Browsing: Travel

A Brief History On August 9, 1965, the city/state of Singapore was evicted from the country of Malaysia and became the only country that became independent against their own will. Digging Deeper Established as the British Crown Colony of Singapore in 1946, Singapore, a strategically positioned island near the Straits of Malacca, possesses a fine harbor and had a strong British presence since 1819.  An important Far East British possession, Singapore was fortified to the point where it was called “The Gibraltar of the Pacific.” After World War II, the world saw the gradual independence of many formerly colonized countries,…

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A Brief History On August 1, 1620, the British ship, Speedwell, sailed from Delfshaven along with the Mayflower to bring separatists known as Pilgrims to the New World.  Alas, the Speedwell was not seaworthy and after several attempts the ship was abandoned as a transport to America and Mayflower made the voyage into history alone. Digging Deeper Speedwell was originally named Swiftsure and was built in 1577, making her a relatively old vessel at the time of the proposed voyage to America. Decommissioned by the British navy in 1605, her name was changed, and she became a commercial vessel. Her…

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A Brief History On July 25, 1909, French pilot Louis Bleriot made the first ever heavier than air powered flight across the English Channel in his Type XI monoplane, beating out several rival aviators that were competing for their place in history and also a nice prize of £1000 offered by The Daily Mail, a British newspaper.  Today we take a look at 10 notable airplane flights that have earned the airplane and its pilot and designer a place in aviation history.  Our list is one of interesting flights, not necessarily the most important or a “first.”  You are always…

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A Brief History On July 20, 1969, the promise by President John F. Kennedy that the USA would put men on the Moon came true when Apollo 11’s Lunar Module, the Eagle, landed on the surface of the Moon, with astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Astronaut Michael Collins remained in the main Apollo capsule orbiting the Moon until the 2 moon men would lift off and later rejoin him for the return to Earth. Digging Deeper About 6 and a half hours after the Eagle landed, Armstrong stepped out of the module and onto the surface of the Moon,…

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A Brief History On February 7, 1981, a Soviet airliner carrying 6 crewmen and 44 passengers crashed immediately after takeoff from Pushkin Airport near Leningrad, killing all 50 people aboard the jetliner.  Among the passengers killed, were 16 senior Soviet officers, Admirals and Generals of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, effectively decapitating one of the most powerful military units in the world.  As we have repeatedly in the past, we take another look at what we call a “Naval Oops Moment.” Digging Deeper Unlike other naval disasters we have reported on, this incident did not entail ships or even the ocean,…

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