In 1828, Andrew Jackson was running for President. His opponents called him a “stubborn jackass”. Jackson liked the description and put a donkey on his campaign posters. The Democrats decided to adopt the donkey as their symbol. They put Read more…
Kazimierz Michal Wladyslaw Wiktor Pulaski was born to a noble family in Warsaw on March 6, 1745. He loved the military so he became a cavalryman when he grew up. He fought the Russians, but his side lost. A Read more…
British teachers probably know about the Gunpowder Plot like American teachers know the assassination of JFK, but for everyone else, here is the story of the origin of Bonfire Night. In 1603, Elizabeth I died without an heir. Read more…
John Basilone was born on November 4, 1916. He was the sixth of ten children. He dropped out before high school. In 1934, he spent part of this tour in the Philippines. When his enlistment was up, he returned Read more…
A myth that is still believed by many is that George Washington had dentures made of wood. This myth appeared in textbooks as late as the early 20th Century. He had at least four pairs of false teeth during Read more…
In the early days of TV, quiz shows were extraordinarily popular. The suspense of watching a contest sweat out a question that could make or break them was compelling entertainment. There were a bunch of these shows, including “The Read more…
We’re all familiar with the assassination attempts that succeeded. Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy. And most are familiar with the attempt on Reagan’s life. And the two attempts on Ford’s life. Less know about the Andrew Jackson incident. All were Read more…
The following story is an example of an apocryphal story. Apocryphal means the anecdote is most likely not true. Or, as I would say, too good to be true. Many apocryphal stories begin with a true story that is “enhanced” Read more…
Vasili Arkhipov was born to a peasant family in 1926. He enlisted in the Soviet Navy and served on a minesweeper in WWII. He rose to executive officer on the K-19. It was one of the first Soviet nuclear Read more…
Ernest Evans was the Commander of the destroyer USS Johnston. Evans was a Native American (half Cherokee, one fourth Creek). He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1931. On Oct. 27, 1943, he was given command of the Fletcher-class destroyer Read more…