On July 1, 1863, the Civil War came to the sleepy town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. On that day Confederate soldiers looking for shoes ran into Union troops outside the town. In the ensuing fighting, the Rebels pushed the Yankees through the town to high ground outside the town. The Read more…
John Burns is the most famous sexagenarian that fought in the Civil War. John was born on Sept. 5, 1793. He fought in the War of 1812 (the Battle of Lundy’s Lane) and in the Mexican War. He moved to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. When the Civil War broke out, he Read more…
The Battle of the Somme is the epitome of the senseless slaughter of the Great War. It started on July, 1, 1916. Here are some interesting facts about the worst day in the history of the British army. The battle was preceded by a week-long artillery bombardment of 1.7 million Read more…
With yellow journalists fomenting war with Spain, Spanish authorities put restrictions on American reporters in Havana. The U.S. government sent the USS Maine to Havana harbor “to protect American interests” by showing the flag. It arrived on Jan. 25, 1898. It was scheduled to leave on Feb. 17 in time Read more…
Post-WWII was not a good time to be gay in America. The American Psychiatric Association had labeled homosexuality a “mental disorder”. The FBI maintained a list of known homosexuals because it was felt they would be liable for extortion by communists. Most gay men and women were “in the Read more…
Adobe Walls was a trading post in the Texas Panhandle. It had two stores, a blacksmith shop, and a saloon. Buffalo hunters in the area used it to resupply and sell buffalo hides. The tiny post was a symbol of the buffalo extinction that was taking place on territory Read more…
Gail Halverson grew up on a farm. But as he did chores, he would sometimes look up to see planes and vowed to one day be a pilot. When WWII broke out, Halverson enlisted and joined the Army Air Corps. He spent the war ferrying transport planes to England, Read more…
Stanford White was the most famous architect in New York City during the Gilded Age. His architectural firm had designed buildings for J.P. Morgan and Cornelius Vanderbilt and other rich families. From 1879 on, the firm designed 900 hotels, private clubs, libraries, museums, universities, and churches. A tower that Read more…
In 207 B.C., Hannibal had been dominating Italy for 11 years. He had defeated every Roman army that faced him. By this time, the Romans were avoiding battle and just trying to contain him. It was obvious that he could not take Rome, but they could not take him. Read more…
In 1756, the British East India Company was a powerful force in India. It had its own army to protect its trade. In June, the Seven Years War with France loomed near and the company was anticipating it by improving the defenses of Fort William in Calcutta. The local governor Read more…