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…
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 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…
A Brief History On June 30, 2009, one of those fantastic tales you think you would only see in the movies or in a fantasy novel really happened when an airliner crashed near the Indian Ocean island of Grande Comore, killing 152 of the 153 aboard the Airbus A310 jetliner. The sole survivor on the flight from Yemen to the Comoros Islands was a girl of 14 years of age, found 13 hours after the crash bobbing in the ocean while clinging to floating wreckage. Digging Deeper Yemenia Flight 626 featured an Airbus twin engine jet airliner, model Airbus A310-324,…
A Brief History On July 2, 2019, the latest Marvel superhero movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home, makes its debut across the United States. Having already premiered in Hollywood, the 27th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe already holds an incredible 91% approval rating on critical aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. (Audience scores are not yet available as of the writing of this review.) Acting performances and directing are all spot on, and of course, the special effects are indeed something special. Lots of eye candy for fans of bright, colorful eye-popping effects. Digging Deeper Once again starring Tom Holland as the…
A Brief History On June 27, 2015, the Formosa Fun Coast waterpark in Bali, New Taipei, Taiwan, experienced a massive explosion that killed 15 people and injured an additional 497. Among the injured, 199 were in critical condition. The cause of the explosion was colored corn starch powder used in a “Color Play Asia” party, a ritual of the Hindu religious festival “Holi” (“Festival of Colors.”) A performance on a music stage observed by hundreds of park goers was the setting for the disaster. Digging Deeper The recreational waterpark had been open since 1989, and was closed after the explosion. …