This Day in History on Health/Medicine

1939: A Groundbreaking Year in the History of Testosterone

By Major Dan on June 6, 2019 Health/Medicine, Inventions, June 6, Nature

A Brief History In 1939, German scientist Adolf Friedrich Johann Butenandt won the Noble Prize in Chemistry for his work on sex hormones, while Croatian-Swiss scientist Leopold Ruzicka co-won for his work on polymethylenes and higher terpenes. Both men had previously and independently partially synthesized testosterone from a cholesterol base. Digging Deeper Testosterone is the primary male sexual hormone in humans and is also what is called an anabolic steroid, an androgen that helps males build the heavier muscular and skeletal body mass that differentiates men from women. Testosterone keeps men healthy and strong, prevents osteoporosis and contributes to male…

How Will the World End? (10 Possible Apocalyptic Events)

By Major Dan on May 21, 2019 Health/Medicine, Lists, May 21, Nature

A Brief History On May 21, 2011, Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping had predicted that the world as we know it would end, with the return of Jesus Christ and the advent of the “Rapture,” followed by months of fire and brimstone resulting in the destruction of Earth. If you were paying attention on that date, you will note that the end of times did not in fact begin on May 21, 2011! Many people have predicted the end of the world or the end of the world as we know it, and so far, each has been wrong. We…

Today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

By Major Dan on May 9, 2019 Health/Medicine, Lists, May 9

A Brief History On May 9, 2019, we once again celebrate a special day, National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, a “holiday” celebrated on the first Thursday of the first full week of May each year. This “holiday” was dreamed up by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, a government agency), with a stated goal of “to increase public awareness about the needs of children with serious mental illness (SMI) and severe emotional disturbance (SED) and their families, provide information on evidence-based practices, and encourage those who need help to seek treatment.” While the purpose of this…

10 World Leaders that Committed Suicide

By Major Dan on April 25, 2019 April 25, Health/Medicine, Lists, Politics

A Brief History On April 25, 1644, the last of the Ming Dynasty Emperors, Zhu Youjian, known as The Chongzhen Emperor, committed suicide when his armies were unable to contain a peasant rebellion of the Manchus. Over the centuries, many leaders of countries, kingdoms, etc. have for one reason or another committed suicide, an ignoble end to the glory of leading a country or kingdom. Today we list 10 such leaders and former leaders that killed themselves. Question for Students (and others): What other notable leaders can you think of that had committed suicide? Please let us know in the…

April 16, 1990: The Origins of Dr. Death (Assisted Suicide)

By Major Dan on April 16, 2019 April 16, Crime, Health/Medicine, Politics, Religion

A Brief History On April 16, 1990, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a Michigan physician later to gain the sobriquet, “Dr. Death,” assisted in his first physician assisted suicide when he assisted a 54 year old woman that had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in the act of taking her own life. Kevorkian had made his controversial views on euthanasia and physician assisted suicide public by advertising in Detroit area newspapers, the culmination of the evolution of his medical opinions about death and how patients should be allowed to handle their own fate. Digging Deeper Dr. Kevorkian (1928-2011) was Michigan born and…