Browsing: Misconceptions

A Brief History On August 12th, 30 B.C., after the naval defeat of her and Mark Antony’s forces against those of Octavian, and in fear of the public humiliation of being dragged through Rome in chains, Cleopatra committed suicide by snake bite.  Cleopatra VII, last Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt, is one of the most written-about women in history, and she has been portrayed in numerous movies. Because she captivated and beguiled two of the most powerful men in the Roman world, it has long been assumed that she possessed beauty of epic proportions. Archaeological finds, however, indicate that this may…

A Brief History On August 9, 1945, a Boeing B-29 bomber named “Bockscar” dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan, incinerating 39,000 people within seconds.  In the following weeks, thousands more would die from exposure and their injuries, and more would keep dying from radiation-related illnesses for years to come.  The Japanese quickly surrendered after this second nuclear attack, but the question of whether or not this bomb was necessary still haunts Americans to this day. Digging Deeper “Bockscar” was part of a special B-29 unit specially trained for dropping atomic bombs.  The bombers were modified B-29s that had their bomb…

A Brief History On August 8, 1918, the Allied offensive known as the “Hundred Days Offensive” began with the start of the Battle of Amiens.  Allied forces swept 7 miles into German lines, an incredible distance when in the previous 4 years, progress had been measured in feet or yards.  The Battle of Amiens was the first in a string of victories that would carry the Allies to victory in World War I but also inevitably sow the seeds of World War II! Digging Deeper Both sides experienced tremendous effects on morale due to the huge early Allied success of the…

A Brief History On August 4, 1693, the monk Dom Peringnon is traditionally believed to have invented Champagne.  This belief is not the case, but many people still believe he did, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.  Many historical “facts” believed by the general public are simply not accurate.  On July 23 and July 24, 2014, we listed 10 such errors.  Here we list 10 more common misunderstandings.   Digging Deeper 10. General Short and Admiral Kimmel were scapegoats. The Pearl Harbor debacle was blamed on the Army and Navy commanders of the U.S. forces in Hawaii, although many people…

A Brief History On August 1, 1831, the new London bridge spanning the River Thames in central London, was completed.  Replacing a medieval stone arch bridge, the new bridge was also of stone arch construction and is what we normally think of when “London Bridge” is referred to. Digging Deeper Prior to 1176 a series of wooden bridges had spanned the Thames, but the sturdy construction of the stone bridge completed in 1176 would last over 650 years.  This “old” bridge was built with a chapel in the middle dedicated to Thomas Becket and had shops crowded along its way. …