Planet Earth saw the largest man-made explosion in history on Oct. 30, 1961. It was the middle of the Cold War and the Soviet Union was looking to intimidate America and NATO. America had taken the lead in the nuclear arms race after developing the first atomic bomb. On Read more
Sidney Lewis was tall for his age and looked older than he was. What he was was 12-years-old. He snuck out of his home in August, 1915, and signed up for the British army. Recruiters often enlisted underage men. After all, England did not have a draft and needed Read more
The greatest magician in history cheated death many times. He would allow himself to be sealed in a milk container filled with water. In his “Chinese Water Torture Cell”, he was submerged upside down in a water while shackled at his ankles. On Oct. 11, 1924, he fractured his Read more
In 1951, Republic Aviation began a project to replace its F-84. The prototype flew on Oct. 22, 1955. The F-105 was delivered to the USAF in 1958. Staying with its “Thunder” names (the P-47 Thunderbolt and the F-84 Thunderjet), the plane was called the Thunderchief. It was the largest Read more
In WWII, the Vietnamese resistance dug tunnels to hide from the Japanese. After the war, the Viet Minh continued the tradition and passed it on to the Viet Cong. By the time the American army arrived, there were 250 kilometers of tunnels in South Vietnam. Besides hiding places, the tunnels Read more
There had been earthquakes over the years, but it had been a long time since an eruption. The citizens did not know it was a volcano. The word “volcano” was not coined until the 17th The word was in honor of the god Vulcan. The date was August 24, 79 Read more
“Schindler’s List” is considered to be the best Holocaust movie. Steven Spielberg based it on Thomas Kenneally’s novel “Schindler’s Ark”. The book is historical fiction, but features several real persons including Oskar Schindler and Amon Goth. Ralph Fiennes gained 28 pounds to play Goth. When asked what it was Read more
Stephen Decatur was the brightest star in the U.S. Navy when he died. Decatur’s father had been a commodore in the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. Stephen was raised to be a sailor. He became an ensign at age 19. His great leadership abilities resulted in a rapid Read more
Edith Cavell was born in 1865. She was the daughter of a rector. She worked as a governess in Belgium and then returned to England to train as a nurse. She worked in hospitals in London and then became the Matron at Belgium’s first training hospital in Brussels. She Read more
Jane Fonda was probably the most famous (or infamous, if you will) Vietnam War protester. In 1970, she and Donald Sutherland and others toured West Coast military bases with a show entitled “Free the Army” (which was take-off on the slogan “Fuck the Army!”). It was peaceniks’ answer to Bob Read more