Anecdote
SON OF A GUN
For those unfamiliar with this classic slang term, it means a man who is a bit of as scamp or rascal. In some cases, it acted as a more acceptable version of “son of a b****”. The most accepted Read more
Anecdote
FACTS ABOUT ALICE PAUL
She was born to Quaker parents on Jan. 11, 1885. She was a descendant of William Penn. Her parents were progressives who believed in gender equality and education for women. Her mother was a member of the National American Woman Read more
Anecdote
THE SILENT SENTINELS
I was taking the day off when I read that today is the anniversary of the start of picketing by the Silent Sentinels. I am a huge fan of Alice Paul, ever since I saw the movie “Iron-Jawed Angels”, so Read more
Anecdote
THE BEAST OF BELSEN
Irma Grese was the blonde, blue-eyed daughter of a German farmer. Her mother committed suicide as age 13 and she was raised by a strict, violent father. Indoctrinated in the greatness of Nazism at school, she joined the League Read more
Anecdote
FACTS ABOUT THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
The Harlem Globetrotters played their first game on Jan. 7, 1927 in Hinckley, Illinois. They were originally called the Savoy Big Five. They played before dances in the Savoy Ballroom in Chicago. Some players broke away in a pay dispute Read more
Anecdote
THE DAY THE CAPITOL WAS BURNED
I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on an event that was mentioned a lot yesterday as the news covered the storming of the Capitol. It was correctly pointed out that this was not the first time Read more
Anecdote
THE GREATEST MOUNTAIN MAN
The greatest mountain man was born on this day in 1798 in Bainbridge, NY. Jedediah Smith went west at age 24 to become a fur trapper. He joined William Ashley’s Rocky Mountain Fur Company. One his first expedition, up Read more
Anecdote
OPERATION FORTITUDE
One reason the Allies chose Normandy as the D-Day invasion site was it would be a surprise. That element of surprise was crucial and needed to be maintained. Fortunately, the Germans (specifically Hitler) were fixated on the Allies doing Read more
Anecdote
TOPSY THE ELEPHANT
On Jan. 4, 1903, probably the first filmed killing of an animal occurred. The famous victim was Topsy the elephant. Topsy (named after a character in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”) had been smuggled into America from Southeast Asia by a Read more
Uncategorized
HAFT Update
I just got done spending hours adding content to the site, so now might be a good time to reintroduce the site. History Anecdotes for Teachers (HAFT) started as a way for me to share all the anecdotes I told Read more