Did you know there was a unit of American soldiers who fought against the US in one of its wars? That unit was the Saint Patrick’s Battalion in the Mexican War. In 1846, the US declared war on Mexico after a border dispute in Texas. Pres. James K. Polk Read more
The movie “Patton” made Patton’s prayer famous, but it was not entirely accurate. In December, 1944 Gen. George Patton’s Third Army was in Belgium participating in the Saar Campaign. Patton had become famous for his hard-charging style, but the rain, fog, and floods had stalled his offensive. He was Read more
Around the year 546 B.C., a Spartan army invaded the territory of the Argives. The Spartans captured the important border city of Thyrea, so Argos sent an army to evict the Spartans. The two armies were evenly matched, so the generals decided to avoid horrible losses, each side would Read more
Poison gas was first used in WWI at the Second Battle of Ypres. The Germans initiated this step forward in making war even more inhumane. On the Eastern Front, the German army faced the Russians. One of the most strategic locations was the Osowiec Fortress in Poland. The Germans Read more
Five weeks before he was to leave office, President George W. Bush made a trip to Iraq to get some credit for the improved situation there due to the recent troop surge. On Dec. 14, 2008, he was giving a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Read more
Here is the history of the Declaration of Independence. Declaring independence was approved by vote of the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. July 4, 1776 – President of the Second Continental Congress John Hancock and the clerk signed the document. July 19, 1776 – New York, which Read more
The worst coal mining disaster in American History occurred on Dec. 6, 1907. In the 19th Century, coal mining was very important as coal was used for cooking and heating. Coal mining was a very dangerous job. The total deaths in 1907 was 3,242. Mining companies were notorious for Read more
Marco Polo was born in Venice around 1254. His father left his pregnant mother to go with Marco’s uncle to trade with China on the Silk Road. He met his father for the first time when he returned when Marco was 15 years old. In 1271, he and his Read more
When King Philip of Macedonia invaded Greece in 338 B.C., he defeated an Athenian/Theban army at the Battle of Chaeronea. Resistance ceased as all the other Greek city-states submitted to Philip’s victorious army. All except Sparta. When Philip arrived outside Sparta, he halted his army and awaited the Spartan Read more
Charles was a major player in the Hundred Years War. At times he sided with the English, and at other times he sided with the French. His unscrupulous machinations got him the title Charles the Bad. His death probably brought a smile to many of his enemies. According to Read more