A Brief History On July 24, 1901, short story writer, William Sydney Porter, was released from prison in Ohio after serving three years for embezzlement. You know him better by his pen name, O. Henry. Digging Deeper Many famous writers have spent time in the slam, including: Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, jailed for sedition in 1703 and again another time for anti-establishment writing. The Marquis de Sade ran afoul of sodomy laws and found himself in and out of jail, finally ending up in an insane asylum in 1801, continuing to write while locked up. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the…
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 July 22, 1942, due to wartime demands on gasoline, the US instituted a national rationing program for this fuel. World War II saw many items rationed, including fuels, tires, and even cars. But it gets worse! Digging Deeper World War II begat the issuance of ration stamps, resulting in black market and counterfeit stamps. Dog food in cans disappeared, and toothpaste tubes were limited. A national 35 mph speed limit was instituted, coffee availability was cut in half, shoes, bicycles, rubber products, many foods, coal, firewood, and medicines such as penicillin were rationed. Silk was rationed,…
A Brief History On July 21, 2012, Turkish-American adventurer Erden Eruç, completed an historic first ever human powered circumnavigation of the Earth. His official jumping off point was Bodega Bay, California on July 10, 2007, taking a rowboat across the Pacific Ocean. Digging Deeper He completed his journey around the World by rowboat, bicycle, canoe, kayak, and on foot until he reached California in 2012, the first person to accomplish the feat on his own power. The intrepid, brave, and sturdy man had traveled an incredible 41,196 miles in the 5 year odyssey, crossing the Equator twice but skipping some…
A Brief History On July 17, 1984, President Reagan signed The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, requiring all states to raise the legal age for buying alcoholic beverages from 18 to 21. The penalty for states that did not comply would be a reduction in Federal highway funds. Digging Deeper In the Vietnam War era, a shift in public opinion regarding the age when an American could be considered an adult came about largely based on the argument that if an 18 year old could fight and possibly die for his country, then surely that same 18 year…
A Brief History On July 14, 2013, a statue of Rachel Carson was erected at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, commemorating her environmental activism, including writing the book, Silent Spring in 1962 that served to alert Americans about the dangers of pesticides. Digging Deeper Many persons have done service to mankind and deserve a statue. Today, we ask you, who you would dedicate a statue to that does not already have statues in their honor? Here are some people we think are worthy of being immortalized on statues, and in any instance in which a statue already exists depicting any of these…