A Brief History On September 14, 1814, while observing the Battle of Baltimore from a British ship, lawyer Francis Scott Key penned the poem, “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” the words that would be adapted as our (the USA) National Anthem. Commonly sung or played before sporting events and other special events, the tune is normally given the reverence reserved for those things that are greatly valued. Here we list times when the rendition of The Star Spangled Banner was performed in a way that drew criticism and ire from large chunks of the population. UPDATE: The performance of our…
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 September 13, 1848, a railroad worker was skewered with an iron rod over an inch in diameter. He lived, and what is amazing, is the rod went right through his brain! We previously told the tale of Phineas Gage and his incredible survival, and today we list 10 such amazing stories of survival against incredible odds. (Note: These are tales of individual survival. We will do group survival another time!) Digging Deeper 1. Phineas Gage, 1848. Phineas Gage was 25-years old at the time and had been using 13-pound iron rod to tamp explosives into holes that had been bored…
A Brief History On September 12, 1907, Georgian Poet and politician Prince Ilia Chavchavadze died, the victim of murder by six thugs, believed to be Bolsheviks from the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. Georgia at that time was part of Russia, and Prince Ilia was a pro-Georgian nationalist that was critical of the Social Democrats. To this day, Prince Ilia remains perhaps the most revered man in Georgia. Digging Deeper Prince Ilia had been a member of the Russian Duma, their form of legislature under the Czar. Prior to membership in the Duma, Prince Ilia was born in 1838 and…
A Brief History On September 11, 2012, the ascending aorta in the author’s chest exploded, a burst aneurism followed by a massive aorta dissection, spelling almost certain death. Incredibly, the surgeons, surgical nurses and assistants at the Cleveland Clinic performed emergency open heart and aorta surgery and saved my life, a fantastic feat with nearly no chance of success. It is unlikely any other hospital on Earth could have provided the treatment to save my life that day, with the finest cardiac and vascular surgeons and surgical teams operating at the same time! Digging Deeper The Cleveland Clinic is perhaps…
A Brief History On September 10, 2017, the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League open their regular season schedule for 2017 against arch-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to the game, a plan having Cleveland Police and EMS (Rescue Employees) officers holding an enormous US Flag while the National Anthem is played is being boycotted by Police and EMS unions angry over Browns’ management reaction to players protests during previous playing of the National Anthem. Digging Deeper In 2016, 49’rs quarterback Colin Kaepernick, an African American, decided to sit during the playing of the National Anthem before football games as a…