An interesting historical story.
It is highly unlikely that Christopher Columbus was the first to sail to North America. Here are some claimants to the discovery of a new continent. The Vikings came possibly five times starting in the 900’s. The most famous of these explorers was Leif Ericson. He landed somewhere in Read more…
Three years after becoming a hero when he returned with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Meriwether Lewis committed suicide on Oct. 11, 1809. He was only 35 years old. Lewis was on his way back to Washington, D.C. to answer questions about purchases he had made as Governor to Read more…
In January of 1968, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army launched attacks across South Vietnam targeting American bases and South Vietnamese cities. Even the capital of Saigon was hit by commandos. One of the commandos was Nguyen Van Lem (also known as Bay Lop). He was leader of Read more…
Black Tom Island is in New York harbor. In 1916, it was one of the largest munitions depots in America. On the night of July 30 a massive explosion destroyed the facility leaving a 375’ by 175’ crater. The explosion broke windows 25 miles away and popped rivets in Read more…
If it wasn’t for a prostitute, we’d have one more Founding Father to idolize. Benjamin Church should be mentioned with the likes of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, John Adams, and Joseph Warren. Instead, his name is mentioned with Benedict Arnold. Church was born in Rhode Island, the son of Read more…
King Martin I of Aragon (1356-1410) was suffering from a bad tummy ache. From his sickbed, he ordered that the court jester be summoned to cheer him up. When the jester arrived, his excuse for being late was: “I was in the next vineyard, your majesty, where I saw Read more…
This is the supposed anniversary of the battle between the Horatii and the Curiatii in 670 B.C. It is also the anniversary of the death of Horatia. During its early years, Rome conquered cities around it. The wars were bloody. To avoid more bloodshed, an agreement was made with Read more…
Pyrrhus of Epirus was one of the greatest generals of Ancient History. A distant relative of Alexander the Great, he became a king in Macedonia. He was invited to intervene in Italy to stop a rising power called Rome. His generalship brought him success at first. But his battles, Read more…
Hiram Revels was born to free parents in North Carolina on Sept. 27, 1827. He became an ordained minister in 1845. During the Civil War, he helped organized two African-American infantry regiments and served as a chaplain. In 1870, he became the first black elected to Congress when he Read more…
When second officer Charles Lightoller took his new position on the Titanic, he neglected to ask his predecessor for the keys to the locker where the binoculars were stored. On the fateful night, a lookout spotted the iceberg with his naked eyes. The ships engines were immediately stopped and Read more…