A Brief History On November 22, 1975, in the wake of the death of dictator Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos I was declared King of Spain. Currently on the throne of Spain is King Felipe VI, son of Juan Carlos. In this day and age, incredibly, we still have kings! Digging Deeper Some of those current reigning monarchs in supposedly modern countries include: Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden. Hans-Adam II, Liechtenstein. Harald V, Norway. Abdullah II, Jordan. Mohammed VI, Morocco. Henri, Luxembourg. Willem-Alexander, Netherlands. Philippe, Belgium. Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia. Rama X, Thailand. Charles III, United Kingdom and a…
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 November 21, 2019, cutting edge technology and electric vehicle producer, Tesla, proudly demonstrated their latest gem, the Cybertruck, and its alleged unbreakable windows. This ultra-modern pickup truck was touted to have a range of 250 to 500 miles, depending on trim level, and a blistering 0 to 60 mph time of as little as 2.9 seconds. Digging Deeper The “Armor Glass” was demonstrated by having metal balls thrown at it, and both of the subject windows promptly shattered. Ridicule followed, and company CEO Elon Musk made excuses, as expected. Another window demonstration gone wrong was the…
A Brief History On November 20, 1990, serial killer Andrei Chikatilo was arrested in Rostov Oblast of the Soviet Union by undercover detectives that had been tailing him. Chikatilo eventually confessed to 56 murders and was executed in 1994. Digging Deeper Born in Ukraine in 1936, his family was starving during the Holodomor famine. Chikatilo claimed his family had to eat “grass and leaves” to survive, and that his brother was kidnapped by neighbors and cannibalized. Poverty stricken and hungry, Chikatilo was weak and constantly bullied. Usually impotent, Chikatilo found sexual release in violence toward girls. Conscripted into the Army…
A Brief History On November 19, 1887, Emma Lazarus, the author of “The New Colossus,” a sonnet that appears on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty, died in New York city at the age of 38, possibly of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Despite her brief life, her famous poem is familiar to almost all Americans. Is it in fact the most famous American poem? Digging Deeper Here are some contenders for that title, and you can tell us if one of these poems is the most famous American verse or nominate your own in the comments section for…
A Brief History On November 18, 1996, the Channel Tunnel, or more familiarly, the Chunnel, was the scene of a terrifying event as a train carrying semi-tractor trailers, or “Heavy Goods Vehicles” as they are known in Europe, along with their drivers, caught on fire, probably due to arson. Digging Deeper The driver, or engineer, knew of the fire but planned on going through anyway, but the train stalled 12 miles into the 31 mile long tunnel. The problem quickly became apparent as thick smoke enveloped the locomotive and the passenger car. Luckily, the event did not turn into a…