A Brief History On October 28, 2006, former heavyweight champ, Trevor Berbick, was beaten to death with a metal pipe while in a church in Jamaica. Berbick lost his first defense of his boxing title to Mike Tyson, by TKO, but apparently his murderer hit even harder than Iron Mike! Digging Deeper Many boxers have come to a premature end, about 500 due to injuries from boxing, others for various reasons. We list a few of those notably unlucky pugilists: Champion Sugar Ray Robinson killed Jimmy Doyle in a welterweight title match in 1947, In 1933, Primo Carnera pummeled Ernie…
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 October 27, 312, Emperor Constantine the Great of the Roman Empire on the eve of the Battle of Milvian Bridge is reported to have had a vision or dream of the Christian Cross, leading to his men fighting under the protection of the cross. Sure enough, Constantine beat his rival as Roman Emperor, Maxentius and won the battle, eventually turning the Roman Empire Christian. The date and whether or not the vision really happened has been argued. Digging Deeper Some other notable historic visions include: Visions of the Virgin Mary are numerous in Christian lore, most…
A Brief History On October 26, 2024, we celebrated another National Pumpkin Day, noting those orange gourds that make delicious pies, cheesecakes, and iconic Fall decorations. Not known for being particularly smart, we ask, Are Pumpkins Smarter than People? Digging Deeper Humans often think highly of themselves as somehow the epitome of evolution and master over all of the Earth, we take this opportunity to point out many cases where people are undeniably dumber than pumpkins. Some examples proving the intellectual superiority of pumpkins include: Pumpkins did not elect the politicians running our country. Pumpkins do not smoke or vape,…
A Brief History On October 25, 1854, the gallant but foolish Battle of Balaclava took place during the Crimean War, propelling the Light Brigade into immortality when Alfred, Lord Tennyson, penned his great poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade. Digging Deeper As horrible as war is, human combat has also inspired writers to create epic poems, books and even music to remember those that fought and died. Just a a few of these great works include: In Flanders Fields by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian doctor, who was lamenting the loss of life at the Second Battle of Ypres…
A Brief History On October 24, 1260, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres was dedicated. Taking about 26 years to build, the great church is on the site of previous iterations of the cathedral, going as far back as the 4th Century and having additions to the beautiful edifice through the years, and in 1979 designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The cathedral draws visitors to see the relic called the Sancta Camisa, a tunic worn by Mary when Christ was born. Digging Deeper Religious buildings often receive the highest efforts of architects and artists of their day,…