Author: Major Dan

A Brief History On June 5, 1981, The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reported on 5 cases of a rare form of pneumonia, a form only seen in people with compromised immune systems.  These were the first documented cases of AIDS.  Many diseases, accidents, and even intentional acts of other people result in horrible deaths.  Here we list 10 of those terrible ways to die.   10. Drowning. About 400,000 people a year die from drowning (not even including natural disasters).  Like the other causes of death listed here, drowning is a terrifying and uncomfortable way to die.  So deeply ingrained…

A Brief History On June 5, 1916, Louis Brandeis was sworn in as the first Jewish Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.  Here we list 10 Jewish “firsts” of either significance or curious interest.  (Bonus: The First Jewish Oscar Winner was Paul Muni for The Story of Louis Pasteur, 1936.) Digging Deeper 10. Louis Brandeis, US Supreme Court, 1916.  Justice Brandeis paved the way for current Jewish justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.  (Making 3 of the 9 justices Jewish. The other 6 are all Catholics.) Ginsburg became the first Jewish female Justice of…

A Brief History On June 4, 1896, Henry Ford completed his Quadricycle, the first Ford automobile, which he promptly took for a test drive.  Almost 120 years later, nearly 100 million Ford cars can trace their lineage back to this humble vehicle.  Every company has to start somewhere and somehow, and here we list 10 First Products of some of these iconic companies (in no particular order). Digging Deeper 10. Ford Quadricycle, 1896.  This Granddaddy of all Fords had a 2 cylinder 4 horsepower motor, could seat 2 and rode on bicycle tires.  Steering was accomplished by a “tiller” (stick…

A Brief History On June 4, 1411, King Charles VI of France granted a monopoly to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon for the ripening of Roquefort cheese. Today, what we call “bleu cheese” is basically Roquefort cheese that is not from Roquefort, as only the cheese from that original location is allowed to bear that name. Many good things have come from France (uh-oh, do we need a sequel list?) and Roquefort/bleu cheese is just one of them. Here we list 10 of the absolute best things from France. There are so many people and things to consider any list is…

A Brief History On June 3, 1932, New York Yankee greats Lou (Henry Louis) Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri made history with their batting prowess. Gehrig became the first major league baseball player in the modern era (after 1900) to hit 4 home runs in one game, while Lazzeri became the first and only major leaguer to hit for the “natural cycle” and finish it off with a grand slam. Digging Deeper Gehrig, born in 1903 (and weighing almost 14 pounds!) was no stranger to records. Known as the Iron Horse, he played in 2130 consecutive games, a record that stood…