A Brief History On March 24, 2017, Fox News ran a story about a woman in St. John’s County, Florida (Jacksonville- St. Augustine area) who has been flying an American flag with a blue stripe in the middle, a blue stripe that stands for “Blue Lives Matter.” The Blue Lives Matter sentiment is supportive of police, all police of all races and nationalities, and recognizes the danger these brave officers face daily. In today’s world, Blue Lives Matter is an attempt to remind police that they and their efforts on behalf of society are appreciated. Digging Deeper Unfortunately, the story…
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.
Read More
A Brief History On March 23, 2013, Angelenos were shocked and then amused by a surprising bit of skywriting authored by pilot and comedian Kurt Braunohler. Skywriting has been used since either 1915 or 1919, as its origins are disputed. Used for advertising or personal messages, Kurt Braunohler found a new use for the venerable media. Digging Deeper Born in 1976 in New Jersey, Braunohler became a comedian first performing in street shows (Kurtbot) and moving on to working with notable other comedians (many familiar faces from Comedy Central and The Daily Show) with the Neutrino Video Project and Hot…
A Brief History On March 22, 1872, the State of Illinois became the first state to enact a law requiring equal treatment of men and women in hiring. The rest of the United States would not find this Gender Equality under the law until Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunity provision that made it illegal to discriminate in employment hiring based on race, color, national origin, religion or sex. Note: March is Women’s History Month. Digging Deeper Exactly 100 years after the ground breaking move by Illinois, the United States Congress sent the…
A Brief History On March 21, 630, Emperor Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire returned what he believed to be the “True Cross” (the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified) to Jerusalem to its current place in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. Digging Deeper According to legend (or history), the mother of Emperor Constantine went on a holy mission to the Middle East, establishing Christian churches and aid stations for the poor along the way, searching for the Holy Sepulchre, the tomb of Jesus Christ and the True Cross. Coincidentally, in the immediate vicinity of the Holy Sepulchre is the…
A Brief History On March 20, 1985, 29 year old Libby Riddles from Madison, Wisconsin became the first woman ever to win the premier sled dog mushing race, the famed Iditarod. Digging Deeper Having moved to Alaska as a 17 year old, Libby became wild about mushing after watching her first race. Proving her abilities as a dog sled racing phenomenon, Libby won the 1978 Clines Mini Mart Sprint, the first race she competed in. Moving up to the big leagues of mushing, Libby first placed in the Iditarod in 1980 and 1981 when she finished 18th and 20th respectively. …