Anecdote
THE REAL PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN
You may have heard the creepy children’s story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The most common version comes from the Brothers Grimm. The city of Hamelin in Germany was having a rat problem when a man dressed in Read more
Anecdote
THE YOUNGEST FIRST LADY
Frank Clara Folsom was born July 21, 1864 in Buffalo. She was named after an uncle, but changed the name to Francis when she got older. Her father was a lawyer and good friends with his partner Grover Cleveland. “Uncle Read more
Anecdote
THE BLACK SWALLOW OF DEATH
On July 20, 1917, Eugene Bullard became a pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corps. Eugene Bullard was the grandson of a slave. He was the seventh child of a poor family in the American South. At age ten, he witnessed Read more
Anecdote
OVER EIGHTEEN
This is the third anniversary of this site. In honor of that, I am posting one of my favorite anecdotes. It’s a Civil War story and makes light of the fact that many underage boys enlisted. It is estimated that Read more
Anecdote
THE BLACK SOX SCANDAL
The Chicago White Sox were the best team in baseball in 1919. They were the clear favorites to win the World Series. But they didn’t. Because some of the players cheated. It all started when infielder Chick Gandil contacted some Read more
Anecdote
ARCHIMEDES’ SIEGE ENGINES
Archimedes was one of the greatest minds of the Ancient World. He lived in Syracuse on the island of Sicily. In 215 BCE, Roman general Marcellus laid siege to the city. Being a patriot, Archimedes aided the defense of Read more
Anecdote
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER’S EDUCATION – One day in 1878, Mariah Watkins found a fourteen year-old African-American boy sleeping in her wood pile. She took him in and enrolled him in the local one room school house. He did chores and Read more
Anecdote
GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS AN INCREDIBLY LUCKY MAN
In 1752, the 19-year-old Washington was on an expedition in the wilds of Pennsylvania. His Indian guide took a shot at him that whizzed by his head. In 1755, Washington was serving as an aide to British Gen. Braddock and Read more
Anecdote
THE COMBAT OF THE 30
In 1351, France hosted the Breton War of Succession (1341 – 1365). This was a sub-war to the Hundred Years’ War. It was fought for control of the Duchy of Brittany. Jean de Beaumanoir, a prominent knight of the Read more