An interesting historical story.
May 19, 1897 was the birthday of the second most famous American pilot in WWI. Frank Luke was a fighter pilot who became known as “The Arizona Balloon-Buster” for his specialty of shooting down German observation balloons. These hot-air balloons were raised on cables to give a vantage over Allied Read more…
Aimee Semple McPherson was the most famous evangelist in America in the 1920s. She was known as “the Queen of Heaven” and had thousands of followers. Her International Church of the Foursquare Gospel opened a huge temple in Los Angeles. It could hold 5,000 worshipers. They would be serenaded Read more…
He was born on May 17, 1749 in England. He was the 8th of 9 kids born to a Reverend and his wife. He was orphaned at age 5 when both parents died. He was raised by siblings after that, but got a good education. As a child, he was Read more…
Montgomery Meigs went to West Point with Robert E. Lee. When the South seceded, Lee joined the Confederate army and Meigs never forgave him. When Meigs became Quartermaster General for the Union Army, he was in charge of military burials. In 1863, Lee’s wife Mary was not able to pay Read more…
In 1683, the Ottoman Turks laid siege to Vienna. During the siege, the Turks attempted to tunnel under the walls. Viennese bakers, working nonstop to feed the citizens, heard the digging and alerted the city. Later, an army led by King John III of Poland, lifted the siege. In Read more…
The Japanese fleet had no idea how successful the Pearl Harbor attack would be, but it was safe to assume some of its planes would be hit and unable to return to their carriers. The pilots were told to fly to Niihau island and wait for a submarine to Read more…
Jacob Brown was born on May 9, 1775. Raised a Quaker, he would later overlook their pacifist beliefs. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1790. After teaching for a few years, he settled in upstate New York and became prosperous and a leading member of his community. Read more…
The most famous air ship disaster occurred on May 6, 1937. The Hindenburg was the largest dirigible ever made. Since it was German, it was called a “zeppelin”. It was designed to make long flights and the year before, it had made 10 trips to the U.S., uneventfully. On Read more…
Elizabeth Cochran (she later added an e to Cochran) was born on May 5, 1864. The was the 13th of 15 children. Her father was a factory owner and county judge. When he died when she was 6, he did not leave a will and the family was plunged into Read more…
Manfred von Richthofen was born on May 2, 1892 in Kleinburg, Germany (today Poland). His family was from the lower nobility and he inherited the title Freiherr (“free lord”) which was equivalent to a baron. He was sent to military school at age 11. He enlisted in the army at Read more…