Anecdote
THE FIRST WHITE HOUSE WEDDING
One of the creepiest events in Presidential History occurred on June 2, 1886. “Uncle Cleve” bought Francis Folsom, daughter of his partner, her first baby buggy. He was 27 years old at the time. He doted on the child. When her father died when she was 12, Cleveland became her Read more
Anecdote
THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE
Today is the 100th anniversary of one of the worst moments in American History. I am ashamed to admit I never taught it, because I was not aware of it until I retired. This is amazing to me because I read many books that covered the 1920’s, the Civil Rights Read more
Anecdote
THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD
One of the worst disasters in American History occurred on May 31, 1889. The South Fork Dam was on the Little Conemaugh River, 14 miles upriver from Johnstown, Pa. At 3:10 P.M. on May 31, 1889, the dam burst. There had been several days of heavy rain. The Read more
Anecdote
THE DICKINSON DUEL
One of the most famous duels in American History occurred on May 30, 1806. Rachel Robards met Jackson at her father’s boarding house. When her husband left her to seek divorce, they got married. Two years later they found out he had not gotten a divorce, so technically she Read more
Anecdote
THE CONQUEST OF MT. EVEREST
At 11:30 A.M. on May 29, 1953 the tallest spot on Earth was conquered by a New Zealander and his Tibetan guide. Mount Everest had been the goal of mountain climbers for many years. The Tibetans called it Chomo-Lungma (“Mother Goddess of the Land”). The rest of the world Read more
Anecdote
FORTUNATE SON
Today is the 76th birthday of John Fogerty. Here is the history of his most famous hit. One day, John Fogerty was sitting in his bedroom and he was angry about the unfairness of the draft. He was specifically thinking of David Eisenhower (grandson of Pres. Eisenhower and Read more
Anecdote
DORIE MILLER
On May 27, 1942, Dorie Miller became the first African-American to earn the Navy Cross (it should have been the Medal of Honor, but the Navy was racist) for his bravery during the Pearl Harbor attack. Dorie (born Doris) Miller was an African-American who enlisted in the Navy in September, Read more
Anecdote
TUNNEL RATS
In Vietnam, it took a while for Americans to figure out how the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese avoided contact so well. Part of it was their ability to hide in the jungle, but they also had an intricate tunnel system. The most famous were the tunnels of Cu-Chi. Read more
Anecdote
The 761st Tank Battalion
Probably the most famous segregated Army unit in WWII was the 761st Tank Battalion. The unit was nicknamed the “Black Panthers” and its motto was “Come Out Fighting”. It was created in March, 1942 and trained in the south where it encountered the racism common in that area. Its Read more