A Brief History On August 19, 1940, the B-25 Mitchell was flown for the first time. Although its service life did not extend as long as many other airplanes, this medium bomber was adapted for a huge variety of uses and configurations, making it one of the most versatile aircraft ever. Here 6 (well, okay, actually 7) such multi-purpose aircraft are listed in the order the author finds most interesting or exciting. Digging Deeper 6. De Haviland DH.98 Mosquito. Entering service in 1941 as a high-speed unarmed bomber, the Mosquito was built mostly of wood, giving it a light airframe…
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 19, 1612, three women from Samlesbury in Lancashire, England were put on trial for witchcraft. Just yesterday History and Headlines featured an article about another Lancashire witch trial. In this article, we present to you the Samlesbury witch trials and also discuss a case of five witches who were executed on the same date in Salem, Massachusetts but in 1692. Digging Deeper Accused by a 14-year old girl of practicing witchcraft, three women in Samlesbury were brought to trial. They were accused of cannibalism and of having murdered a child and were charged with “maleficium,” harm by means of…
A Brief History On August 18, 1920, the United States ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. This move gave American women the right to vote, also known as women’s suffrage. Women have always struggled to be treated as equals to men, both under the law and in common practice. Here we list 10 of the laws, inventions or events that have helped bring equality to the sexes. The emphasis is on American history. Digging Deeper 10. 1st Co-ed College in the United States (Oberlin), 1837. Not only was this Ohio college the first to admit women on a regular…
A Brief History On August 18, 1612, the trials of the “Pendle Witches” began in England. 22 years later to the day, across the Channel in France, Urbain Grandier was convicted of sorcery and burned alive. Apparently the 18th of August is not a good day to be a witch in Europe, at least not back in the 17th century. Digging Deeper The 12 accused witches of Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England were suspected of having used witchcraft to murder 10 people. One of the accused died in prison, and of the 11 who went to trial (two men and nine…
A Brief History On August 17, 1943, the U.S. 8th Air Force, the main American unit of heavy bombers stationed in England, launched 376 B-17 bombers against Schweinfurt and Regensburg in Germany, a raid that came to symbolize the dangers of unescorted bombing. Digging Deeper The ambitious plan was to attack Regensburg with 146 and Schweinfurt with 230 B-17s. The bombers were only escorted part of the way because the British Spitfires and American P-47 Thunderbolt fighters lacked the ability to cover the range. The escorting Spitfires could only accompany the bombers as far Antwerp, and the Thunderbolts could barely reach the far…