Was Hitler Jewish? It would be the greatest irony if he was. Hitler’s mother was Maria Shicklgruber. When Adolf was born his birth certificate did not identify his father. When his mother married five years later to Johann Georg Hiedler, her son’s name was changed to that of his Read more…
Early in the 20th Century, Congress began to look into construction of a canal across Central America to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The French had attempted it in the 1880s. They tried digging the canal through the isthmus of Panama. Twenty years of effort were for naught Read more…
Guadalcanal is located in the Solomon Islands. It was unknown to American planners until air reconnaissance discovered the Japanese were building an air field on it. The air base would be a threat to the supply line to Australia. Adm. Ernest King, the head of the Navy, decided the island Read more…
Gertrude Ederle was the daughter of German immigrants. When she was a child, her father taught his children how to swim at a New Jersey beach. Gertrude was a natural. She got so good that she dropped out of school to race competitively. She won her first race at Read more…
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With silver bells, and cockle shells,And pretty maids all in a row. “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” was first published in 1744. There are various theories with regard to its meaning. The most likely is it refers to Queen Mary of England. The daughter Read more…
The Civil War is sometimes called the “brothers’ war” because some families were split in allegiance. Some family members joined the Union Army and others the Confederate Army. During the Seven Days Battle fought outside Richmond in 1862. The last battle was the Battle of Malvern Hill. Gen. McClellan’s Read more…
Thomas Austin thought it would be great to do some rabbit hunting. Australia already had domesticated rabbits, but they weren’t fun to hunt. The wealthy Australian had 24 wild European rabbits imported from the other side of the world. In 1859, the bunnies were set free on his land. Read more…
Today is the fifth anniversary of this website. Thank you to all the teachers who have used it and all others who have visited. Jane Grey was born in 1517 to a noble family. She was the great granddaughter of Henry VII. At age 10, she joined the Read more…
Port Chicago was a Navy loading area near San Francisco. It was located about a mile from the Port Chicago Naval Magazine. Trains would bring bombs and other explosives to the liberty ships. Most of the loaders were African-Americans who were given no training for the job. They had Read more…
In May, 1779, British Gen. Henry Clinton marched out of New York City with 8,000 men. He was headed for West Point hoping to provoke Washington into a decisive battle. On the way, he captured the abandoned fort at Stony Point. Stony Point was a steep, rocky peninsula that jutted Read more…