The final entry of Queen Elizabeth's private diary has been made public. During her record-breaking 70-year reign, the monarch, who died in 2022 at age 96, kept a private diary to take note of the events of the day and record her activities.

Thousands of people queued up in the city of Geelong, south of Melbourne in Australia, to catch a glimpse of what's once-in-a-decade occurrence -- the blooming 'corpse flower'.

A 19-year-old Sikh woman was found dead inside a walk-in oven of the Walmart store's bakery department in Canada's Halifax city, according to media reports.

Gursimran Kaur was found dead in one of Walmart's appliances in Canada on October 19.

A 19-year-old Indian girl was found burnt to death in a walk-in oven at a Walmart in Halifax on October 19.

Over three dozen Indian Americans are running for local bodies and state legislation elections across the country reflecting the growing interest among this small ethnic community to be part of political mainstream.

As we approach November 14th, we join with our Indian neighbors and friends in celebrating Diwali.  It is the celebration of lights with deep cultural significance, celebrating the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.  “I especially wish a Happy Diwali to our sister state of Gujarat,” says Secretary Jeff […]

DOVER – Revenue from a new opioid impact fee created by the Delaware General Assembly in 2019 will be used to prevent overdose deaths and provide new services to those seeking treatment for their substance use disorder, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and Sen. Stephanie Hansen announced Wednesday. DHSS Secretary Molly […]

Donated plastic will be used to offset the purchase price of a recycled-plastic bench.

Twenty-five Delaware artists to receive recognition Wilmington, Del. (January 11, 2021) – Twenty-five Delaware artists are being recognized by the Delaware Division of the Arts for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 121 Delaware choreographers, composers, musicians, writers, folk and visual artists were reviewed by out-of-state arts professionals, considering demonstrated creativity and […]

On view through April 5-29, 2021 Visit the Gallery in-person or view it online Wilmington, Del. (April 1, 2021) – Visceral Memory Cache, an exhibition of abstract paintings by Eileen Olson, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from April 5-29, 2021. The paintings are a result of a six-month creative journey around the […]

Governor to visit Delaware Small Businesses and Tourism locations WILMINGTON, Del. – In recognition of Small Business Week and National Travel and Tourism Week (May 2-8), Governor John Carney will join the Delaware Tourism Office to visit small businesses and attractions in Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties this week. Note to media: An advisory is included […]

On view from November 5-24, 2021 Wilmington, Del. (November 1, 2021) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present visual artist Denise Eno Ernest’s exhibition, In the Between, November 5-24, 2021. Ernest was named a 2021 Emerging Artist Fellow in Painting by the Delaware Division of the Arts. The artist […]

This year between November 2nd through 6th, the Delaware Department of State joins Indian Delawareans in celebrating Diwali, the annual festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. Diwali, which is celebrated over the course of five days, symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.” “As […]

On view from December 3, 2021-January 7, 2022 Wilmington, Del. (November 23, 2021) – The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present artist Siobhan Duggan’s exhibition, Fleeting, December 3, 2021-January 7, 2022. Duggan was named a 2021 Emerging Artist Fellow in the category of Works on Paper by the Delaware Division […]

The Delaware Division of the Arts and the National Arts Program® present the 11th Annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition Dover, Del. (December 13, 2021) – The Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition is designed to give Delaware state employees and their families, at any skill level, a unique opportunity to exhibit their artwork and to […]

Twenty-five Delaware artists to receive recognition Wilmington, Del. (January 13, 2022) – Twenty-five Delaware artists are being recognized by the Division for the high quality of their artwork. Work samples from 132 Delaware choreographers; composers; musicians; writers; and folk, media and visual artists were reviewed by out-of-state arts professionals, considering demonstrated creativity and skill in […]

Oral history initiative designed to gather, memorialize and share stories about historically segregated Black and Indigenous beaches in Delaware.

