A Brief History On July 14, 1789, Scottish explorer Sir Alexander Mackenzie finally reached the mouth of the river named later after him, a failed attempt to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. The Mackenzie River is the longest river in Canada, and is the second longest North American river system (to the Mississippi), flowing for 1080 miles into the Arctic Ocean. Here we list 5 North American Rivers Named After a Person. Since most rivers are not named after people, those that are drop off considerably in size/length after those listed here. Digging Deeper 1. Mackenzie River. Born in…
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 13, 100 BC, the world welcomed baby Gaius Julius Caesar into the world, the man the month of July is named after that would become dictator of Rome (but not Emperor; that came after him). Contrary to popular belief, Julius was not delivered by Caesarian Section. Legend has it that it was one of Julius’s ancestors that has that distinction, with the family name “Caesar” stemming from the Latin meaning for C-Section. Here we list 10 instances of medical conditions or procedures named after someone. Digging Deeper 1. Caesarian Section, unknown Caesar. The procedure by which…
A Brief History On July 12, 1543, King Henry VIII of England married Catherine Parr, his sixth and final wife. Henry had divorced #1, beheaded #2, #3 died, divorced #4, beheaded #5, and Catherine outlived Henry. Over the years, there have been some marriage happy people known for their many spouses. Here we list 10 of those frequently wed individuals. Digging Deeper 1. King Henry VIII of England. Obsessed with producing one or more viable male heirs to the throne, Henry kept trying to find a wife that would give him the male children he coveted. Wife #3 died from complications…
A Brief History On July 10, 1913, the verified recorded high temperature in Death Valley, California, reached a stunning and sweltering 134.4°F, the highest recorded temperature in the world accepted by scientists. Here we list 10 Amazing Weather Records, and ask you to nominate other remarkable or interesting weather data for inclusion on the list. (Of course, the data cited here is only during the brief time humans have been scientifically recording weather phenomena, and more extreme examples of weather would certainly have taken place at some other point in the 5 billion year existence of Earth.) We use Fahrenheit…
A Brief History On July 9, 1850, US President Zachary Taylor died after consuming mass quantities of fresh fruit and iced milk at a July 4th fund raising and holiday celebration. Taylor, the only President to hail from Louisiana, suffered severe abdominal distress and fever for 5 days before he died, becoming the second President to die in office (after William Henry Harrison) and leaving Vice President Millard Fillmore to finish his term as President (1850-1853). Digging Deeper Taylor represented the Whig Party, and Fillmore became the last Whig to ascend to the Presidency. Curiously, Fillmore did not appoint a…