Did you know that American presidents were cursed by a Native American medicine man? After the 13 Colonies got their independence, the British handed over all their land south of Canada and east of the Mississippi. Part of that, the area north of the Ohio River, was called the Read more
*** This anecdote is probably apocryphal, but it could be true. Both Livy and Appian included it in their histories. Two of the greatest generals met in the Battle of Zama in 202 B.C. The battle ended the Second Punic War and made Rome the dominant power in Read more
Dogs have been used in war since ancient history. The earliest mention was in a history of King Alyattes, King of Lydia, around 600 B.C. He used the war dogs against the invading Cimmerians. In 525 B.C., at the battle of Pelusiam, Persian Emperor Cambyses put dogs, cats, and Read more
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