One “Crime of the Century” occurred on this day in 1924. Nathan Leopold (18-years old) and Richard Loeb (19) thought they had committed the perfect crime when they kidnapped and killed 14- year old Bobby Franks. They hadn’t, but they became the poster boys for the botched perfect crime. Read more
If I might get personal, today my grandson Rhys graduates from kindergarten. His mother got him a teddy bear as a graduation present. This reminded me of one of my favorite stories about my favorite President. One of the most famous toys in history was named after an American Read more
I hesitated to research this event and then I pondered whether to post it. But American History teachers can not ignore the bad moments in our history. Not that I would pass this one on to your students. It is important that it is not forgotten, which it was even Read more
On May 17, 1987 the USS Stark was hit by two missiles from an Iraqi jet. 37 crewmen were killed. The incident occurred in the Persian Gulf during the waning days of the Iran-Iraq War. The frigate was on routine patrol outside the designated war zone. When what appeared to Read more
On May 16, 1868, Pres. Andrew Johnson came within one vote of being removed from office. That one vote was that of Sen. Edmund Ross. On March 3, Johnson had been impeached by the House 126-47. Although Johnson was a Republican, every Democrat voted no (and two Republicans) because Read more
Eleven days after the Kent State incident, two African-Americans were killed by police on the campus of Jackson State in Jackson, Mississippi. It was reported as a sequel to Kent State, but in reality it was not about the Vietnam War. It was about racism. Lynch Street abutted the Read more
The Dust Bowl occurred in the 1930’s. The decade was called the “Dirty Thirties”. The worst years were 1930-31, 1934, 1936, and 1939-40. The states that were most effected were Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. It was caused by a combination of bad farming methods, high winds, Read more
After the Romans kidnapped the Sabine women, the Sabine men laid siege to Rome. The siege lasted for weeks and the Sabine men were concerned for the welfare of their women. They allowed the Romans to send a woman each day to the Tiber to bring back water. This Read more
Amelia Earhart became the face of women aviation pioneers, but she was not the greatest aviatrix. That was Jacqueline Cochran. Here are some interesting facts about this remarkable woman. She was born on May 11, 1906 to a father who ran sawmills. Although it was not a bleak existence, Read more
On May 10, 1872 Victoria Woodhull became the first woman nominated for President. Victoria Woodhull had a tough childhood. Her father was a small-time criminal and the family lived in poverty. At age 13, she and her sister would conduct seances and turn the money they earned over to Read more