Anecdote
JOHN MCRAE – WAR POET
John McRae was born in Canada on Nov. 30, 1872. He graduated from college and became a doctor. He served in the Second Boer War. In 1904, he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians. He specialized Read more
Anecdote
THE “LADY” PIRATES
Not all pirates were men. Two of the most infamous were Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Much of our information about this fascinating duo comes from “A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates” Read more
Anecdote
THE WRECK OF THE WHITE SHIP
William the Aethling was the heir to King Henry I of England. He grew up a spoiled brat and was said to be “destined to be food for the fire”. In 1120, he accompanied his father on a diplomatic Read more
Anecdote
THE REAL FIRST THANKSGIVING
It was common for colonists and Native Americans to have feasts for giving thanks. Sometimes they came together for the meal. There was one near Jamestown in 1619. In the case of the first Thanksgiving, it was common for Read more
Uncategorized
FACTS ABOUT TARAWA
Operation Galvanic was the invasion of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll. Tarawa was in the Gilbert Islands. It is 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. Adm. Chester Nimitz felt the island, with its airfield, needed to be taken before attacking the Read more
Anecdote
FACTS ABOUT THE JFK ASSASSINATION
JFK was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. President Lyndon Johnson appointed the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination. The commission determined that Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy, he acted alone, and there was no conspiracy. These findings were controversial and Read more
Anecdote
WILLIAM DEANE HAWKINS – MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT FOR TARAWA
There have been 3,515 Medals of Honor awarded since its inception in the Civil War. All of the recipients were brave men (and one woman). If we were to rank their acts, William Deane Hawkins would be in the Read more
Anecdote
THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK
One of the most famous characters in French literature is the Man in the Iron Mask. Voltaire first broached the story of the older illegitimate brother of Louis XIV (the product of a liaison between Queen Anne and Cardinal Read more
Anecdote
THE AMAZONS
The first mention of the Amazons is by Homer in “The Iliad”. He refers to them as the Androktones (“killers of men”). Homer says they were fighting on the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War. The warriors were Read more