Today is the anniversary of the first voyage of the first successful steamboat. Robert Fulton was an indifferent student, but he did show some ability in art and an interest in inventing. At age 12, his family visited England Read more…
Today is the birthday of the original Siamese twins. Chang and Eng were born on May 11, 1811 in Siam (Thailand). They were conjoined twins, but their mother raised them as regular kids. Around age 17, they were spotted Read more…
Today is the birthday of either one of the most brilliant men in history or one of the worst. Or both. He was not French, he was from Corsica which belonged to France. He may have looked short when standing Read more…
The National Socialist German Workers Party created an organization for young boys in 1922. In 1926, it was named the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls was added. After the Nazis took power in 1933, both organizations Read more…
In 1199 (the 100th anniversary of the First Crusaders capture of Jerusalem), French knight Hughes de Payen and eight others swore at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem that they would protect pilgrims to the Holy Land. Read more…
In 1942, the first female concentration camp guards began working at Auschwitz and Majdenek. By the end of the Holocaust, 3,500 women worked as guards. Most were recruited via ads in newspapers. You had to be single and 21-45 Read more…
A dirt-poor farmer from Tennessee was the most decorated doughboy of WWI. Alvin York grew up in a two-room log cabin. He was one of eleven children. He grew up wild and loved to drink and party. His life Read more…
On August 9, 1944, the U.S. Forestry Service authorized the creation of a baby bear symbol for firefighting efforts by the public. WWII was underway and there were fewer firefighters because many joined the military. The public was enlisted Read more…
The Battle of Britain was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. The battle actually got its name before it even began. On June 18, 1940 Winston Churchill made a speech that included the lines: “The Battle Read more…
The St. Albans Raid was the most Northern action of the Civil War. Lt. Bennett Young of the Confederate army had escaped from a Union prison camp and made it to Canada. He came up with the idea of Read more…