A Brief History On June 17, 1994, after former NFL legend OJ Simpson failed to turn himself in to authorities after promising to do so, the LAPD spotted the accused murderer being driven in a 1993 Ford Bronco down the 405 and began a low-speed chase of the suspect which was televised live for 95 million American viewers. Digging Deeper Simpson had thrilled football fans as a college and professional running back, and further entertained movie and television watchers as an actor. With an outgoing and genial persona, OJ was one of the most popular sports figures in the US.…
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A Brief History On June 14, 2017, the Republican team was practicing for the annual Congressional baseball game when a gunman opened fire, wounding four people and resulting in the shooter being killed by police. Violence at sporting events is lamentable, but it happens. Digging Deeper Some other notable cases of violence in or at sporting events include the 2024 MMA fight between Igor Severino and Andre Lima when Severino was disqualified for taking a huge bite out of Lima’s bicep, the first such incident in the UFC. Another ridiculous biting took place when heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson chomped off…
A Brief History On June 3, 1844, the last known pair of Great Auks was killed on a small island off Iceland, a magnificent species of flightless bird resembling but not related to Penguins, 30 to 33 inches tall but with tiny six-inch wings. Digging Deeper Long a staple food and source of feathers and skins for Native American people, the soft down of the Great Auk made it a target for European hunters that decimated the populations of the aquatic birds. Changing climate and geography naturally eliminates some species of plants and animals, but humans have greatly accelerated the…
A Brief History On May 26, 946, King Edmund I of the English was unceremoniously killed in a street brawl in the conspicuously named town of Pucklechurch in Gloucestershire, England. Digging Deeper According to John of Worcester (died c. 1140) as quoted by Reginald Ralph Darlington and Patrick McGurk in 1995, “While the glorious Edmund, king of the English, was at the royal township called Pucklechurch in English, in seeking to rescue his steward from Leofa, a most wicked thief, lest he be killed, was himself killed by the same man on the feast of St Augustine, teacher of the…
A Brief History On May 25, 1968, the Gateway Arch across the Mississippi River at St. Louis was dedicated, after 2 ½ years of construction and a year after it was “inaugurated.” Towering 630 feet tall, the arch also spans 630 feet wide, providing St. Louis with a majestic reminder of its role as the “Gateway to the West.” Digging Deeper While we have the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and Seven Wonders of the Modern World, today we take a look at two projects we believe are worthy of wonder that have been made since 1960: First, the…