A Brief History On April 18, 1988, the US Navy retaliated against the Navy of Iran in response to the USS Samuel Roberts being damaged by a mine. Digging Deeper Iran and Iraq engaged in an 8 year war that threatened to stop the flow of oil in the Persian Gulf, something that would have catastrophic economic consequences for the US and Europe. The US Navy was escorting oil tankers through the Gulf when the USS Samuel Roberts had the misfortune to run into a mine, blowing a huge 25 foot hole in the ship. Although no US sailors were…
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 April 17, 1964, Ford rolled out the Mustang, introducing a new class of sporty car to the world! Digging Deeper Ford called the new car a 1965 model, but an adoring public will forever refer to it as a “1964 ½!” Creating a whole new category of cars that the public dubbed “pony cars,” Mustang’s layout of 2 doors with a small back seat (2+2), a short rear deck and a long hood set the standard for all the imitators. Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, AMC Javelin, Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda all tried to cash in…
A Brief History On April 17, 1897, a UFO hit a windmill and crashed, killing its pilot! Digging Deeper Reports of UFO’s across the United States occurred during the 1890’s, before there were any airplanes. The April 19, 1897 Dallas Morning News reported that 2 days earlier the UFO cited above had crashed into a windmill, with the locals disposing of the wreckage in a well and giving the alien operator a Christian burial. A later owner of the property reportedly cleared the wreckage from the well and began using the well as a water source, but developed severe medical…
A Brief History On April 16, 1457 BC, a battle was fought between the forces of the Egyptian Pharaoh and Canaanite states that chafed under Egyptian rule. Pharaoh Thutmose III strove to put down a rebellion led by the King of Kadesh to continue Egyptian hegemony over the region. Digging Deeper The significance of this battle does not lie in the implications of its effect on the ancient world, but in the wealth of historical documentation available. Megiddo is the first battle known to History to be well documented, and is the first documented incidence of the use of composite…
A Brief History On April 16, 2007, a mentally ill college student conducted a planned slaughter of classmates and faculty members before finally taking his own life. With good reason, the man would be ranked among “The Most Evil People in History”. Digging Deeper Seung-Hui Cho, age 23, a senior at Virginia Tech, was a South Korean who had emigrated to the US and was in the country legally. His middle school and high school years marked him as having mental problems, but privacy laws prevented the state or the university from being aware of his problems. Cho’s problems continued…