A Brief History On August 5, 1861, the Federal Government of the United States instituted its first income tax to help pay for the Civil War. With a tax rate of only 3% on all income over $800, it may seem like a bargain today, but at the time it was about as popular as emptying the chamber pot. Governments have a way of irritating their people with unpopular laws, and here we list 10 such legislative actions. Some have been rescinded, while others just will not go away. Digging Deeper 10. Income Tax. Everyone seems to have their own…
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 August 4, 70 A.D., the Romans punished the rebellious Jews by destroying the Second Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In 66 A.D., the Jews had rebelled against Roman rule, and four years later, the Romans retook Jerusalem. (See our other articles about the Second Temple, Jerusalem, and Israel. These links are just some of our Jerusalem and Israel related articles. For more articles, use the search function.) Digging Deeper The original temple was built around 1000 B.C. and was known as Solomon’s Temple. After it was destroyed around 586 B.C., construction of the Second…
A Brief History On August 4, 1693, the monk Dom Peringnon is traditionally believed to have invented Champagne. This belief is not the case, but many people still believe he did, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. Many historical “facts” believed by the general public are simply not accurate. On July 23 and July 24, 2014, we listed 10 such errors. Here we list 10 more common misunderstandings. Digging Deeper 10. General Short and Admiral Kimmel were scapegoats. The Pearl Harbor debacle was blamed on the Army and Navy commanders of the U.S. forces in Hawaii, although many people…
A Brief History On August 3, 1936, James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens won the 100-meter dash at the Berlin Olympics and blazed into the record books. Owens went on to everlasting fame by winning 4 Gold Medals in those summer games, proving to Hitler and Nazi Germany that Aryans were not the “master race.” But what about the guy that came in second in that historic race? That man was Ralph Metcalfe. Digging Deeper Born in Atlanta in 1910 and raised in Chicago, Metcalfe, once co-holder of the world record for the 100-meter dash, was no slacker himself, winning silver medals…
A Brief History On August 3, 1921, the Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, reaffirmed the ban from baseball of the 8 players involved in the “Black Sox” scandal, even though they had just been acquitted in criminal court. Accused of throwing the 1919 World Series, the group included the immortal Shoeless Joe Jackson, one of the game’s most popular players. The world of sports has since been beset by scandals over the years. Here we list 10 of the most famous and most interesting cases. Which cases would you include in this list? Do we need a sequel? (Hint:…