A Brief History On December 1, 1984, a joint operation between NASA and the FAA conducted a “Controlled Impact Demonstration,’ a fancy way of saying purposely crashing an unoccupied jetliner. Digging Deeper The remotely controlled jet was a Boeing 720, a narrowed down version of the ubiquitous 707. A 4-engine jetliner that could carry 131 passengers, the 720 was a good representation of the airliners of the time. The doomed jet was loaded with cameras, sensors, and recording equipment, and the data derived from the intentional crash was used to develop new safety standards for airliners. Conclusions included that airliners…
Author: Major Dan
Major Dan
Major Dan 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 November 30, 1936, the Crystal Palace in London, England was destroyed by a fire. The huge iron, wood, and mostly glass building had been built for the Great Exposition of 1,851 and stretched 1851 feet long with an interior height of 128 feet. Erected in Hyde Park, after the Exposition the entire structure was dismantled and rebuilt in South London. Digging Deeper Some other significant structures destroyed by fire include: The Great Library at Alexandria, burned in 48 BC when Julius Caesar burned a fleet in the harbor that spread to the iconic library. The White…
A Brief History On November 29, 2023, we celebrate National Package Protection Day, an annual event since 2016, founded by Ring.com, a company known for doorbell cameras. We have suggestions for how to enhance package security, and you are welcome to make your own suggestions. Digging Deeper Keep track of your delivery status and be home when the package is delivered or have a friend wait for it. Do not leave packages unattended on your porch for any amount of time past a few minutes. Get a video surveillance camera, either a doorbell type or other camera. If the video…
A Brief History On November 28, 1967, British astronomers Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish discovered PSR B1919+21 in the constellation of Vulpecula, the first report of a Pulsar, a magnetized neutron star that emits “electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles.” Digging Deeper Electromagnetic radiation, similar to radio waves, can only be detected on Earth when the beam is directly pointed at the observation point. As the incredibly dense neutron star rotates at a fast, although highly regular rate, the beams are predictable and easy to track once discovered. In fact, the beams are so regular that their frequency…
A Brief History On November 27, 2020, Iranian nuclear scientist and purported head of the Iranian nuclear weapons program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh Mahabadi, was assassinated in Absard, Iran. Incredibly, the murder was carried out in a manner worthy of a Hollywood movie plot, by use of a satellite controlled autonomous gun that had been pre-staged, allegedly by Israeli operatives. Digging Deeper The Israeli and US governments both stated that neither would allow Iran to develop or control a nuclear weapon. The US is believed to have been behind a hacking attack of Iranian nuclear lab computers in 2010, as part of…
