A Brief History On August 11, 1942, sexy Actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil patented frequency hopping radio signals, the science that became WiFi, Bluetooth, and Cell Phone technology. Known for her sexy movie roles, even including nudity, Lamarr was apparently brilliant as well, as are more entertainment celebrities than you may know. Here we list 5 of those smart entertainers. (The list is in no particular order.) Digging Deeper 5. Hedy Lamarr, Actress. Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Austria, 1914, Lamarr, of Jewish background, left Germany in 1933 with the advent of the Nazi regime. She died…
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 August 10, 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War history observed the first battle between modern steel battleships in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. (A minor battle had taken place a few months prior that lasted only 20 minutes that trapped the Russians at Port Arthur.) Digging Deeper The Battle of the Yellow Sea took place between what is referred to as Pre-Dreadnought type battleships, which were being built during this time. Still, the all steel Pre-Dreadnoughts were heavily armed with a main battery of 12 inch guns that could shoot to an unprecedented range of 8…
A Brief History On August 8, 1946, the Convair B-36 Peacemaker nuclear bomber made its first flight. Later referred to as the “Billion Dollar Boondoggle” by the program’s opponents, the B-36 competed with the US Navy’s super carrier program for limited tax dollars. Digging Deeper The first bomber in the world able to carry a nuclear payload right from the start, the massive bomber also had the widest wingspan (230 feet) of any bomber in history and the most (10) engines of any mass produced airplane. When the 6 mighty 3800 horsepower (apiece!) piston powered radial engines proved inadequate for…
A Brief History The US brokered multi-country deal with Iran in July of 2015 to limit Iran’s nuclear research and delay Iranian development of a nuclear weapon has generated heated rhetoric by Israel condemning the pact, and strident criticism (mostly by Republicans) in the United States, with the US Senate poised to debate the merits of the agreement after the summer Congressional recess. Digging Deeper Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Will the US and other countries honor the agreement if Congress fails to ratify the pact? What will happen if the hard fought for agreement falls apart? If…
A Brief History On August 5, 1620, the Mayflower set out from England with another ship, the Speedwell, on its first attempt to take Pilgrims to the New World. When the Speedwell started leaking, the ships turned back for repair. Setting off again, the Speedwell again leaked and the ships returned, this time to for the Mayflower to take on Speedwell passengers and continue the Trans-Atlantic voyage alone. Digging Deeper Mayflower finally set sail for America on September 6 with 102 Pilgrims aboard (instead of the intended 65), and a crew of perhaps 25 to 30 men. Not a big…