Browsing: Lifestyle

A Brief History On October 17, 1814, a bizarre incident occurred involving our favorite potable, the noble brewski.   Perhaps you have heard of drowning your sorrows in beer or some other alcoholic beverage?  Well, in London in 1814, a giant vat of beer failed, and 135,000 Imperial gallons of beer surged out, crashing into other huge vats and breaking those open as well.  A total of well over 300,000 gallons of beer flowed out of the brewery and into the street like a tidal wave, crushing or drowning at least 8 unsuspecting people in an event known to history as…

A Brief History On October 16, 1916, Margaret Sanger (nee Higgins), nurse, writer, and sexual educator opened the first family planning (birth control) clinic in the United States.  While Sanger did not invent the idea of birth control or the methods, she was an activist for preventing unwanted pregnancy and was the first person to coin the phrase, “birth control.”  Humans, unlike any other known animal, have been trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies for thousands of years and have tried a variety of methods. Digging Deeper Probably the most simple methods of birth control came after it was realized that…

A Brief History On October 15, 1888, George Lusk, the chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, received a letter purporting to be from the infamous mass murderer known as “Jack the Ripper.”  Known through history as the “From Hell Letter,” this bit of mail remains one of the most famous letters of all time.  Perhaps because the letter included a piece of human kidney from a murder victim?  Today we look at 5 letters that remain of either great historical importance or of great human interest and/or amusement.  As always, please nominate the fascinating letters you would include on such…

A Brief History On October 14, 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared a “War on Drugs,” meaning of course a war against illegal drugs.  His wife, First Lady Nancy Reagan coined the phrase, “Just Say No” in an effort to inspire the youth of America to resist the urge to use drugs illegally.  Neither the government law enforcement campaign nor the simplistic exhortation by the First Lady had much of an effect on illegal drug availability or use back then and no discernible effect on curbing illegal drug use since. Digging Deeper The 1980’s was a time when cocaine became the…

A Brief History On October 13, 1792, the cornerstone for the White House was laid in the capital city of the United States, known as Washington, D.C. (the city of Washington within the District of Columbia).  While commonly referred to as “The White House” (because it is white?), the real name of the presidential residence is the United States Executive Mansion. A well known residence throughout the world, in the US the “White House” is a term often used synonymously with “the President” or “the Administration.”  Around the world there are similar iconic residences of national leaders, and today we…