Author Major Dan

Major Dan

Major Dan 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.

Today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

By Major Dan on May 9, 2019 Health/Medicine, Lists, May 9

A Brief History On May 9, 2019, we once again celebrate a special day, National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, a “holiday” celebrated on the first Thursday of the first full week of May each year. This “holiday” was dreamed up by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, a government agency), with a stated goal of “to increase public awareness about the needs of children with serious mental illness (SMI) and severe emotional disturbance (SED) and their families, provide information on evidence-based practices, and encourage those who need help to seek treatment.” While the purpose of this…

Who Was the Longest Reigning Monarch in European History?

By Major Dan on May 7, 2019 May 7, Politics, Religion, Travel

A Brief History On May 7, 1664, King Louis XIV of France began construction on the Palace of Versailles, one of the most iconic structures in the world and the symbol of the throne of France. Today the palace and grounds are a Monument historique and UNESCO World Heritage site and remains one of the biggest tourist attractions in France, a country noted for its tourist attractions. Digging Deeper From 1682 to 1789 the Palace of Versailles was the residence of the monarch of France and the epitome of royal excess. First the home of Louis XIV, by the time…

Anthony Joshua’s Journey from Amateur Olympian to Unified Heavyweight Champ

By Major Dan on May 7, 2019 April 29, Sports

A Brief History On April 29, 2017, at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London, Anthony Joshua set a post-war crowd attendance record for boxing when becoming the unified heavyweight champion of the world. An eleventh-round stoppage of the much older Wladimir Klitschko saw British boxer Joshua unify the WBA super and IBO belts, which were both vacant, with the IBF strap. Ukrainian legend Klitschko had previously lost the first two titles to Tyson Fury. Digging Deeper The journey from amateur super-heavyweight to holding these and later the WBO championship saw Joshua take a well-trodden path using the Olympics as a…

How to Avoid Being The Ugly American When Traveling Abroad

By Major Dan on May 5, 2019 Crime, May 5, Travel

A Brief History On May 5, 1994, American teenager Michael Fay made international news when he was punished in Singapore for theft vandalism by the local custom of “caning.” The case caused outrage in the United States that one of our own 18 year old citizens could be treated with corporal punishment for a youthful prank, but the rest of the world saw the offenses of Fay as an egregious affront on the hospitality of another country. A protest by the United States got Fay’s sentence reduced from 6 strokes of the cane to only 4 strokes. Digging Deeper Michael…

May 3, 1921: When Did Sales Tax Start?

By Major Dan on May 3, 2019 May 3, Politics

A Brief History On May 3, 1921, the state legislature of West Virginia enacted the first Sales Tax in the United States, although problems in creating the mechanism to administer the tax precluded enforcement for several years. In 1930, Kentucky and Mississippi followed suit, enacting broad based sales tax, although Kentucky repealed the legislation in 1936, possibly due to the effects of the Great Depression. During the 1930’s many states jumped on the sales tax bandwagon. Digging Deeper While broad based sales tax is now common in the US and in Canada, the original application of sales tax pertained to…