A Brief History On June 22, 1990, Checkpoint Charlie, the best known crossing point between Soviet-occupied East Germany to Western-occupied West Germany was torn down, a sign that the Cold War that had threatened the world with nuclear annihilation since 1947 was drawing to an end. Here we list “10 More Symbols of the Cold War” after previously listing “10 Symbols of the Cold War,” weapons, people or other manifestations that symbolized the period from the end of World War II to the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991. (Honorable mention to the Soviet T-62 tank and the…
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 June 21, 2018, we celebrate the Summer Solstice just like our ancestors, welcoming the season of vacations, swimming pools, fishing, baseball, and barbecues. Another thing we love about Summer are the great songs about this greatest of seasons, or at least featuring “Summer” in the song. We list 10 songs we believe are either iconic as representing the genre of Summer songs or at least among our favorites. Digging Deeper 1. “A Summer Song,” Chad and Jeremy, 1964. Written by Chad Stuart with minor contributions by Jeremy Clyde (and others) this soft and beautiful song is…
A Brief History On June 20, 1943, World War II came to the American heartland when a massive race related riot broke out in Detroit. An influx of 400,000+ people from the Southern US (many of which were African American) people to work in war related industries strained the housing market and competed for jobs and resources. The mostly White European population already living in Detroit chafed at the newcomers and the newcomers did not appreciate the cold reception. Before the riot was quelled by 6000 US Army troops, 34 people had died and well over 400 were injured. Over…
A Brief History On June 19, 2016, the young star Hollywood actor Anton Yelchin died horribly when he was hit by his own car in his own driveway. The 27 year old actor had exited his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee while on his sloped driveway. The unmanned Jeep rolled back, pinning the unfortunate Yelchin against a brick pillar, squishing the actor to death. We have frequently examined the many ways that people die, with articles such as “10 More Idiotic Ways to Die,” “10 Horrible Ways to Die,” “Kings Die Young in Stupid Ways,” “10 People Who were the First…
A Brief History On June 18, 1815, the combined forces of the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard von Blucher defeated the French army at the battle of Waterloo. The battle is remembered by history not as a victory of the British and Prussians, but as a defeat for Napoleon Bonaparte, his final major defeat. Certain battles are known more for their vanquished than their victor, and in the past we published the article “10 Famous Defeats,” while today we examine “10 More Famous Defeats” but this time dealing with sporting events. Digging Deeper 1. Warriors blow 3-1 lead in NBA…