A Brief History On April 3, 1885, German engineer Gottlieb Daimler had his internal combustion engine that was fueled by gasoline patented, paving the way for the development of what would become the main type of automobile engine. Digging Deeper Only 5 years later, fellow German Rudolf Diesel patented the rugged engine that bears his name, and the second most prevalent automobile engine was born. Even before Daimler and Diesel, other Germans had done pioneering work in regard to engines. Siegfried Marcus patented his version of the internal combustion engine in 1864 and later patented a type of magneto used in all…
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.
Read More
A Brief History On April 2, 1917, just a few months after being reelected President of the United States on a platform of “He kept us out of war,” Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany, proving that you cannot believe a word a politician says. Digging Deeper Wilson, more or less the “peace candidate” who had initially resisted involvement in World War I, had been the President of Princeton University and the Governor of New Jersey prior to being elected President of the United States in 1912. To this day, Wilson remains the only American president to have earned a…
A Brief History On April 1, 1939, Phil Niekro, Hall of Fame pitcher and winner of 318 major league games, was born. Together with his brother, Joe, these 2 Polish-American baseball players won more games than any other brother combination in major league history. Many other Polish-Americans have also gone on to greatness in major league baseball, and here we list some of the best or most well known (no disrespect to all the others). Digging Deeper 12. Richie Zisk, 1971 – 1983. A reliable 12-year player, Zisk once had 100 RBIs in a season and in another season had…
A Brief History On March 31, 1992, the U.S. Navy decommissioned the USS Missouri, the last of the Iowa-class battleships. The Mighty Mo, also known as BB-63, gained immortality by being the host for the signing of the Japanese surrender in World War II on September 2, 1945. The fact that President Truman was from Missouri probably had some influence on the choice of the ship for the signing! The Missouri now resides at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii as a museum/memorial ship. Digging Deeper First fielded during World War II, the Iowa class was an improvement over the South Dakota and…
A Brief History Over the years, especially in the 1960s, many hit songs have made overt or covert references to drug use. Here we list 10 of the best songs that do just that. (Note: We are not including songs just about drinking or alcohol; these will get their own list.) Please also make note that we are not promoting the illegal use of drugs or the abuse of prescription drugs. Regardless of how you feel, what songs would you have included in this list? Digging Deeper 10. “Wildwood Weed,” Jim Stafford, 1974. Kind of a fun little story song, it…