Browsing: August 19

A Brief History On August 19, 1953, United States and British covert spy agencies CIA and MI-6 overthrew the government of Iran led by democratically elected Mohammad Mossaddegh and reinstated the Shah (King), Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Digging Deeper Pahlavi had first taken power when his father abdicated during World War II.  The impetus for overthrowing the elected government by the US and Britain was not only to gain an important ally on the borders of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but also because Iran was attempting to nationalize their oil industry to the detriment of American and British…

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…

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…