In observance of Black History Month, The Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present our Book of the Week: African American Education in Delaware: A History Through Photographs 1865-1930 – by Dr. Bradley Skelcher.   You can view a PDF version of this book here.   SYNOPSIS: At the beginning of the twentieth century, it […]

More than 200 state employees and their family members have registered to show artwork at Delaware State University Art Center/Gallery Dover, Del. (February 16, 2022) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is hosting the 11th annual Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition. The free exhibition will be open to the public from February 21 to […]

Continuing our celebration of Black History Month, the Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present our Book of the Week: “A History of African Americans of Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore” – by Carole C. Marks, Editor   You can view a PDF version of this book here.   SYNOPSIS: The history of African Americans […]

This week’s Book of the Week is a special partnership with Delaware Historical Society and continues our celebration of Black History Month! “Forging Faith, Building Freedom African American Faith Experiences in Delaware, 1800-1980” – by Constance J. Cooper & Lewis V. Baldwin   You can view and/or download a PDF version of this book here. […]

The Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery presents artist Colleen Zufelt’s exhibition, Recycle, Repurpose…RE-IMAGINE, showing March 4 through 25, 2022. Her exhibit will also be part of Art Loop Wilmington — the monthly self-guided tour of art in and around the city.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present “Beneath Thy Guiding Hand: A History of Women at the University of Delaware” as our Book of the Week. – by noted Delaware historian and history professor Dr. Carol E. Hoffecker!   You can view and/or download a PDF version of […]

In examining Delaware’s environmental past, “Man and Nature” provides a basic description of the extraordinary changes in the state’s natural world over the last four centuries. From the early days of European colonization, during which Delawareans had to overcome and adapt in the face of a strange new land, to the modern era, in which […]

Delaware’s History stretches back almost four hundred years, with its first European settlers landing long before it became the First State. By the time the American Revolution ended, Delaware had been ruled by three different kingdoms and had endured several major conflicts. In “Colonial Delaware: A History”, John A. Munroe examines Delaware’s rich history, from […]

During the past decade, the world has mourned the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I as well as celebrated the 100th anniversary of its conclusion. It was a conflict that would change the world forever and consume the lives of millions of people. Francis A. Ianni, a retired Major General in the […]

In 1972, Delaware formed a commission to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution. Realizing the need to record, celebrate, and preserve Delaware’s history, this commission was made a permanent institution: the Delaware Heritage Commission. For fifty years, the Commission has worked to educate the public, record our history, and preserve our legacy. History […]

The Delaware Heritage Commission began its long career by commemorating the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution. With the Commission currently making plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Revolution in 2026, we are proud to present “Liberty and Independence”. Originally published by the Commission in 1976 for the Bicentennial, we are proud to […]

Another publication from the Bicentennial of the American Revolution, Dr. Carol Hoffecker’s comprehensive guide to Delaware’s history was one of the Heritage Commission’s first projects. This book is a valuable resource for those interested in the long history of the First State. Delaware: The First State – by Dr. Carol Hoffecker   You can view […]

During the American Civil War, Delaware was just as divided as the rest of the nation. While being home to abolitionists, Underground Railroad conductors, and many volunteers, Delaware was also a border state and resisted the final termination of slavery. Harold Hancock discusses Delaware’s political climate during the Civil War and the social and economic […]

The foundation of Delaware’s democracy is its General Assembly. A body that has governed both the colony and state of Delaware for over three hundred years, it has been the voice of the people in our government and has affected almost every aspect of our lives. Dr. Carol Hoffecker’s “Democracy in Delaware” discusses the role […]

The history of the Revolutionary War is full of heroes, men like George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and Nathanial Greene. Although many have been immortalized in song and verse, others have fallen into obscurity. Allen McLane is one such hero, serving as a soldier, a spy, a statesman, and more. This book, written as a […]

The son of a Delaware Revolutionary War veteran, Thomas Macdonough would serve with distinction in the War of 1812. After the climactic Battle of Lake Champlain, Macdonough would go down in history as one of Delaware greatest military heroes. In her biography, Virginia M. Burdick discusses the life and times of Captain Macdonough and tells […]

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution but possibly the last state to settle its boundaries. Delaware has the distinction of the being the only state with a round border and the only state that lies completely east of the Mason-Dixon Line. Roger E. Nathan’s work discusses how Delaware’s territory changed during the […]

