dear Heloise: I use a serrated grapefruit spoon to spoon out the seeds from squash. It really gets them out easily. -- Nancy K., in Amsterdam, New York DON’T FORGET! Dear Heloise: I live in a two-story home and have a spare fridge in the garage for the “overflow.” I keep a pad of ...

Dear Annie: I’ve been happily married for 18 years, and for most of that time I’ve slept poorly -- but lately it’s become unbearable. My husband falls asleep within minutes and snores loudly and steadily through the night. I lie awake listening, nudging him, turning him onto his side, ...

Dear Heloise: If you can’t get the cap off a pill bottle on the first time, use something like a dull knife blade or a bottle cap opener to pry out the plastic insert inside the cap, and then replace the cap on the bottle. It’s much easier to open. -- Christa, in Huntingdon, ...

Dear Annie: I really enjoy reading your column. I have a problem of my own I’d like some help with. I have two daughters in university. When they’re home, they stay in their rooms or maybe talk to friends on the phone. They hardly talk to me. They go back to school and I’m home alone. I ...

In 1790, President George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address in New York City. In 1815, the last major engagement of the War of 1812 came to an end as U.S. forces defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans, not having received word of the December signing of a ...