Browsing: August

A Brief History On August 29, 1350, the English naval fleet under King Edward III defeated the Castilian fleet at the Battle of Winchelsea in the English Channel after the Castilian fleet had previously attacked and captured English trade ships.  Although not establishing naval dominance over the Spanish for good, this battle showed that the English took naval threats seriously and would meet the enemy head on to protect its ships and coastlines.  The Battle of Winchelsea precursed what would become a massive English victory against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Digging Deeper As mentioned in the introduction, the Battle of…

A Brief History On August 28, 1957, in an effort to stop the Civil Rights Act of 1957, Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina conducted a record 1-person filibuster of 24 hours and 18 minutes!  A segregationist, Thurmond is sadly only one of many U.S. politicians who have shown discriminatory tendencies and insensitivity toward women or to people belonging to other races or religions.  Here 10 such politicians are listed.   Digging Deeper 10. John McCain, Senator. (1936- 2018) The man who was nominated by the Republican Party for the 2008 presidential election said in 2004 (to reporters of all people), “I…

A Brief History On August 27, 1928, countries that were bitter enemies in World War I signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact to renounce war as a means to resolve disputes and conflicts between nations.  Within a year’s time, a total of 62 countries had signed. Digging Deeper To put 62 countries in perspective for the times, the 1928 Winter Olympics had 25 countries participating and the Summer Olympics 46. This particular treaty was named after Frank Kellogg, U.S. Secretary of State, and Aristide Briand, the French Foreign Minster.  Kellogg received the 1929 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in establishing the pact.  (History and Headlines Note:  The name “Kellogg”…

A Brief History On August 27, 1939, the first jet aircraft, the Heinkel He 178, made its first flight.  Since this airplane did not make it to regular production, many people may not be familiar with it.  Many pioneering events in aviation history are relatively unknown, at least to the lay public.  Here 10 such machines or deeds that represent firsts in aviation history are listed (Only fixed-wing, powered flights are being considered in this list.)   Digging Deeper 10. 1st Powered Flight, 1890. No, it was not by the Wright brothers!  They did, however, make the first “controlled” powered flight in 1903 for a…

A Brief History On August 26, 1883, the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa began its 2-day eruption that was so massive that its effects were felt around the world.  Krakatoa is also the name of the island the volcano is situated on.  The explosive eruption was so great that 2/3 of the island is no longer there. Digging Deeper Prior to the eruption, the island was about 9 kilometers long by 5 kilometers wide.  After the eruption, the remaining island was only 3 kilometers long by 5 kilometers wide.  The mighty blast was heard by people as much as 3,000 miles away.  There were 4…