Browsing: January

A Brief History On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as the President of Liberia, the first female to be elected head of state of any African country. Digging Deeper Sirleaf had previously served as the Minister of Finance for Liberia but had escaped to the US after a 1980 coup put Samuel Doe in charge.  Sirleaf was well acquainted with the US, having gone to college in the States, at Madison Business College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Harvard. Apparently Sirleaf must have done a good job, for she was reelected in 2011 and served…

A Brief History On January 15, 1943, the largest “office” building in the world was dedicated in Arlington County, Virginia, the Pentagon, a building that would become the symbol of the American military. Digging Deeper With five floors above ground and another two underground, the Pentagon boasts over 6.6 million square feet of floorspace.  Not until 2023 would the Pentagon’s massive floorspace be eclipsed.  Its 17.5 miles of corridors get busy foot traffic 24/7, with a workforce of 23,000 military and civilian defense workers plus another 3,000 non-defense workers. The center area is a five-acre courtyard! Built at great effort…

A Brief History On January 14, 1969, we were once again reminded how navies around the world manage to make mistakes that cost lives and even entire ships.  This time, 28 lives were lost and 314 sailors injured, but the USS Enterprise, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was not lost. Digging Deeper We have commented on naval disasters we call “Naval Oops Moments,” and this time the problem was a Zuni rocket under a jet’s wing that blew up.  The explosion destroyed that plane and caused a fire resulting in multiple explosions, destroying 15 jets and blowing holes in the deck.…

A Brief History On January 13, 1998, Alfredo Ormando committed self-immolation in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City for the purpose of protesting homophobia.  While many protestors have used setting themselves on fire to make a point, we contend that there are good as well as bad ways to protest. Digging Deeper While self-immolation grabs brief public attention, the reaction of the public is rarely sympathy with the cause, but more an impression that the protestor is mentally ill.  Some good ways of protesting include: Boycotts, which can bring pressure on business or government to change without violence,…

A Brief History On January 12, 1969, the New York Jets of the AFL beat the Baltimore Colts of the NFL, a monumental upset that spurred a merger of the two major pro football leagues.  Today, we list some of the biggest sports upsets. Digging Deeper Baseball: The 1969 “Miracle Mets” beat the Orioles to cap their miracle season. Basketball: The woeful 1972 Cleveland Cavaliers beat the record setting LA Lakers 124 to 120, an incredible upset of a team that boasted Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. Boxing: Mike Tyson got knocked out by 42 to 1 underdog “Buster” Douglas…