Moby-Dick is now considered a great classic of American literature and contains one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: “Call me Ishmael.” Initially, though, the book about Captain Ahab and his quest to catch a giant white whale was a flop. Its author, Herman Melville was born in New York City in 1819. As a young man, heContinue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: Herman Melville Publishes “Moby Dick” in 1851.”
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Historical Tuesdays: THIS ABANDONED MCDONALD’S WAS ONCE A TARGET OF THE STRIP SEARCH PHONE CALL SCAM
by Although this site might not boast centuries of architectural significance, it carries its own unique narrative. Once a busy McDonald’s that shuttered its doors in 2004, which coincidentally marked the 25th anniversary of the iconic Happy Meal, the story with this structure lies in an event that happened 10 years prior to its closure.Continue reading “Historical Tuesdays: THIS ABANDONED MCDONALD’S WAS ONCE A TARGET OF THE STRIP SEARCH PHONE CALL SCAM”
History Lesson Tuesdays: Why Do We Celebrate Halloween? The Dark Origins of the Holiday.
Your favorite spooky traditions had to start somewhere by Caroline Picard and Lizz Schumer If you think Halloween is a uniquely American tradition, grab a mini Snickers and settle in, because you’ve got some learning to do. Dressing up in a creative costume, traipsing around in the gathering dusk to collect the best candy or throwing a monster bashContinue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: Why Do We Celebrate Halloween? The Dark Origins of the Holiday.”
History Lesson Tuesday: 1845 US Naval Academy Opens
The United States Naval Academy opens in Annapolis, Maryland, with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors. Known as the Naval School until 1850, the curriculum included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French. The Naval School officially became the U.S. Naval Academy in 1850, and a new curriculum went intoContinue reading “History Lesson Tuesday: 1845 US Naval Academy Opens”
Work Begins on Mount Rushmore
October 4, 1927 On October 4, 1927, sculpting begins on the face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota. It would take another 12 years for the granite images of four of America’s most revered presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt—to be completed. The monument was the brainchild of a South Dakota historian namedContinue reading “Work Begins on Mount Rushmore”
History Lesson Tuesdays: Unit 731: Biological Warfare and Inhuman Cruelty
by Robbie Mitchell Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research facility that operated during World War II in Japan, holds a chilling place in history. Veiled in secrecy and shrouded in denial for decades, this clandestine unit conducted gruesome experiments on human subjects, inflicting unimaginable suffering. Unit 731’s existence is a dark chapterContinue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: Unit 731: Biological Warfare and Inhuman Cruelty”
Centralia Mine Fire: Devastation from Underground
by Kimberly Lin In 1890, the coal mining town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, was home to more than 2800 people. Just like in any other town, rows of houses lined the streets, townsfolk had barbecues in their backyards, and everyone put up Christmas decorations during December. In 1962, the Centralia mine fire propelled the quiet borough intoContinue reading “Centralia Mine Fire: Devastation from Underground”
History Lesson Tuesdays: Bodies of the Titanic: Found and Lost Again
by Matthew Wills Ideas about economic class informed decisions about which recovered bodies would be preserved for land burial and which would be returned to the icy seas. The story of the Titanic usually ends with the ship’s sinking in April 1912, the rescue of survivors, and the ensuing scandals and subsequent safety improvements on ocean liners.Continue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: Bodies of the Titanic: Found and Lost Again”
History Lesson Tuesdays: Why Does the Bible Forbid Tattoos?
And have we been misinterpreting Leviticus? by Livia Gershon Tattoos have been around for millennia. People got them at least five thousand years ago. Today they’re common everywhere from Maori communities in New Zealand to office parks in Ohio. But in the ancient Middle East, the writers of the Hebrew Bible forbade tattooing. Per Leviticus 19:28,Continue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: Why Does the Bible Forbid Tattoos?”
History Lesson Tuesdays: Memorial Day
Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2023 will occur on Monday, May 29. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holidayContinue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: Memorial Day”
Vintage Dava 