A Brief History On January 25, 1585, Walter Raleigh, an English explorer and adventurer, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I of England, perhaps because he named a region of North America “Virginia” in honor of the Virgin Queen. Digging Deeper Helping to suppress Irish rebellion, defending England against the Spanish Armada, and being a key figure in the colonization of North America, Raleigh became somewhat of a celebrity of his time, although he also had some problems along the way. Plunked into jail for marrying without the Queen’s permission, Raleigh was released and chased after the mythical city of gold,…
Author: Major Dan
Major Dan
Major Daniel Zar is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.
Read More
A Brief History On January 24, 2023, the dreaded Doomsday Clock that charts the danger of nuclear war has been moved to within 90 seconds of “Midnight,” the ominous harbinger of nuclear disaster. Digging Deeper In case you are wondering, the Doomsday Clock is maintained by the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in order to provide a graphic depiction of their estimation of the danger of an imminent catastrophic nuclear war. The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War has pushed the world closer to nuclear Armageddon than ever before, at least in their estimation. What do you…
A Brief History On January 24, 2023, the nominations for the Academy Awards, better known as the “Oscars,” have been released! The big day of the awards ceremony will be March 12, 2023, and will honor those films released in 2022. Digging Deeper Some of our favorite major nominees include: All Quiet on the Western Front for Best Picture, Austin Butler in the title role of Elvis for Best Actor, and Michelle Yeoh for Best Actress in the frenetic Everything Everywhere All at Once. You can see trailers for each of these films below. Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What…
A Brief History On January 24, 2023, Americans celebrate National Peanut Butter Day, a day when we can savor the flavor of our favorite bread spread that lends itself to making cookies, pies, candies, and other foodstuffs. Who do we have to thank for this wonderful food? Digging Deeper It may surprise you that George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter, since he was such an influential proponent of the “Goober Pea” and is often erroneously given credit for this particular advance in eating pleasure. The ancient Aztecs and Incas made a form of peanut butter about 1000 BC,…
A Brief History On January 23, 1570, history of the infamous type was made when James Stewart, the Earl of Moray, was murdered by an assassin using a firearm. Stewart was acting as regent for the young King James VI of Scotland. Digging Deeper James VI became King of Scotland at the age of 1 year old when his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, abdicated the throne. James Stewart was himself the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. Ongoing resentment of Mary’s supporters bode ill for her successors. At the town of Linlithgow, the Earl was passing in…