When I was teaching American History, I used to end each unit with a biography of a person the was a role model from that unit. For my WWI unit, the role model was Eddie Rickenbacker. He was born on Oct. 8, 1890. Here are the notes I gave for Read more…
The most serious concentration camp uprising occurred on Oct. 7, 1944 at Auschwitz-Bergen. The mutiny was by the Sonderkommandos. These Jewish men were forced to help with the gas chambers. Some of them worked the “changing room” where the victims had to disrobe and turn over possessions. Others had Read more…
By 1777, there was no love lost between the Patriots and the Redcoats. The British had recently routed Washington’s army at Brandywine and had taken the city of Philadelphia. The commander of the Continental Army felt he needed to do something to stop his losing streak so he developed Read more…
On Oct. 5, 1877, a gallant trek ended with the bad guys winning. The Nez Perce had inhabited the Wallowa Valley in Oregon (and more) for generations. They had remained peaceful despite white provocations that went unpunished by white authorities. For example, a friend of Joseph named Wilhautyah was murdered. Read more…
On Oct. 3, 1993, Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randy Shugart were part of a three-man sniper team that was supporting an attempt by Delta Force and Rangers to capture a warlord in Mogadishu, Somalia when two of the Black Hawk helicopters went down. Their chopper was Read more…
The killings of African-Americans in and around Elaine, Arkansas in 1919 is possibly the bloodiest racial incident in American History. On Sept. 30, 1919, black sharecroppers gathered in a church to discuss actions to improve their situation. These men were fed up with getting low prices for their cotton Read more…
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was born on Sept. 29, 1571. His father was a architect/decorator for a nobleman. His father and grandfather died on the same day when he was 6. His mother raised her five children in poverty. At age 13, he was apprenticed to a painter in Read more…
Today is the birthday in 1905 of a boxing hall of famer. Max Schmeling got hooked on boxing when his father took him to see a movie of a Jack Dempsey fight. His father was a ship’s navigator and had been enthralled with the sport on his travels. Max began Read more…
Little is known about George Washington’s father, Augustine. He died when his son was 11. One thing that is known is he asked his son why he chopped down a cherry tree. It turns out we don’t even know that. The cherry tree story was first chronicled in a Read more…
One of the worst days in the history of art was Sept. 26, 1687. That’s the day the greatest temple of the ancient world was blown up. The Parthenon was located on the Acropolis (the hill) in Athens. It was a temple of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. Read more…