Author: Major Dan

A Brief History On October 27, 2004, the Boston Red Sox ended a World Series victory drought that went back to 1918, an incredible 86 years between Major League triumphs.  Over those many decades of frustration, rabid Red Sox fans often cited the unfortunate deal that sent Babe Ruth, arguably the greatest baseball player of all time from the Sox to the hated New York Yankees, ushering in a dynasty of Yankee success that has been unparalleled in Major League history. Digging Deeper Babe Ruth, or George Herman Ruth, was a great pitcher for the Red Sox, having won 24…

A Brief History On October 24, 1871, a number of Chinese immigrants to the United States (perhaps 17 to 20) were lynched in Los Angeles, California, the victims hanged by the neck until dead by a mob of White and Hispanic Americans.  The mob had heard that a Chinese man or men had shot a lawman and killed a rancher assisting that lawman while trying to effect the arrest of a Chinese man in the Chinatown section of LA known as “Calle de los Negros” (Street of the Blacks).  We previously discussed lynching in the United States, but recent events…

A Brief History On October 23, 2019, our nation (the United States) celebrates another National Boston Cream Pie Day.  The delicious concoction with its own “holiday” is just one of several eating or drinking items named for the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and we use this opportunity to explore some of the things Boston is famous for.  What other things can you think of that are either named for Bean Town or famously associated with Boston?  (Yeah, we know, they talk funny there…) (Honorable mention: The rock group, Boston, and the dog breed, Boston Terrier.) Digging Deeper 1. Boston Cream…

A Brief History On October 22, 1983, the Federal Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois was the scene of a tragedy when inmates overpowered and killed two corrections officers in two separate incidents.  This terrible incident resulted in the concept of the “Supermax” prison, short for “super-maximum security” in the United States Federal prison system (Bureau of Prisons).  The idea is to provide secure housing for the “worst of the worst,” prisoners that are either so dangerous, represent such a tempting target to assassins, extreme escape risks, or ones that are a danger to national and/or international security. Digging Deeper The “supermax”…

A Brief History On October 21, 1966, at 9:15 in the morning, the little Welsh village of Aberfan was the scene of a bizarre disaster that combined natural and man-made elements that resulted in the deaths of 116 children and 28 adults.  The event, known as “The Aberfan Disaster,” was caused by the sudden failure of a “spoil tip” at the local coal mining yard. Digging Deeper (For those unfamiliar with such lingo, a “spoil tip,” also known as a “culm bank,” “boney pile,” or “gob pile,” is a waste area where the unwanted residue of coal mining operations is…