Over 12 million immigrants came through Ellis Island from 1892-1954. Many of them had their names changed so they were more American. Except that did not happen. The inspectors who supposedly on their own changed names did not actually Read more…
In the Revolutionary War, many captured soldiers, sailors, and rebellious civilians were held in hellish “prison ships”. These forgotten men were among the most patriotic Americans because almost all turned down British offers of pardon and a bounty in Read more…
The first chapter book I read was about Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. My 6th grade teacher encouraged us to read that was a competition that I was good at. It was the start of a lifelong Read more…
Here is a famous legend passed to us by Livy. In the 6th Century B.C., the Romans expelled their last Etruscan king. Tarquin immediately sought an alliance with King Lars Porsena of Clusium. Tarquin convinced Porsena that overthrowing kings Read more…
In military terminology, “Broken Arrow” is an accident involving a nuclear bomb that does not result in detonation. From 1950-1980, there were 21 declassified incidents where nuclear bombs were lost, accidentally dropped, ejected from a plane for safety reasons, Read more…
Today I get to write about one of my favorite battles of the Revolutionary War. A battle that has been largely forgotten, even though it was an almost perfect performance by an American army. In 216 B.C., Hannibal destroyed a Read more…
In 1860, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was concerned about the possibility of a civil war. Being an abolitionist, Longfellow wanted the North to stand up to the South. He wanted to write an inspiration poem in favor of fighting for Read more…
What would happen if you combined soccer hooliganism with street gangs and political parties? You would get something like the Nika Revolt of 532. The revolt occurred in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Emperor Justinian I Read more…
This post is going to be different. For Christmas, my wife got me “The History Buff’s Guide to World War II” by Thomas Flagel. I’m going to share some of the interesting stories and facts about WWII on this site. Read more…
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Alexander Hamilton. You know, the guy in the play. Here are some interesting facts about this fascinating Founding Father. Alexander was born an illegitimate child on Nevis Island in the West Indies. Read more…