The Grifon Did Not Sink But Peter Benchley Gains a Script Anyway July 31, 2010

Shaw Keeps His Eyes Forward On this date in 1715, the French ship Grifon survived a hurricane off the coast of Florida. “So what,” you ask?Well, first off when the Spanish came to the new world they were looking for booty and plunder. They wanted to exploit the region for its natural resources and send [...]

God has not always been found on US currency or the Pledge of Allegiance July 30, 2010

On This Date in History: When the Civil War first broke out in April 1861, most Americans, particularly those from the North, assumed the conflict would end quickly. Toward the end of that year, it became all too apparent that it could be a very long and bloody affair. Perhaps it is that realization that [...]

The Forgotten Tragic Loss of American Airmen at Hiroshima July 29, 2010

On This Date in History:  By the end of July 1945, the allies pretty much had secured air superiority over the Empire of Japan.   The Japanese, however, showed no signs of giving up any time soon so the Americans continued to bomb targets on the Japanese mainland.  On the morning of July 28, 1945 several small groups [...]

When the US Military turned on its own: A Dark Day in US History July 28, 2010

On This Date in History: We’ve heard that this is the worst economy “since the great depression.” I have taken issue with that as I think it is pure hyperbole and political posturing. In my view, our overall economic situation is more akin to the latter part of the Carter administration and early Reagan years. [...]

Before Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond July 27, 2010

On This Date in History:  I have to confess, I was not really aware of the Tour de France until the mid to late 1980′s.  My only real consolation is that I bet that I was not too much different than most Americans.  ESPN had not been around too long and it was filled with [...]

Ben Franklin Takes Charge of the Mail in Postal Service Milestone July 25, 2010

On This Date In History: The US Postal Service was founded on this date in 1775 with Ben Franklin as the first Postmaster General. Franklin was the best choice since he had experience. See, he was the Postmaster General of the colonies(or deputy postmaster) for the crown beginning in 1753. Under Franklin, delivery time for [...]

The Forgotten Eastland Disaster and the Ghosts Left Behind For Oprah July 24, 2010

On This Date In History: The  Eastland was a steamboat on the Chicago River in the early 20th century that was built with known engineering flaws. But, they used it for ferrying passengers from the city to picnic sites on Lake Michigan.  It was designed to hold 650 people. On This Date In 1915, some 7000 [...]

Black Bart Was Not As Ferocious As Ralphie Made Him Out To Be July 23, 2010

On This Date in Criminal History: Do you remember the movie A Christmas Story in which Ralphie wants a BB gun and has visions of shooting Black Bart? It leads one to believe that Bart was some desperado. Well, in the 1870′s there was a dime novel that was loosely based on a true story. [...]

John Dillinger’s Infamy Lives With Rumors FBI Did NOT Get Their Man July 22, 2010

On This Date in History: A funny thing about American history is that not only do we tend to celebrate heroes, but Americans also seem to celebrate the villains. George Washington was arguably the most important man in US history yet more people probably know about Billy the Kid than General Washington.   Movies are made [...]

Apollo 11 Mission Successful Conclusion Due to Alert Weatherman July 21, 2010

On This Date in History:  Yesterday was the 41st anniversary of the 5th NASA mission of the Apollo program designated as Apollo 11 landing on the moon.  It stands as one of the monumental achievements of the 20th century and perhaps the greatest endeavor of human history.  It was quite a trick, because, even though it worked out on paper, it had never been done before.   Any [...]