Browsing: January 17

A Brief History On January 17, 1977, an otherwise unremarkable murderer, Gary Gilmore, became famous when he was executed by firing squad by the State of Utah.  Gilmore, born Faye Robert Coffman, was the first person executed in the United States after nearly a decade long hiatus mandated by the US Supreme Court decision in Furman v. Georgia in 1972 that held capital punishment as practiced in the US was “cruel and unusual.” Digging Deeper Gilmore was notable for insisting on being executed, and for demanding that he face a firing squad of five police officers armed with 30-30 caliber…

A Brief History On September 7, 1978, a Bulgarian secret agent assassinated Bulgarian dissident, Georgi Markov, as the unfortunate man was strolling across the Waterloo Bridge in London.  The novel means of committing this murder was firing or jabbing a poison Ricin pellet from a specially adapted umbrella.  Markov thought little of the minor sting at the time but died four days later. Digging Deeper Some other unusual methods or weapons used in assassinations include: Edward II, King of England, had a red hot fireplace poker shoved up his butt in 1327. Alexander Litvinenko was the first ever murder victim…

A Brief History On January 17, 2017, the sad saga of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 came to an end of sorts, when authorities announced an end to the futile search for the lost airliner.  The fact that we still cannot find the huge Boeing 777 jetliner in this modern era is amazing, but the incident fits with other airplane disappearances, some which we list here: Digging Deeper Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Model 10-E Electra that disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. Bandleader Glenn Miller in a US Army Noorduyn UC-64A over the English Chanel in 1944. Flight 19 of five…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on January 17th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On January 17, 1873, despite fielding only 53 warriors, the Native American Modoc tribe, led by Captain Jack, defeated 104 California and Oregon volunteers* and 225 U.S. Army soldiers* who were equipped with 2 howitzers. On January 17, 1917, the United States added another real estate coup to its already impressive history of buying land at a bargain when the Virgin Islands were purchased…

A Brief History On January 17, 2013, renowned American cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted on Oprah’s Next Chapter, a prime time television show, that he was, as suspected and accused, a cheater that won 7 consecutive Tour de France bicycle races through the assistance of banned drugs. Digging Deeper Professional and amateur athletes have been using performance enhancing drugs for decades now, including stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines and a variety of hormones, usually characterized as “steroids.”  Other banned substances include “blood doping” agents that increase the ability of blood to carry oxygen and even gene manipulation to enhance performance. …