A Brief History On October 20, 1827, an international coalition of British, French, and Russian ships fought against a fleet of Turkish Ottoman and Egyptian ships in the Battle of Navarino, the last major naval battle fought by wooden sailing ships. Digging Deeper Part of the 1821 to 1829 Greek War of Independence, Navarino pitted 1,252 naval guns spread across 10 ships of the line, 10 frigates, two schooners, four sloops, and one cutter on the European side against the Ottoman fleet of 2,158 guns dispersed among three ships of the line, 17 frigates, 30 corvettes, five schooners, 28 brigs,…
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 19, 1943, a French cargo ship that had been seized by Germany in 1942, was sunk by USAAF North American B-25 Mitchell and RAF Bristol Beaufighter bombers near Crete, taking 2,098 Italian soldiers being held as POWs to a watery grave. Digging Deeper The Italians had surrendered to the Allies in September of 1943, and the Germans were faced with considerable numbers of Italian military forces alongside German forces. The Germans decided to give the Italian soldiers the choice of either serving alongside their German comrades just as before the surrender, or to assume the…
A Brief History On October 18, 2012, Marvin Lambert, known in professional wrestling as Brain Damage, was only 34 years old when he was found dead, his death believed to have been self-caused. While his passing was of course tragic, his ring name remains quite memorable as is the case with many pro wrestlers who have iconic professional names, and today we take a look at some of our favorites. Digging Deeper Andre the Giant, born André René Roussimoff, at 7 feet 4 inches and 520 pounds, he really lived up to his name by being simple, direct, and intimidating…
A Brief History On October 17, 2018, the recreational use of Marijuana was legalized in Canada. Call it Cannabis, Hemp, Pot, Weed or whatever, for decades the “herb” was illegal in most industrialized nations. Digging Deeper Going back to 1378, the Emir of the Joneima in Arabia outlawed Marijuana and its derivatives, and Napoleon did the same for the French in 1800. Other countries followed, including Mexico in 1920, Canada in 1923, Britain in 1928, and the USA in 1937. Now, almost a century later, the tide has turned, and many States and countries have legalized Weed for medical or…
A Brief History On October 16, 2008, Ohio handyman Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher was all the rage among supporters of Senator John McCain’s bid for the presidency. McCain mentioned this “average Joe” several times in the previous night’s debate, and “Joe the Plumber” became an instant national celebrity. Digging Deeper As it turned out, Wurzelbacher’s first name was not Joe, and he was not even a licensed plumber in Ohio. Wurzelbacher had told candidate Barack Obama that he was a plumber thinking about starting his own business, a patently false scenario. Joe the Plumber was not even employed at the time! …