A Brief History On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 flew into the annals of History when it became “The Miracle on the Hudson.” An Airbus A32-214 jet liner had just taken off from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, when the twin jet powered airliner ran straight into a flock of Canada Geese, causing both engines to fail. With no chance to return to the airport, the pilot had no choice other than to attempt a water landing (“ditching”) in the Hudson River. Digging Deeper Piloted by Chesley Sullenberger, age 57, a former US…
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 January 14, 1973, the world was treated to Aloha From Hawaii, a concert televised across the world live, in 40 European and Asian countries, via satellite (a first), that was watched by as many as a one and a half billion music fans, making it the most watched televised concert by a single performer in music/television history. The icing on the cake? The tickets for admission to the concert carried no charge! Concert goers were permitted to make whatever donation they chose (if any) as the concert was a charity event for the Kui Lee Cancer…
A Brief History On January 13, 1953, an article appeared in the Soviet newspaper, Pravda (which means “truth” in Russian, obviously some kind of joke…) that accused a large number of Jewish doctors in the USSR of plotting to poison top Soviet communist officials. The government immediately cracked down on these alleged conspirators, with hundreds of doctors losing their jobs, many being arrested and jailed. Other people of Jewish origin or bearing a Jewish sounding name were also ostracized. This travesty of justice was known as “The Doctors’ Plot.” Digging Deeper The anti-Semitic nature of the Soviet Union is puzzling,…
A Brief History On January 12, 1971, a group of conspirators dubbed by the press as “The Harrisburg Seven” were indicted on charges that they planned to blow up the steam heating tunnels to Federal buildings in the Nation’s capital, as well as to kidnap National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger. Shockingly, this group of alleged terrorists was led by radical Roman Catholic priest, Father Phillip Berrigan! Digging Deeper Berrigan was already in jail at the time of the alleged plot, serving a sentence of 3 years for entering a military draft office and burning draft cards with home made napalm. …
A Brief History On January 11. 2003, Governor George Ryan took the extraordinary step of commuting the sentences of 167 Illinois Death Row inmates to life in prison due to the scandal that had rocked the Chicago Police Department, in which Detective Jon Burge was accused of torturing confessions out of over 200 arrestees. Burge was convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury, later serving 3 years in jail for his crimes. Digging Deeper Burge, a Vietnam War veteran, had earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart while in combat. After leaving the Army, he had joined the Chicago…