A Brief History On December 5, 1847, Jefferson Finis Davis of Mississippi was elected to the United States Senate. He had been appointed to the Senate by the Governor of Mississippi in August of 1847. Davis went on to serve as the US Secretary of War (1853-1857) and was reelected to the Senate in 1857, serving until he resigned in 1861 due to the onset of the American Civil War. Davis went on to the notoriety of being the only President of the Confederate States of America, the leader of a movement that would see the United States torn apart. …
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 December 4, 1829, the British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck, representative of the King of the United Kingdom in India, made a ruling that was vehemently opposed by local Indian people (presumably men) that made the traditional practice of suttee (also known as sati) illegal. This practice being outlawed was a time honored Indian tradition of a widow sits or lays on top of the funeral pyre of her husband, sacrificing herself by being incinerated along with the body of her deceased spouse. Suttee was a traditional practice in the Bengal region of India and had no…
A Brief History On December 3, 1775, the Alfred, a merchant ship purchased by the Continental Congress was commissioned under Captain Dudley Saltonstall and became the first to fly what would become the American Flag. The US Navy marks October 13, 1775, as its birthday, the day when the Continental Congress passed the resolution that created the Continental Navy, the precursor to the United States Navy. Digging Deeper The Alfred was not the first ship purchased specifically for the Continental Navy, as that honor goes to the Cabot and the Andrew Doria (not to be confused with the doomed 20th…
A Brief History On December 2, 2019, if you have not already waited in line for an hour or more, or more likely was smart and ordered yours online long ago, you may not be enjoying your wine, beer, cheese, candy, or even Hot Wheel Car from your commercially purchased Advent Calendar! What is the deal with these “Advent Calendars” you keep seeing in ads and hearing about from your friends? (Note: There are no commercial links in this article.) Digging Deeper In the Christian religions, the term “Advent” means a coming, usually regarding the coming birth of Jesus Christ…
A Brief History On December 1, 1768, the Danish ship Fredensborg sank in a storm off the coast of Norway on her return trip from a death filled delivery of slaves to St. Croix in the Caribbean. Previously we reported on “10 Infamous Ships” and today we list “10 More Infamous Ships” that either served an evil purpose or were particularly unlucky, and are remembered today with less than fond memories. As always, we invite our readers to add those nominees they think belong on such a list. (Note: the RMS Titanic and SS Edmund Fitzgerald are TOO obvious!) Digging…