Browsing: January 27

A Brief History Today, January 27th, 2021 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.  On this day, we commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust, the genocide that resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and 11 million others. Digging Deeper This playlist presents a variety of videos by myself and my colleagues on the history of anti-Semitism before, during, and after the Holocaust. The preceding videos have covered just some of the tragic history of anti-Semitism.  It is our hope that through education, we can help prevent such tragedies from occurring again. Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What can…

A Brief History On January 27, 1939, one of the great American fighter planes of World War II, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, made its first flight.  Appropriately named, the Lightning was the fastest fighter in the world at that time, being the first to exceed 400 mph in level flight.  Far from an anomaly, the P-38 was not the only important twin engine fighter plane to grace the skies during combat operation in World War II and the Korean War,  Today we look at 10 of the best 2 engine fighter aircraft from the peak of the piston powered era,…

A Brief History On January 27, 98 AD, Trajan became Emperor of Rome, succeeding his (adoptive) father Nerva as Emperor. Trajan ruled until his death in 117, a time when Rome saw its greatest military and territorial success. Digging Deeper Many readers may immediately think of Gaius Julius Caesar when the subject of “greatest Roman emperors” comes up, but in fact, Julius Caesar was not emperor, as that office did not exist at that time. The first person to be considered Emperor of Rome was Augustus, the great nephew (and adopted son) of Julius Caesar. Born Gaius Octavius, Augustus was…

A Brief History On January 27, 1973, about 11 hours before the cease fire marking the official end of American involvement in the Vietnam War, Colonel William Nolde, US Army, age 43, was killed by artillery fire at An Loc, South Vietnam.  Nolde thus became the last official US combat casualty of that war, and a footnote in history. Digging Deeper William Nolde was more than an historical footnote, however, a real life person and patriot, a husband, and a decorated soldier (veteran of the Korean War as well as Vietnam War), and had worked as a college professor at…

A Brief History On January 27, 1939, one of the great American fighter planes of World War II, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, made its first flight.  Appropriately named, the Lightning was the fastest fighter in the world at that time, being the first to exceed 400 mph in level flight. Digging Deeper The Lightning was designed by the master aircraft architect Clarence Kelly Johnson who also designed the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Conceived as a high-speed, high-altitude (44,000 feet!) interceptor, at its introduction, the twin-engine Lightning…