Helen M (Sesselman) Shay (1909 - 2003)

Helen's immediate relatives including parents, siblings, partnerships and children in the Shay family tree.

+ Add

Helen's Parents

John Nicholas Sesselman

Unknown parent

Helen M (Sesselman) Shay

William Sesselman

Parents:

John Nicholas Sesselman

Unknown - Unknown

Siblings:

William Sesselman

Unknown - Unknown

Relationships:

+ Add

Helen M (Sesselman) Shay & John Andrew Shay

Helen M (Sesselman) Shay

John Andrew Shay

John A. Shay Jr.

Spouse:

John Andrew Shay

Unknown - Unknown

Children:

John A. Shay Jr.

Unknown - Unknown

Photos and snapshots taken of Helen M (Sesselman) Shay, her Shay family, and locations and places or events from her life.

Helen M Shay

Add photo

What do you remember about Helen M (Sesselman) Shay? Share your memories of special moments and stories you have heard about her. Or just leave a comment to show the world that Helen is remembered.

Post

Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Helen's lifetime

In 1909, in the year that Helen M (Sesselman) Shay was born, William Howard Taft became the 27th President of the United States on March 4th. Previously Secretary of War, Judge on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Solicitor General of the U.S., and Governor of both the Philippines and Cuba, Taft was the only President who went on to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

In 1921, at the age of merely 12 years old, Helen was alive when in May, the Emergency Quota Act - or Emergency Immigration Act - was passed. The law restricted the number of immigrants to 357,000 per year. It also established an immigration quota in which only 3 per cent of the total population of any ethnic group already in the USA in 1910, could be admitted to America after 1921. Although the Act was supposed to be temporary, it stayed in effect until 1965.

In 1931, when she was 22 years old, in March, “The Star Spangled Banner” officially became the national anthem by congressional resolution. Other songs had previously been used - among them, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", "God Bless America", and "America the Beautiful". There was fierce debate about making "The Star Spangled Banner" the national anthem - Southerners and veterans organizations supported it, pacifists and educators opposed it.

In 1951, by the time she was 42 years old, on April 5th, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (husband and wife) were sentenced to death for treason. They were executed on June 19th. American citizens, they were convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. Their two young sons were adopted by a high school teacher and his wife.

In 1972, Helen was 63 years old when on November 7th, Richard Nixon won re-election, amidst the dawning knowledge of the Watergate scandal, by 60.7% to anti-war candidate George McGovern's 37.5%.