A Brief History On January 6, 1994, American figure skater and favorite to win the US Figure Skating Championships, Nancy Kerrigan, was attacked by two men hired by the ex-husband of her rival, Tonya Harding, beating the skater’s leg with a metal baton. In trying to clear the way for Harding in the US championships and presumably onto the Olympic team, the thugs failed to prevent Kerrigan from headlining the US Olympic figure skating team, although she was out of the US championship contest due to her injuries. Digging Deeper Athletes have been attacked, assaulted, or forcibly robbed many times,…
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A Brief History On July 31, 1715, one of those events that leads to dreams occurred, when a storm off the coast of Florida sank all 11 Spanish treasure ships heading to Spain from Cuba. Digging Deeper Carrying a load of mostly silver, the fleet has been dubbed, “The 1715 Plate Fleet,” using the Spanish word for silver, “plata.” About 1,500 sailors drowned in the catastrophe, although a few survived to tell the tale. Treasure wrecks spawn mighty efforts to find and recover the lost treasure, and the occasional washing up of some of the 1715 Fleet’s treasure on beaches…
A Brief History On July 29, 1862, female Confederate spy, Belle Boyd, was arrested by Union forces with the assistance of famed private detective Allan Pinkerton. Arrested at least six times for spying, and despite warning that she could be executed, Boyd was never executed or given long prison sentences. Digging Deeper A native of Virginia, Boyd ran afoul of Union troops when they found Confederate flags in her home. A Union soldier insulted Boyd’s mother, resulting in Boyd shooting and killing the soldier. Found not guilty of murder, Boyd went on to a career of spying, being caught and…
A Brief History On July 28, 2018, Australian yacht skipper Wendy Tuck made sailing history by becoming the first female skipper to win the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Held every two years, this epic boat race is run by Clipper Ventures that supplies 11 identical yachts to skippers and crews to compete in since 1996, with only 2004 skipped. Digging Deeper A real test of skill and endurance, all participants are required to undergo a four-week training program before the race. The same year that Wendy Tuck made sailing history, British skipper Nikki Henderson became the youngest person…
A Brief History On July 27, 1996, at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, a pipe bomb exploded killing 2 and injuring 111. The perpetrator was caught seven years later. This terrorist act is one of several Olympic incidents that go against the Olympic principles of ethics, comradery, peace, brotherhood and all that is good about humanity. Politics and hate have no place in the Olympic Games, but sometimes these factors intrude anyway. Digging Deeper Some incidents where the Olympic ideal was betrayed include: In 1972, the Munich Olympics were marred by a terrorist attack that cost 17 lives. In…