THE DEEPWATER HORIZON DISASTER

                At 9:56 P.M. on April 20, 2010, a massive explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.  It resulted in 11 deaths and the worst maritime oil spill in history.  What happened and why?                 The well was operated by the oil company B.P.  Read more…

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE

  At 5:13 A.M. on Tuesday April 18, 1906, San Francisco was hit by an earthquake that has been estimated to be an 8.5 on the Richter scale.  It was felt 730 miles away.  It destroyed electric lines, trolley tracks, water pipes, bridges, and buildings.  Communications, transportation, and medical services Read more…

THE GREAT ROMAN FIRE

            The Great Roman Fire started on the night of June 18, 64 A.D.  It most likely started either in an apartment building or a shop.  Poor Romans lived in multi-story apartment buildings called insulae.  People cooked in their apartments.  Some of the shops sold fast food or sold flammable Read more…

THE KATYN MASSACRE

                In 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland.  Within two years, Hitler broke their nonaggression pact and invaded Russia.  By 1943, the Red Army was pushing German forces back into Eastern Europe.  On April 13, 1943, the Germans uncovered mass graves in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk Read more…

WILLIAM PITSENBARGER

                William Pitsenbarger was 21 when he sacrificed his life for others.  He was born in Ohio on July 8, 1944.  As a high school junior, he tried to enlist in the Marines, but his parents refused to sign off.  After graduating, he enlisted in the Air Force and volunteered Read more…

THE MOST INFAMOUS HIGHWAYMAN

                America had Jesse James.  Australia had Ned Kelly.  And England had Dick Turpin.  All three were popular heroes who were noted for their “rob from the rich and give to the poor” Robin Hoodish careers in crime.  Unlike Robin Hood, all three men were actual historical figures and the Read more…

THOSE FOKKERS

I still enjoyed teaching, even after 39 years, because I looked forward to telling anecdotes.  But I also enjoyed telling jokes.  I started each class with one of my story jokes.  And occasionally I was able to squeeze one into a lesson.  The joke below was told as part of Read more…

THE BATTLE OF HILL 488

                One of the most remarkable small unit actions in American History occurred on the night of June 15, 1966.  In the Vietnam War, small units of soldiers or Marines would sometimes be dropped off in the jungle to scout for enemy formations.  This could be dangerous if the unit Read more…