Labor Day Commemorated: History.com Honors America's Labor Movement

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - August 20, 2007) - In the 1800s, Americans typically worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, just to make a living. Many children spent the majority of their youth in cramped, unsafe factories working for just a few pennies a day. The Industrial Revolution kept America working -- but as quality of life became non-existent, workers began to push for better labor laws. As a result, 10,000 workers marched through the streets of New York, holding the first ever Labor Day Parade on September 5, 1882.

More than 200 years later we continue to honor these Americans who fought for quality of life with a national holiday on the first Monday of September. History.com, the online destination for The History Channel®, is commemorating Labor Day with a content-rich site at: http://www.history.com/minisites/laborday/.

History.com's Labor Day feature includes learning tools such as videos, an image gallery, interesting facts, biographies of the Labor Leaders and an interactive users poll which allows visitors to explore and understand more about America's labor movement.

"It is important to honor the Americans who believed in a better way of life," said Dr. Libby O'Connell, chief historian for The History Channel. "The Industrial Revolution brought about important change and set the precedent for how we operate in the work-force today. Recognizing Labor Day reminds us how lucky we are to work in healthy, safe environments."

Visitors to the Labor Day Web site can make history come to life with these interactive learning tools:

--  Image Gallery: See what life was really like during the Industrial
    Revolution, through pictures of this historical time that put the viewer
    right in the 19th century.
--  Videos: See first-hand the work conditions with actual film footage of
    turn-of-the-century factories.
--  Labor Leaders: Learn about the pioneers of labor reform and why Peter
    McGuire and Matthew Maguire made it their mission to provide a better work
    environment for all Americans.
--  Poll:  Find out what people think of today's labor laws with an
    interactive poll.
    

About History.com

History.com is the definitive historical online resource that delivers entertaining and informative content through interactive timelines; video; maps; games; podcasts and RSS feeds. History.com delivers thousands of video streams, from presidential speeches, to UFO sightings, to D-Day; the award-winning site will showcase newly created video clips daily. Web exclusive broadband video content has been developed from popular series and specials on The History Channel including "Modern Marvels," "Digging for the Truth," and "Lost Worlds." Search through History.com which provides access to an extraordinary amount of historical information with unprecedented speed. In addition, an online classroom will supply educational resources including study guides and lesson plans for teachers. The website is located at http://www.History.com/.

About The History Channel®

The History Channel® is a leading cable television network featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned four Peabody Awards, three Primetime Emmy® Awards, ten News and Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History® campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 93 million Nielsen subscribers.

Contact Information: Contact: Stephanie Pettinati Zeno Group for History.com 415-369-8115