Anecdote
FELICETTE THE SPACE CAT
The stray tuxedo cat must have thought it was lucky when it was picked up off a street in Paris and put in the French space program. Good food and a safe place to live. It, along with 13 Read more…
Anecdote
EMBARRASSING DEATH: HERACLITUS
Heraclitus is one of the great Greek philosophers. He is best known for his belief that the world is constantly changing. His most famous quote was: “no man ever steps into the same river twice”. According to legend, at Read more…
Anecdote
THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE
On Oct. 8, 1871, the most famous fire in American history broke out in Chicago. Before it was over it had created $200 million in damages and cost the lives of 300 people. 90,000 were left Read more…
Anecdote
THE TITANIC’S BINOCULARS
The lack of a key might have doomed over 1,500 people on board the Titanic. The ship was five days into its maiden voyage when it hit an iceberg. The iceberg was not spotted in time to take evasive Read more…
Anecdote
BATTLE OF KINGS MOUNTAIN
One of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War occurred on Oct. 7, 1781. It was part of Britain’s southern campaign. Lord Cornwallis had been sent to this theater because it was believed that the southern colonies were Read more…
Anecdote
THE DAY WASHINGTON BIT OFF MORE THAN HE COULD CHEW (HOUSE)
On Sept. 26, 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia after defeating Washington’s army at Branywine and Paoli. Washington was itching for some payback and decided to roll the dice with the Battle of Trenton as his template. When he learned Read more…
Anecdote
ROMULUS AND REMUS
Our story of early Rome begins in a region of Italy called Latium. It was probably named from the Latin word “latus” which means wide, as in flat land. Latium was divided by the Tiber River. North of the river Read more…
Anecdote
THE CALLED SHOT
The famous “called shot” was probably also a media creation. It supposedly occurred on Oct. 1, 1932. In a 1932 World Series game in Chicago, the crowd and the opposing team were extremely hostile. When Ruth came to the Read more…
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BATTLE OF YORKTOWN CHRONOLOGY
On Sept. 28, 1781, Washington and his Continental Army arrived at Yorktown, Virginia and began the siege. Here is the chronology of the siege: August 1 – Cornwallis arrives at Yorktown after his pyrrhic victory at Guilford Courthouse (March 15). Read more…
Anecdote
THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE
Edward the Confessor died on Jan. 5, 1066. Being very religious meant he thought sex was a sin. Not surprisingly, he had no son to succeed him. This led to the medieval dread of a power struggle to replace Read more…