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THE ST. ALBANS RAID
The St. Albans Raid was the most Northern action of the Civil War. Lt. Bennett Young of the Confederate army had escaped from a Union prison camp and made it to Canada. He came up with the idea of Read more
Anecdote
THE YANKEE VERSION OF “DIXIE”
The song “Dixie” is forever associated with the South before and during the Civil War. Ironically, it was written by an Ohioan named Daniel Decatur Emmett. He meant it to evoke a the positive effects of slavery, although it Read more
Anecdote
GLADIATOR FACTS
Gladiators were usually either slaves, criminals, or prisoners of war. Some might even be free men who joined for the adventure and/or fame. New gladiators were called novicius. They were brought to the training school (ludus). The owner was Read more
Anecdote
SINKING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS
Today is the anniversary of one of the worst maritime disasters in history. The crew of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis would have been proud that they had contributed to the ending of WWII and the saving of many Read more
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TYPES OF GLADIATORS
Most gladiators were slaves, but some free men joined for the fame and fortune. There were even some female gladiators. They fought in loin cloths without helmets, so people could see they were women. A bestiarus hunted wild animals Read more
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DEATH TO GLADIATORS
How you died was important to gladiators. Part of the training at the gladiator school was how to die appropriately. If you lost, you needed to make eye contact with the victor and offer your neck. You put two Read more
Anecdote
THE ELEVATOR GIRL
Have you ever survived two extremely unusual life-threatening disasters in one day? Betty Lou Oliver was one of the rare individuals who could have answered yes to that. Betty was on duty as an elevator operator on the morning Read more
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THE KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL
Today is the anniversary of the dedication of a memorial to the men and women who served in “The Forgotten War”. The Korean War is sometimes called “The Forgotten War”. As an example of that, the Vietnam War Memorial Read more
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FORGOTTEN WAR: The First Sumatran Expedition 1832
The island of Sumatra had some of the best pepper in the world. In 1832, an American merchant ship named Friendship arrived to trade for it. When the crew were ashore, they were attacked by a rival chieftain. Three Read more