A Brief History On January 17, 1873, despite fielding only 53 warriors, the Native American Modoc tribe, led by Captain Jack, defeated 104 California and Oregon volunteers* and 225 U.S. Army soldiers* who were equipped with 2 howitzers. Digging Deeper In a campaign called “The Modoc War,” also known as the “last Indian war, the U.S. tried to evict Native Americans from their territory in Oregon and California, specifically from a rocky fortress named “Captain Jack’s Stronghold.” Whereas at least 32 white men* were killed, the Modoc apparently left the battle that later became known as the “First Battle of the Stronghold” unharmed. History and Headlines Note: Captain Jack…
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 January 16, 2014, one year ago today, The Guardian, a British newspaper, reported that the American National Security Agency (NSA) had been recording billions of global telephone messages, texts, emails, and financial transactions in the name of national security. To put this information into perspective, at the time of the British article’s publication, 200 million text messages were being collected daily! Digging Deeper This mountain of data is not just being collected from foreigners but also from American citizens! Supposedly done as part of an anti-terrorism program and with the oversight of Congress, many Congressmen and Senators were…
A Brief History On January 15, 1967, professional American football history was made when the National Football League (NFL) Champion the Green Bay Packers played the American Football League (AFL) Champion the Kansas City Chiefs in an “AFL-NFL World Championship Game” that later became known as the “Super Bowl.” Digging Deeper With a score of 35 – 10, the Packers, led by quarterback Bart Starr and coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi, decisively beat the Chiefs who were led by quarterback Len Dawson and coached by Hank Stram. The game was played at a “neutral” site, the Los Angeles Coliseum, and all…
A Brief History On January 14th, medieval Christians celebrated Feast of the Ass Day, although perhaps not the type of “ass” you may be thinking of! It actually celebrated the various accounts in the Bible where a donkey (or ass) is mentioned, especially the one that supposedly carried Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt. Digging Deeper Not surprisingly, like many or even most Christian holidays, the Feast of the Ass had its origins in Paganism, being derived from the religious feast called Cervulus. During this bestial-based holy day, a ceremony often took place in which a girl with a baby (or a pregnant girl) was…
A Brief History On January 13, 1942, German test pilot Helmut Schenk successfully used an ejection seat in a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter that was being developed for the German Luftwaffe, becoming the first pilot in history to eject from a plane in such a manner. Thus, the ejection seat became one more of the many technological innovations produced by Nazi engineers during World War II in Germany’s failed effort to conquer much of the world. Digging Deeper The He 280 was never put into service as it came in second to the Messerschmitt Me 262 in the race to become the first…