A Brief History On February 15, 1961, the sporting world was rocked by one of the worst disasters in sports history, the crash of Sabena Flight 548 in Belgium, killing all 72 people on board, including the entire US Figure Skating team, both competitors and coaches and even some family members. Luckily, only 1 person on the ground was also killed. Other sports teams have suffered from the catastrophic crash of airliners and buses, or even the terrorist massacre at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, but the US Figure Skating team loss was one of the first really big disasters…
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 February 14, 2019, yet another of the many Valentine’s Day massacres took place, this time in India, leaving 41 people dead and another 35 people wounded. The attack was a suicide bombing of an Indian security forces convoy in the disputed region of Kashmir (more exactly, the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, at the village of Lethpora). (See our other Valentine’s Day related articles.) Digging Deeper The Kashmir region, on the border of India and Pakistan, is a disputed area that the 2 countries have fought over ever since the division of India into sovereign…
A Brief History On February 13, 1981, an incredible 13 miles of sewers and streets in Louisville, Kentucky blew up, the explosion caused by the detonation of hexane gas vapors. Even more incredibly, no people were killed, although 4 were injured. The Louisville Sewer Explosion is exactly why we cannot trust industry to “do the right thing.” Digging Deeper Hexane gas is not your normal sewer gas that you might have heard referred to in the past, but the product of industrial waste illegally dumped by giant feed and animal food company Ralston-Purina. The Ralston-Purina plant located in Louisville processes…
A Brief History On February 12, 2020, we take a look at some of the once common things about American society that you hardly ever see anymore, people, clothes, words, and various gizmos that were once common. We have previously addressed similar subjects, so here a few more for you to ponder and perhaps fondly remember. Digging Deeper Shoe related items. Spats, Saddle Shoes, Cleats, Platform Shoes and Earth Shoes. Spats were once common, once as a protective device against mud and slush, but later as ornamental devices. Their original name was “spatterdashes” or “spatter guards.” They were usually made…
A Brief History On February 11, 2006, the sitting Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney, accidentally shot his hunting buddy, Harry Whittington, while on a managed Quail hunt. Although the birdshot loaded in Cheney’s shotgun is not particularly lethal to humans except at extremely close range, Whittington was grievously wounded when one of the tiny lead pellets went all the way to his heart, nearly killing him. This shocking incident is but one of many accidental shootings that have happened over the years, sometimes embarrassing and sometimes deadly. Today we look at a few of the accidental shootings…