Henry VIII ruled Great Britain for 36 years (1491-1547). He is most famous for his six wives, but there are a lot more facts that make him one of the most interesting monarchs in history. Here are some of those facts: His older brother Arthur was supposed to be King Read more…
Daniel Inouye was born in Hawaii to Japanese-American parents. He was 17 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He worked as a medical volunteer. In 1943, when the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was created from Japanese-Americans, Daniel dropped out of med school to join. The unit was sent to Italy Read more…
August 23, 480 B.C. is the suggested date for the start of the Battle of Thermopylae. There have been two movies about it. “The 300 Spartans” was a B-movie that has its fans, but “300” was a huge box office success. It has been criticized for its supposed historical inaccuracies, Read more…
Edmund Ironside was the son of Aethelred the Unready. His family battled the Danes in the 11th Century. In 1016, his father died and Edmund became king of the English. In the next few months he fought several battles with Cnut. He lost the last one, the Battle of Read more…
Sigurd Eysteinsson was known as “Sigurd the Mighty”. He was a Viking earl who ruled the Orkney and Shetland Islands in the late 9th Century. Being a Viking, he was of course greedy for more. He helped conquer northern Scotland. In the process, he challenged a Scottish chief to Read more…
One of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War occurred on August 16, 1777. The Battle of Bennington was part of the Saratoga Campaign. British Gen. John Burgoyne was marching south from Canada to try to cut off New York from New England. The advance did not go Read more…
In 1942, the Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment was created in Great Britain. It was a special forces unit that was trained to conduct secret missions using small boats. It was headed by the dashing Maj. Herbert “Blondie” Hasler. He came up with a plan to hit the Germans Read more…
During the Blitz of London in 1940, many people were killed by German bombs. Sometimes they left pets behind. After a bombing raid, a mixed breed terrier was found amongst the ruins. An Air Raid Warden named King fed the dog some scraps and the little dog followed him Read more…
Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560. She went on to become the “female dracula”. Here is the legend. How much is true cannot be determined. Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian countess. Her husband was a general and she lived in a castle in the Carpathian Mountains. She surrounded Read more…
The American Emergency Rescue Committee was formed in New York after the fall of France in 1940. It was supported by Eleanor Roosevelt. It was created by intellectuals to help refugee anti-Nazi writers and artists and Jews. Varian Fry (pictured below) was one of the founders. He graduated from Read more…