Author: Major Dan

A Brief History On July 9, 1962, the United States Defense Atomic Support Agency and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) launched a rocket from a remote Pacific Ocean island called Johnston Island (or Johnston Atoll), a rocket carrying a thermonuclear bomb (aka, Hydrogen Bomb) into space.  The Thor rocket carried a W49 thermonuclear warhead, a 1.4 megaton yield device, that was detonated 250 miles above the Earth, about 900 miles West-Southwest of the Hawaiian Islands.  The blast took place about 11 pm local time in Hawaii. Digging Deeper This particular nuclear test in space was called Starfish Prime, an operation within…

A Brief History On July 8, 1775, the Continental Congress, forerunner of what would become the government of the United States, signed the so called “Olive Branch Petition,” a last ditch effort to prevent a war of independence against Britain by the American Colonies.   Adopted by the Continental Congress on July 5th, the signing made this last effort at peace official.  The acceptance of this American overture to the British government had little chance of success, especially since the Continental Congress had already authorized the invasion of Canada and on July 6, 1775, had issued a “Declaration of the Causes…

A Brief History On July 7, 1980, the Islamic government of Iran imposed the idea of Islamic supremacy on the people of Iran, with the enacting of Sharia Law on the country, effectively making the country an Islamic State governed by the precepts of their religion.  Using the Muslim holy texts, the Quran and the Hadith, the concept of Sharia Law is based on the Divine Will of God in the form of His Divine Law, as interpreted by Islamic scholars (Islamic jurisprudence in the form of human understanding of the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad).  (Note: the “authentic” narration…

A Brief History On July 4, 1987, justice came late, but better than never, when Nazi German war criminal, Klaus Barbie, known as the “Butcher of Lyon” was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.  A member of the SS and officer of the dreaded secret police, the Gestapo, Barbie was known to personally torture prisoners while in charge of the Lyon, France, Gestapo station during World War II.  Despite fierce French animosity toward this monster, the United States intelligence apparatus helped Barbie escape Europe for Bolivia, South America, where the US used him as an anti-Marxist agent.  Barbie…

A Brief History On July 3, 1890, Idaho was admitted to the Union as the 43rd US State.  Previously, Idaho had been part of the Oregon Country, then the Oregon Territory, and then the Washington Territory before becoming a separate entity known as the Idaho Territory in 1863.  So, where does the name, Idaho, come from?  Probably from the imagination of lobbyist George M. Willing, who probably just made up the name in order to have something that sounded like an Indian name.  In fact, he claimed the name came from the Shoshonean language, variously claiming the word meant “gem…