Robert Stirm passed away on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2025. Here is the sad story behind the famous photo of him returning from being a POW in Vietnam. “Burst of Joy” won the Pulitzer Prize for photography because it depicted the joy of a reunion and the promise that Read more
On a day in either 1863 or 1864, a college student was standing in a crowd on a train platform in Jersey City, New Jersey trying to get a ticket. He described what happened: “…The platform was about the height of the car Read more
One of the most lauded animals in WWII was a homing pigeon named G.I. Joe. He was part of the US Army Pigeon Service. During WWI. commanding general John Pershing had green lit a program to provide message-carrying pigeons to deliver messages during trench warfare. The birds were helpful Read more
The Knights Templar were formed in 1118. At a time that European Christians believed that killing for Christ was a ticket to Heaven. This was the era of the Crusades when European knights attempted to conquer the Holy Land. One day, someone thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if we Read more
Please excuse me adding a bit of my opinion in this otherwise factual account. In 1890, the Lakota Sioux had hit rock bottom just 14 years after their famous victory at the Little Big Horn. The buffalo had been almost killed into extinction and miners and settlers were encroaching Read more
One of the most famous soldiers of WWII was born on Sept. 23, 1920. Charles Kelly grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa. in abject poverty. He was one of nine kids who lived in a decrepit house that had no running water, electricity, or toilet. He and his siblings slept Read more
After George Washington forced the British to evacuate Boston, he marched his army to New York City to defend that city from an expected British attack. Washington had 20,000 men whose main characteristic was indiscipline. It should have been obvious that these soldiers could not stand up to the Read more
Over several centuries it is estimated that 12 million slaves made the Middle Passage from Africa to the Americas. Around 1.5 million died on the voyage due to mistreatment. A Spanish slave trader named Pedro Blanco had a fort on the coast of Sierra Leone where he acquired slaves Read more
Elizabeth “Lee” Miller was born on April 23, 1907. She had a bizarre childhood. She was raped at age 7 and contracted a venereal disease. Her father was an amateur photographer who used her as his model. Some of the pictures were of her nude. She was expelled from Read more
Samuel Champlain was a key figure in the European conquest of North America. He visited Panama and suggested the idea of a canal. But most of his time was spent in Canada (or New France as the French called it). He established Quebec in 1608. The French established ties Read more