Use the Search form to search for places, names or other words/terms.
Note that there is both an ability to filter by date range at the top of the form, and also an ability to use the "On this date" (upper right column) to find entries on a specific date or on the same day over several years.
Use the Look Up links to make sure you are using the correct spelling (or all of the spelling options) for a name or place.
Users can also select the Journal Version, limit to entries with illustrations, or select an order for the result set.
See the page with information on Search Syntax for search options.