Anecdote
SANTA ANNA – GUM INVENTOR
Today is the anniversary of the birth of the man who, if he had not been born, we would not have chewing gum! Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón was born on Feb. Read more
Anecdote
BUTCH O’HARE
Edward “Butch” O’Hare was born the son of a lawyer. His father, “Artful Eddie” O’Hare, was lawyer to Al Capone. When he thought about the future he was creating for his son, he decided he had to do something Read more
Anecdote
THE ARMY EATEN BY CROCODILES
In 1945, the British were on the offensive to reclaim Burma from the Japanese. In January, it was decided that Ramaree Island, off the coast of Burma, would make a good place for an airfield. An amphibious assault was made Read more
Anecdote
JUDGMENT DAY FOR CROESUS
The great Athenian lawmaker Solon once went to visit the richest man in the world – King Croesus of Lydia. Croesus lived in a beautiful palace and wanted to show off his wealth to his visitor. After a tour Read more
Anecdote
FOUNDING OF THE NAACP
On Feb. 12, 1908, the first meeting of the NAACP was held in New York City. Mary White Ovington (a suffragist), William English Walling (a labor reformer who was born to a slave-holding family), and Henry Moskowitz (a black civil Read more
Anecdote
THE CLERMONT’S MAIDEN VOYAGE
On Feb. 11, 1809 Robert Fulton received his patent for the steamboat. That reminds me of a story I used to tell about the maiden voyage of the steamboat. The story might be apocryphal, but it is true to human Read more
Anecdote
THE “FAIRY WEDDING”
Charles Stratton was born a normal baby in a normal family. But he stopped growing at 6 months. He did add some inches years later, but he never topped 3 1/2 feet. When the healthy little boy was 4, he Read more
Anecdote
McCARTHYISM BEGINS
On Feb. 9, 1950, Joseph McCarthy gave a speech that launched America into a dark period known as “McCarthyism”. The Senator from Wisconsin was looking to make a splash that would revive his moribund political career. He had recently Read more
Anecdote
MASTERPIECE or TRAVESTY: The Birth of a Nation (1915)
On Feb. 8, 1915, the first major motion picture opened. “The Birth of a Nation” was revolutionary and launched the silent movie era with a true classic. It is covered in American History textbooks. I don’t use this website to Read more
Anecdote
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
In 1892, a Baptist minister named Francis Bellamy composed a pledge of allegiance to the flag. He was unhappy with the current pledge devised by George Balch. Balch had been a general in the Civil War. His pledge read: Read more