Browsing: July

A Brief History On July 5, 1809, the forces of the French Empire (and her allies) fought the forces of the Austrian Empire (and her allies) at Wagram, Austria, an enormous battle that cost both sides a combined 80,000 casualties and was fought between over 300,000 soldiers fielding over 1,000 pieces of artillery, making it perhaps the largest battle in European history up to its time and also the bloodiest military engagement of the entire Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars thus far. Digging Deeper The Battle of Wagram was a French victory, but a costly one. Napoleon had been distracted by…

A Brief History On July 3, 1969, Mark Sosin was fishing off Bermuda when he hooked, fought, and landed the heaviest Yellowfin Tuna ever captured by sporting methods with fly fishing tackle. His record catch of 53 pounds 6 ounces took 40 minutes of line ripping fight to finally land, put Mark and his fish in the record books for nearly 50 years now, an impressive amount of time to hold a World Record. Considering that Yellowfin Tuna can grow to weights in excess of 300 pounds, this record for fly tackle is quite possibly within reach of some lucky…

A Brief History On July 29, 1998, Caesars Windsor opened in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  It is one of four casinos in the Detroit–Windsor area.  Playing casino games is an activity that holds a timeless appeal.  Placing chips on the roulette table or getting 21 at blackjack is unlikely to ever lose its thrill. Yet, how have casinos changed in recent years? There have been some big changes in this industry. The following are a few of the important advances that have taken place in the casino industry in Canada you should know about. Digging Deeper The Rise of Online Casinos…

A Brief History This article contains links to online versions of what we consider the essential primary source readings for students of American History through the Civil War.  Please click on the title of the document to read it. Digging Deeper I. Background and Colonial Development, 1500-1763 November 11, 1620: The Mayflower Compact II. Revolutionary Era: Emergency of Democracy, 1763-1800 July 8, 1775: The Olive Branch Petition January 10, 1776: Common Sense July 4, 1776: The United States Declaration of Independence III. Expansion of American Democracy, 1800-1850 IV. Challenge to Democracy, 1850-1865 Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What is your…

A Brief History Swimsuits (or bikini, if you will) have always been popular.   While the two-piece swimsuit as a design existed in classical antiquity, the modern design first attracted public notice in Paris on July 5, 1946.  French mechanical engineer Louis Réard introduced a design he named the “bikini”, taking the name from the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.  Four days earlier, the United States had initiated its first peace-time nuclear weapons test at Bikini Atoll as part of Operation Crossroads. Réard hoped his swimsuit’s revealing style would create an “explosive commercial and cultural reaction” similar to the explosion at…