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…
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 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…
A Brief History On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette sailed from San Francisco on an ill-fated voyage to the North Pole. Not realizing the North Pole is on completely frozen sea water, the voyage could not have been successful, but little did the sailors know just how unsuccessful the voyage would be! Digging Deeper The ill-starred ship started its career in 1861 as the HMS Pandora, a Royal Navy gunboat that patrolled the coast of West Africa for 14 years before being decommissioned and sold. A private party, Allen Young, bought the Pandora as a substantial yacht, and made…
A Brief History On July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan made history by appointing Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. While the active participation of women in politics seems common today, things were not always inclusive for women in politics. Here we list 10 major “firsts” for women in the realm of politics. (Note: As an inspiration for girls, we made sure to include the alma mater of each of these highly capable women, except Catherine I.) Digging Deeper 1. 1st Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, 1981. Sandra got her…
A Brief History On July 6, 1957, women’s tennis star Althea Gibson of Harlem, New York (born in South Carolina) became the first ever person of African ancestry to win the prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament in England. Today, we list 10 such achievements by Black (African heritage) athletes of a notable nature. (There is no importance to the order listed.) Digging Deeper 1. 1st Wimbledon Champion, Althea Gibson, 1957. Not only did Althea achieve this notable “first,” but she also had become the first Black tennis player to win a “Grand Slam” event by winning the 1956 French Open as well. …