By Jeffrey Boutwell and William F. Walsh Jan. 7 2026 It’s always fun to find unusual connections between famous people, especially those living in different centuries and from very different walks of life.  The two of us found such a connection, extending from Abraham Lincoln to Jane Goodall, as follows:   One: Jeffrey and Bill meet through their membership in the Lincoln Group of D.C.  Two:  While corresponding by email, Bill notices that Jeffrey lives on Ring Dove Lane in Columbia,...

By Ed Epstein Washington, D.C. Dec. 31, 2025 Lincoln250.org The dawning year of 2026 will bring the 250th anniversary -- the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence -- and amid all the celebrations it's important to remember the message of Abraham Lincoln, the Declaration's fiercest, most-steadfast advocate. Lincoln understood that the Declaration's "proposition that all men (all people in today's terms) are created equal" was not a statement of fact, but rather a challenge to...

By Bill Shepherd Friday, December 26, 2025 (This article originally appeared on Lincoln250.org , our separate website dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.) Abraham Lincoln’s faith in the promise of the Declaration of Independence - that all people are created equal and that they should get opportunities to succeed in life - was shaped in good part by his often-overlooked ancestral roots in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. These roots...