A Brief History On October 6, 1976, the former dictator (Prime Minister) of Thailand, Thanom Kittikachorn, returned to Thailand after he had fled the country in 1973, which generated mass protests. The ensuing crushing of the protesters in an incident that became known as the Thammasat University Massacre made way for a military coup in which the military seized power from the elected civilian government. It is a widespread belief that countries run by the military are second rate. This article elaborates on this conception and the things dictatorships and military governments commonly do that fuel it. Digging Deeper If your country’s leader wears a military…
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 October 5, 2001, Barry Bonds hit two home runs giving him a total of 72 home runs in one baseball season and breaking Mark McGwire’s record of 70. Bonds would later be implicated in a far-reaching steroids scandal that would also include McGwire. On August 3, 2014 History and Headlines ran a list of “10 Sports Scandals,” and below we elaborate on 9 more. There seems to be a never-ending supply of these, so if you do not see your favorite, you may see it in a future list. Digging Deeper 9. Ball Four, Baseball Exposé…
A Brief History On October 4, 2010, the Ajka alumina plant in Hungary lost control of 35 million cubic feet of alumina sludge that ended up killing nine people and polluting the Danube and Marcal Rivers. Yes, it was inevitable that someone alone the line would die in alumina sludge. As Murphy’s Law states, if it can happen, it will happen. But it is unlikely that anyone actually wakes up thinking “today this will happen to me.” People are inventive and creative, and throughout history they have come up with new products, machines and techniques that also accidentally killed them.…
A Brief History On October 3, 1964, the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York first served Buffalo Wings. Most people, like many of us here at History and Headlines, celebrate this day as one of the greatest days in Food History, and some of us even made a pilgrimage to the Anchor Bar to eat the original hot wings. Of course, there are also people who refuse to believe that others eat Buffalo Wings, especially the extra extra hot ones. Just as with art, one person’s likes and preferences are not necessarily shared by the next person. Back on July 5, 2014,…
A Brief History On October 2, 1980, Michael Myers was expelled from Congress; the first person to suffer that indignity since the Civil War. Not to be confused with the murderous wacko from the Halloween movie series who is also named Michael Myers, Congressman Myers was a representative from Pennsylvania who had been caught taking a $50,000 bribe in what became known as the Abscam scandal in which the corruption of multiple U.S. politicians was exposed by the FBI. Come to think of it, the movie character is probably embarrassed to be named Michael Myers! Digging Deeper Here at History and Headlines we…