A Brief History On August 17, 1966, the US Congress passed the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which in conjunction with the Highway Safety Act has greatly reduced traffic injuries and deaths in the United States. Digging Deeper In 1966, traffic deaths in the US reached a staggering 50,894, or 25.9 traffic deaths per 100,000 population, both records at the time. The creation of the National Highway Safety Bureau (later changed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and implementation of safety measures concerning the building and marking of roads, the performance and safety features of cars, and…
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 September 8, 1923, the biggest peacetime disaster in U.S. Navy history occurred when commodore Captain Edward Watson of Destroyer Squadron 11 (abbreviated as Desron 11) ignored his radio navigation device and led 9 of his 14 ships to run aground at Honda Point in the Santa Barbara Channel in California, with 7 of the Clemson-class destroyers sinking. Not only were 7 ships wrecked, the remaining 2 were left damaged, and 23 men lost their lives, with many more injured. Capt. Watson accepted blame for the disaster and was punished with the removal of his seniority. …
A Brief History On September 5, 1798, France instituted the Jourdan Law making military conscription the law of the land. Military drafts have never been popular with the masses that supply the cannon fodder and it is likely this law was no exception. Like the American and other national military drafts, this one discriminated against the poor and lower classes, leaving various exemptions available for the privileged. On September 5 and August 5 of 2014 we published lists of unpopular laws, and this time we are doing it again, with no significance to the order listed. Digging Deeper 10. Right…
A Brief History On September 4, 1888, George Eastman patented the first camera that used rolls of film and with it, the trade name Kodak. For the next 100+ years this was the way we took photographs, until digital photography has made film cameras all but obsolete. Many products that were marvels in their day have become obsolete within a matter of decades, or within 100 years or so. Here we list 10 triumphs of technology that (relatively) quickly became obsolete. Digging Deeper 10. Roll Film Camera, 1888-1988. When the first successful digital camera was developed by Fuji (the DS-1P,…
A Brief History Today, in Yemen, an accidental explosion of munitions killed 22 soldiers from the United Arab Emirates in Yemen. The soldiers are part of a joint Arab force to fight Shiite rebels. Digging Deeper Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Have you ever been to Yemen? If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons! Your readership is much appreciated! Historical Evidence For more information, please see… Human Rights Watch. All Quiet on…