Browsing: January

A Brief History On January 28, 1986, the U.S. space shuttle Challenger took off right on schedule, only to explode 74 seconds later, killing all seven crew members on board in front of a horrified live television audience. Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find Challenger, having made 9 previous successful flights and having traveled over 25 million miles in its career prior to the tragedy. The crew, who had planned to study Halley’s Comet as part of their mission, also included a civilian, Mrs. Sharon Christa McAuliffe.  Mrs. McAuliffe, who was from New Hampshire, had won a contest to become…

A Brief History On January 27, 1973, the United States, North Viet Nam and South Viet Nam signed a treaty in Paris, France, effectively ending direct American involvement in the Viet Nam War. Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find Viet Nam to be a country divided into a communist North and a (supposedly) democratic South. The North was allied with and supported by the U.S.S.R. and China, while the South was supported by and allied with the U.S. and some other western countries. The split had taken place after the country’s liberation from Japanese control at the end of World…

A Brief History On January 26, 1905, the South African earth gave up the largest gem-quality diamond in history! Digging Deeper Digging deeper (no, really, digging deeper!), we find the Premier Number 2 mine producing an enormous diamond of over 3,106 carats! Named the Cullinan Diamond, this gemstone was over 4 inches long before it was cut and polished into gems.  The largest of those cut gems is the 530.4-carat “Great Star of Africa” which currently has a home on the royal sceptre of England.  The Star remained the largest cut and polished diamond in the world until 1985 when…

A Brief History On January 25, 1971, Idi Amin, or more formally Idi Amin Dada Oumee,  one of the arguably most bizarre dictators in world history, ousted Milton Obote and seized power in Uganda, starting a reign of terror. Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find the African country of Uganda, a former British colony, and Amin a former soldier in the British Colonial Army. Continuing his military career as a general in the Ugandan Army after Ugandan independence in 1962, Amin first took over as commander of the Army and then as ruler of Uganda in the 1971 coup that…

A Brief History On January 24, 1972, on the U.S. territory of the island of Guam, Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi was found hiding, believing that World War II was still going on! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find an incredibly dedicated soldier discovered by 2 islanders who had captured him and presented him to American military officials. Yokoi had taken part in the 1941 invasion and capture of Guam and was fighting the losing battle when the Americans retook the island in 1944.  Yokoi did not surrender then and continued to hold out for the next 27 years, never believing the leaflets that…