A Brief History On October 14, 1939, German submarine U-47 captained by Gunther Prien stealthily crept into the Royal Navy’s main anchorage at Scapa Flow and sank the British battleship HMS Royal Oak, an audacious and remarkable feat of skill and daring. Military men and women have performed heroically quite often, but not as often with a truly amazing degree of skill and daring. Here we list 10 of those feats of military success that most captivate us. What military feats impress you? Digging Deeper 10. Sinking of Royal Oak, 1939. Piloting his sub into the British Navy’s back yard…
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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Digging Deeper On October 13, 1929, Joze Plecnik, Slovenian architect, revealed his memorial to Napoleon Bonaparte on the Square of the French Revolution in Ljubljana, Slovenia. A major influence on the architecture of Slovenia, Plecnik was not a favorite of the communists after World War II and fell from influence. Plecnik and others have left beautiful, imposing, or impressive memorials and monuments to remind us of those memorialized. Here we list 10 of the author’s favorites, not necessarily the most famous or biggest, but the ones that touch or impress me the most. Digging Deeper 10. Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument,…
A Brief History On October 12, 1216, King John of England capped off what had to be one of the least glorious chapters in the history of Britain by losing his crown jewels. Conducting a campaign across his country in an effort to retain his crown, some of John’s baggage train was lost in “quicksand and whirlpools” of the “Wash,” an estuary in East Anglia (a squarish bay of about 15 miles by 15 miles into which 4 major rivers flow). Digging Deeper John and his brothers, including Richard the Lionheart, later Richard I, King of England, etc., took part…
A Brief History On October 11, 1975, television audiences in the United States experienced one of those magic moments when an icon was born, as the comedy skit show, Saturday Night Live (SNL) debuted with George Carlin as host. Digging Deeper Carlin, one of history’s great comedians, and originator of “Seven words you can never say on television,” died in 2008 at age 71 of heart failure. His guests on that epic night included singer Janis Ian, singer Billy Preston, and comedian/actor Andy Kaufman. Kaufman went on to make a total of 16 SNL appearances, but tragically died in 1984 at…
A Brief History On October 10, 1967, the Outer Space Treaty, formally known as the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (we will stick to the short version!) went into effect. Digging Deeper The treaty had been signed on January 27, 1967, by the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom, while in the years since over 100 other countries have subsequently signed. The basic idea of the treaty is to declare outer space, the Moon and other celestial bodies (planets,…