Browsing: Humor

A Brief History On May 25, 1521, the Diet of Worms ended, resulting in the Edict of Worms which declared Martin Luther an outlaw. Not only was this “Diet” not related to what people eat or do not eat, the “Worms” portion of the title has nothing to do with the slimy critters we use as fish bait. Today we discuss 5 titles, names, or things that are just not what they seem to be at first glance. Digging Deeper 1. Diet of Worms, 1521. In this case the word “Diet” refers to an assembly of religious leaders gathered in…

A Brief History On April 17, 2018, we celebrate National Haiku Day, the day that the traditional Japanese form of poetry is celebrated. In recognition of this great “holiday,” we offer a few of our own creations. We invite our readers to compose their own Haiku poetry and share those with our other readers! Digging Deeper Remember, the Haiku form is normally consisting of 3 lines, the first line containing 5 syllables, the second line containing 7 syllables, and the third line containing 5 syllables. Rhyming is not necessary. Haiku appeared in Japan in the 1600’s, and in the US…

A Brief History On April 1, 2018, we have just 2 words for you, April Fools! This time instead of publishing a satirical spoof containing false stories, we will list 10 times real people really got fooled, either as individuals or as a group. Digging Deeper 1. US Public, War of the Worlds. On October 30, 1938, CBS radio in the United States aired a for radio adaptation of the HG Wells 1898 science fiction story, The War of the Worlds, directed and narrated by Orson Welles. In spite of periodic reminders that the program was a work of fiction,…

A Brief History On February 9, 2018, we at History and Headlines take a moment to ponder the imponderable: Where do all these “National Days” come from? We found all sorts of references to February 9th being National Toothache Day and also National Read in the Bathtub Day, but no record of when or where these “holidays” started! Digging Deeper National Toothache Day is not so ridiculous as to actually celebrate having a toothache, one of the most painful conditions known to humankind (which can also be life threatening), but rather a day to remind people of proper oral hygiene.…

A Brief History On February 1, 1796, the British government changed the capital of Upper Canada from Newark to York. Oddly named to the casual observer, the province of Upper Canada is actually the furthest South of all parts of Canada, and no, it does not have a high elevation, either. Digging Deeper Occupying the central area of British Canada (Canada became independent in 1867, and the French claimed a large portion called New France until after the Seven Years War), Upper Canada was a province that today is the southern part of Ontario, from the 1000 Islands region North…