Anecdote
THE TITANIC’S BINOCULARS
The lack of a key might have doomed over 1,500 people on board the Titanic. The ship was five days into its maiden voyage when it hit an iceberg. The iceberg was not spotted in time to take evasive Read more
Anecdote
BATTLE OF KINGS MOUNTAIN
One of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War occurred on Oct. 7, 1781. It was part of Britain’s southern campaign. Lord Cornwallis had been sent to this theater because it was believed that the southern colonies were Read more
Anecdote
THE DAY WASHINGTON BIT OFF MORE THAN HE COULD CHEW (HOUSE)
On Sept. 26, 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia after defeating Washington’s army at Branywine and Paoli. Washington was itching for some payback and decided to roll the dice with the Battle of Trenton as his template. When he learned Read more
Anecdote
ROMULUS AND REMUS
Our story of early Rome begins in a region of Italy called Latium. It was probably named from the Latin word “latus” which means wide, as in flat land. Latium was divided by the Tiber River. North of the river Read more
Anecdote
THE CALLED SHOT
The famous “called shot” was probably also a media creation. It supposedly occurred on Oct. 1, 1932. In a 1932 World Series game in Chicago, the crowd and the opposing team were extremely hostile. When Ruth came to the Read more
Uncategorized
BATTLE OF YORKTOWN CHRONOLOGY
On Sept. 28, 1781, Washington and his Continental Army arrived at Yorktown, Virginia and began the siege. Here is the chronology of the siege: August 1 – Cornwallis arrives at Yorktown after his pyrrhic victory at Guilford Courthouse (March 15). Read more
Anecdote
THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE
Edward the Confessor died on Jan. 5, 1066. Being very religious meant he thought sex was a sin. Not surprisingly, he had no son to succeed him. This led to the medieval dread of a power struggle to replace Read more
Anecdote
THE MOST FAMOUS PRESIDENTIAL PET
In 1940, Franklin Roosevelt was gifted a Scottish Terrier puppy by a cousin. He named the dog Murray the Outlaw of Falahill after a Scottish ancestor. Thankfully, the little dog was nicknamed Fala. FDR and his pet became fast Read more
Anecdote
THEMISTOCLES THE STRATEGOS
To win a war, you must have a good strategy and use good tactics. The Greek word “strategos” is the Greek word for “general”. Their word “taktos” meant “ordered or arranged”. We now use strategy to refer to the Read more
Anecdote
GELI RAUBAL
Angela “Geli” Raubal was found dead in a Munich apartment on Sept. 19, 1931. She was Adolf Hitler’s neice and companion. Hitler had met her in 1925 when she was 23 years-old and he was 42. Geli was the Read more