A Brief History On September 8, 2022, the longest reigning monarch in British history, and the second longest reigning European monarch, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom has died at the age of 96. We offer our condolences to her family and the peoples of the realms over which she previously reigned. (See our other articles about Queen Elizabeth and monarchies.) Digging Deeper Born in 1926, the Queen began her reign in 1952 and has seen the British Empire shrink massively during her reign. Her eldest son, Charles, the Prince of Wales, became King with her passing. In recent years…
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.
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A Brief History On September 8, 1930, 3M, the better known name of what was the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, began selling their Scotch brand of household and office pressure sensitive tape, the transparent stuff no self-respecting school kid, office worker, or housewife would do without! (See our articles about inventions.) Digging Deeper Invented by engineer Richard Drew, the transparent cellophane tape product followed the invention of masking tape by the same man. So prevalent and iconic did the Scotch Tape brand become, that virtually all transparent tape sold in the US today is commonly referred to as “Scotch…
A Brief History On September 7, 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened to the public in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of American professional football. Digging Deeper The first class of inductees into these hallowed walls included: Red Grange, Don Hutson, Dutch Clark, Bronko Nagurski, Mel Hein, Pete Henry, Cal Hubbard, Sammy Baugh, Johnny McNally, Ernie Nevers, and Jim Thorpe, all former players in what was or became the National Football League. Additionally, a group of founders and executives or owners was also included in this first class, including George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Bert Bell, Joe Carr, Tim Mara,…
A Brief History On September 6, 2022, we celebrate National Read a Book Day, one of the truly worthwhile “days” of the year, when we are all reminded that there is more to life than television and the internet. Digging Deeper Here are a few book related facts you might find interesting: The longest book, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is Marcel Proust’s elephantine Remembrance of Things Past, boasting an incredible 9,609,000 characters, meaning letters and spaces. The Oldest Book might be The Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates back to 2100 BC, though dates on ancient books…
A Brief History On September 5, 1698, Czar Peter I of Russia (Peter the Great) enacted a tax on beards. This tax targeted the nobility in an effort to “westernize” Russia and proved highly unpopular. Many laws in the US have also been unpopular, and today we ask you to tell us which law you think is the worst law in US history, giving you some samples to choose from. Digging Deeper “Blue Laws” against Sunday business practices Income Tax in 1861 and again in 1909 with the 16th Amendment Insanity defense Mandatory use of automotive seat belts, first in…