Dear Readers, The first full year of our site’s existence has come to an end. As you may have noticed, we recently changed our name to History and Headlines to reflect the direction our site has taken. It has been a successful year with much growth, development and learning. We would like to take this opportunity to summarize our Top 10 Lists and the Top 10 Articles as selected by your views. So, bookmark this compilation and come back whenever you have time to peruse through our most popular pieces at your leisure to catch up on whatever you may…
Author: Beth Michaels
Beth Michaels
Beth Michaels attended a private college in Northeast Ohio from which she earned a Bachelor’s degree in German with a minor in French. From there she moved to Germany where she attended the University of Heidelberg for two years. Additional schooling earned her certifications as a foreign language correspondent and state-certified translator. In her professional career, Beth worked for a leading German manufacturer of ophthalmological medical instruments and devices as a quality representative, regulatory affairs manager, and internal auditor.
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A Brief History On June 25, 1940, the day France surrendered to the Nazis, Germany began planning the invasion of Switzerland in Operation Tannenbaum. Digging Deeper Between June and October of 1940, a plan was worked out that called for German divisions to invade Switzerland from the North and for Italian divisions to invade from the South, with both sides annexing the respective German/French and Italian parts. The operation kept getting delayed, however, and after the Allied invasion at Normandy on D-Day, it was cancelled for good. The Swiss knew the German were planning to invade them. In fact, in…
A Brief History For starters, if you have never heard of the Christmas Pickle, do not feel bad! The author herself only learned of the Christmas Pickle two years ago while she was living in Germany and was being visited by a fellow American who brought up the topic. The friend hung a pickle-shaped ornament on her Christmas tree every year, and since she believed the tradition came from Germany, wanted to know more about it. Digging Deeper Various American Christmas traditions include: singing carols; hanging stockings over the fireplace; leaving cookies out for Santa; placing mistletoe over doorways; but some Americans apparently also hang an…
A Brief History In September of 2014, a female Columbian cyclist team created a stir when their uniforms, or kits as they are known in the cycling world, made the headlines. Normally, such uniforms are commented on for their aerodynamic qualities, but these were literally “racy.” And by racy we don’t mean good for racing… With nude, or rather flesh-colored (beige, if you prefer being politically correct) material covering the torso and crotch, these uniforms were considered provocative and shocking. Digging Deeper The kit’s female designer, who also happens to be a team member, could not understand the outrage, stating the color of the material…
Dear Readers, As you may have noticed, our site is going through some structural changes. 2014 was our first full year online, and we learned a lot concerning your preferences. In response, we are altering our website’s design and concept somewhat and ask for your understanding in regard to any temporary inconveniences or inconsistencies you may notice during the transition. At the beginning of the New Year, we will formally introduce our “revamped” site to you, now renamed History and Headlines. Thank you for your loyalty this past year! We ask for your patience and look forward to your continued readership and to providing you with many…