Going into 1954, Sen. Joseph McCarthy was at the height of his power, but his attempts to ferret out communists in the government had born little fruit. As head of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, McCarthy was able Read more…
The Middle Ages is infamous for its “medieval justice”. There were various methods for determining an accused’s guilt or innocence. Trial by compurgation involved the accused and the accuser getting as many people to swear an oath in your Read more…
Once upon a time, the U.S. lost 34 men in a war that it did not participate in. In 1967, the Israelis launched the pre-emptive 6 Days’ War against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Pres. Lyndon Johnson kept the U.S. Read more…
It’s June 6 so I wanted to do a post on D-Day. Since it is such a well-known event, I tried to think of an anecdote that was not familiar to most. Be careful what you wish for. I Read more…
When Rome was besieged by the Etruscans, Gaius Mucius Cordo volunteered to assassinate the Etruscan king Porsena. Mucius snuck into the Etruscan camp in disguise and managed to enter the king’s tent. Unfortunately, he mistook the king’s scribe for Read more…
During its early years, Rome conquered cities around it. The wars were bloody. To avoid more bloodshed, an agreement was made with the next foe. It was agreed that instead of sending their armies to do battle, they would Read more…
After the Romans kidnaped the Sabine women, the Sabine men laid siege to Rome. The siege lasted for weeks and the Sabine men were concerned for the welfare of their women. They allowed the Romans to send a woman Read more…
One of the creepiest events in Presidential History occurred on June 2, 1886. “Uncle Cleve” bought Francis Folsom, daughter of his partner, her first baby buggy. He was 27 years old at the time. He doted on the child. When Read more…
Today is the 100th anniversary of one of the worst moments in American History. I am ashamed to admit I never taught it, because I was not aware of it until I retired. This is amazing to me because I Read more…
One of the worst disasters in American History occurred on May 31, 1889. The South Fork Dam was on the Little Conemaugh River, 14 miles upriver from Johnstown, Pa. At 3:10 P.M. on May 31, 1889, the dam Read more…