When Pete DuPont was elected governor in 1977, Delaware was facing and severe economic downturn, substantial budget deficits, and the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation. Despite these challenges, the DuPont administration would achieve long-lasting solutions to the State’s woes and improve the lives of Delaware’s citizens. Larry Nagengast’s history of the DuPont administration is […]

Children ages 10 to 13 are invited to explore the storied past of one of America’s most historic towns during the FREE New Castle History Camp

William Hare operated the largest pottery business in Delaware, despite not having a large, industrialized operation. Christopher Espenshade’s study of Hare’s work provides insight into Delaware’s pottery industry, 19th-century changes in pottery products, and the development of the modern city of Wilmington. William Hare: Master Potter of Wilmington, Delaware, 1839-1885 – by Christopher Espenshade   […]

George Alfred Townsend, known by his pen-name Gath, was one of Delaware’s most famous writers of the 19th century. Born the son of a Methodist pastor in Georgetown, Townsend would work as a war correspondent during the Civil War, write for several newspapers, and publish several books, both fictional and biographical. Many of Gath’s works […]

With an introduction by Heritage Commission Chair Richard Carter, the journals of Reverend Wells provide a unique perspective on life in Sussex County at the turn of the century. Wells’ original journals still exist and can be viewed at the at the Delaware Public Archives. The Journals of the Reverend Lewis Wheeler Wells, Rector of […]

Delaware’s Coastal Defenses, tells the stories of two of Delaware’s longest-standing coastal forts: Fort Saulsbury, built during the Second World War and used as a prisoner-of-war camp, and Fort Miles, a location that has played a role in our state’s defense since the Revolutionary War, and the men who served and defended our shores. – […]

Originally written by the Federal Writers Project as part of their classic “American Guide” series, this reprint depicts history, life, travel, and recreation in Delaware as it was in 1938. Including a full-size replica of the original tour map, this comprehensive guide includes art and engravings of various historic locations, dozens of vintage photos, and […]

Piloting, or the navigation of ship, is one of the oldest and most important professions on the North American coast. Traversing unfamiliar shores and unforgiving waters, early American merchant ships heavily relied on skilled pilots to travel safely from port to port. Andrew Knopp’s history, “One Hundred Year History of the Pilot’s Association, Bay and […]

Originally published by the Heritage Commission in 1988, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution, the Delaware Heritage Cookbook is a collection of traditional, Delaware recipes, submitted by families from all over the First State. Now available digitally for the first time, we invite you to join us in celebrating Delaware’s […]

“Reminiscence Of A Town That Thought It Would Be A Metropolis: Delaware City, Delaware” presents reminiscences of the late William O. Wingate, who lived in Delaware City and was born in the last quarter of the the nineteenth century. Wingate’s writings were found in the local collection of the Delaware City Library and provides a […]

This week, the Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present the first installment in its Oral History series, now available in a digital format. This biographical series tells the stories of some of Delaware’s most notable governors, and we begin this week with Elbert Carvel. Consisting of interviews conducted with the governor between 1976 and […]

This week we continue the Delaware Heritage Commission’s Oral History Series with Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt. Compiled using interviews conducted with Tribbitt and his colleagues, this book details the accomplishments and controversies of the governor’s administration. – by Roger A. Martin   You can view and/or download a PDF version of this book here.   […]

Continuing our Oral History series, this week’s Heritage Commission’s Book of the Week is, Russell W. Peterson: Governor of Delaware, 1969-1973. A reformer and an energetic leader, you can read for yourself the story of Peterson’s administration in the words of those who made it a success. – by Christopher L. Perry   You can […]

Our Oral History continues this week with its fourth installment: Governor Charles Terry. This volume was written by Ned Davis, Governor Terry’s Press Secretary, and contains a study of Governor Terry and his administration, using oral histories, interviews with members of the administration, and Davis’ personal recollections. – by Ned Davis   You can view […]

Delaware’s history can be found all around us, not only in textbooks, but in the buildings and homes that we live and work in. Our state’s architecture has been influenced by several hundred years of growth, development, and cultural exchange, and many of these historic buildings are still standing in our towns and communities. George […]