George Patton was born on November 11, 1885. Almost like he planned on being born on the future Veterans Day. Or Armistice Day as it was known until 1954. Here is one of my favorite anecdotes about this remarkable man. Read more
Henry Wirz was one of the villains of the Civil War and one of only two men who were executed for war crimes after the war. Wirz was a Swiss immigrant at age 26. He settled in the South Read more
Benjamin Banneker was one of the first African-American intellectuals in America. He was born on November 9, 1731. His father was a freed black and his mother was the daughter of a white indentured servant. He was self-educated. He Read more
Milo of Croton was the strongest man in Ancient Greece. He got that way by carrying a newborn calf on his shoulders every day. As the calf grew into a fully grown cow, Milos gradually got stronger. To maintain Read more
On Nov. 5, Brits get together to commemorate the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. They build a bonfire which they dance around. They sing chants and shoot off fireworks. They shout this poem: Remember, remember the firth of November / Read more
One of the greatest poets of the Great War was born on March 18, 1893. He came from a middle class family. In grade school he became interested in poetry. He was influenced by the Bible and Romantic poets Read more
The most famous cartoonist of WWII was Bill Mauldin. He was born on October 29, 1921. He enlisted in the National Guard and three days later his division was federalized. The 45th Infantry Division served in Sicily and Italy. Read more
The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Officially it is named “Liberty Enlightening the World”. The sculptor was Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. He modelled the face after his mother. Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel was the structural engineer. The crown has 25 Read more
In honor of the 163rd anniversary of Teddy Roosevelt’s birthday, here is a list of trivia items about America’s most interesting President. – he was blinded in the left eye during a sparring match when he was President – he Read more