Browsing: June 19

A Brief History On June 19, 2016, the young star Hollywood actor Anton Yelchin died horribly when he was hit by his own car in his own driveway. The 27 year old actor had exited his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee while on his sloped driveway. The unmanned Jeep rolled back, pinning the unfortunate Yelchin against a brick pillar, squishing the actor to death. We have frequently examined the many ways that people die, with articles such as “10 More Idiotic Ways to Die,” “10 Horrible Ways to Die,” “Kings Die Young in Stupid Ways,” “10 People Who were the First…

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A Brief History On June 19, 1910, the United States celebrated its first Father’s Day in Spokane, Washington (the city where my sister was born).  Other countries had been celebrating Father’s Day on March 19 since the Middle Ages, at least in Catholic countries.  Today, in the United States, we celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June each year. In honor of Father’s Day and of all the wonderful fathers in the world, we will note some significant “fathers” worthy of mention. Digging Deeper 1.  George Washington, The Father of Our Country.  Our first president and the commanding…

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A Brief History On June 19, 2016, basketball fans across the world watched as the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship for the first time in their history in a decisive Game 7 that pundits are calling the “Greatest Game 7 in NBA History.”  Lebron James led the Cavs with only the third triple double in NBA Finals Game 7 history, tossing in 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocked shots on his way to earning the 2016 Finals MVP award. Digging Deeper Cleveland History took a leap into the present with the first major league…

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A Brief History On June 19, 2009, during the Shishou Riot, Chinese authorities reminded their people that China is not a democracy.  When the body of Tu Yuangao was found outside of the Yonglong Hotel where he worked as a chef, the authorities immediately pronounced the death a suicide and sent for an ambulance to take the body away.  (Note: Our website features numerous articles about riots, including “Sports Riots Go Back Farther than You Think!,” “10 Goofy Named Riots,” “Brown Dog Riots rock London!,” “Good Grief! Another Idiotic Riot! (The Astor Place Riot),” “Peekskill Riots Follow Concert by Remarkable…

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A Brief History On June 19, 2012, Julian Assange, founder of the Internet sensation Wikileaks, sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, England.  Assange was the target of a criminal espionage investigation by the United States in conjunction with his publishing a massive quantity of US intelligence gathering secrets that he received from a disaffected US Army soldier (Bradley Manning, now known as Chelsea Manning). Digging Deeper Meanwhile, Assange was also the target of a sexual assault investigation by Sweeden and was being sought for extradition, which is the reason he pursued political asylum.  Assange claims the sex…

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