A Brief History On an unknown date, about the mid 2nd Millennium BC, the ancient world was rocked by one of the largest volcanic eruptions and explosions in Human history. Digging Deeper The Island of Thera, also known as Santorini was populated by people of the Minoan culture, located in the Aegean Sea north of Crete. The volcanic event was so large, that much of the island collapsed into the sea, killing virtually all inhabitants in that area and devastating nearby islands as well. This gigantic event was calculated in 1991 to have displaced over 39 cubic kilometers of dense…
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 February 1, 2016, candidate for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, won the Iowa caucus. Although Donald Trump is still leading in most polls of each state and in the national poll, Cruz’s win in Iowa makes the possibility of his gaining the Republican nomination much more likely than it was a few days ago. Digging Deeper Which begs the question, is Ted Cruz eligible to run for President of the United States? Article II of the constitution of the United States says that to be President,…
A Brief History Between January and July 332 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedon, perhaps the greatest general in the history of warfare, besieged the Phoenician island city of Tyre, a jewel in the war between the Macedonians and the Persian Empire. Located in what is now Lebanon, Tyre had defensive walls right up to the sea, making a forced landing almost impossible, especially on the landward side (East) where the wall soared 200 feet above the sea. Digging Deeper Alexander tried to negotiate a surrender of the city, to no avail, and settled in for a long blockade and…
A Brief History Whether you know this Greek Hero as Herakles, Heracles, or Hercules, and whether you picture him as played by Arnold Schwarzenneger or Kevin Sorbo, this man who has come to symbolize all that is strong and heroic did not always have it so good himself. Digging Deeper Born of the God Zeus and a mortal mother, this demi-god was hated by Hera, Queen of the Gods and wife of Zeus, although at first his true identity was hidden from Hera, who nursed him as a baby. Possessing incredible strength even then, the little Hercules sucked so hard…
A Brief History Between 415 and 413 BC a battle for Syracuse on the Island of Sicily was fought between the forces of Athens and the forces of Sparta. Athens and Sparta had been engaged in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) for control of Greece and its environs in the Mediterranean. This battle proved so debilitating to Athens that the war with Sparta was as good as lost, although Athens managed to hold on for a remarkable 10 more years. Digging Deeper Athens was the dominant city state of Northern Greece, while Sparta was the reigning heavyweight champ of Southern…