A Brief History On September 14, 1814, while observing the Battle of Baltimore from a British ship, lawyer Francis Scott Key penned the poem, “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” the words that would be adapted as our (the USA) National Anthem. Commonly sung or played before sporting events and other special events, the tune is normally given the reverence reserved for those things that are greatly valued. Here we list times when the rendition of The Star Spangled Banner was performed in a way that drew criticism and ire from large chunks of the population. UPDATE: The performance of our…
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A Brief History On September 13, 1848, a railroad worker was skewered with an iron rod over an inch in diameter. He lived, and what is amazing, is the rod went right through his brain! We previously told the tale of Phineas Gage and his incredible survival, and today we list 10 such amazing stories of survival against incredible odds. (Note: These are tales of individual survival. We will do group survival another time!) Digging Deeper 1. Phineas Gage, 1848. Phineas Gage was 25-years old at the time and had been using 13-pound iron rod to tamp explosives into holes that had been bored…
A Brief History On September 8, 1761, King George III of the United Kingdom married Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Germany today, what was then the Holy Roman Empire). George himself had been born in London, England, unlike his father and grandfather (George II and George I) who were born in Hanover, Prussia (Germany). Did you know British monarchs were not necessarily British? Or that they did not necessarily speak English? If not, then you may not know some of the other things we list here today, trivial tidbits about Britain that may surprise you. Digging Deeper 1. British Monarchs not from…
A Brief History On September 7, 1776, American revolutionary Ezra Lee attempted to use a submarine called the Turtle in combat. The hand powered little one man sub did not perform as expected, and Lee was unable to attach his offensive explosive charge to a British warship. Twice in the past we have used this example and the B-32 Dominator to make a list of 10 Underperforming Weapons and 5 More Underperforming Weapons. Today we take this opportunity to list another 5 weapons that disappointed the people meant to use them. Digging Deeper 1. M-4 Sherman Tank, 1942. When the American Army…
A Brief History On September 6, 2012, former owner of the Cleveland Browns and former owner of the Baltimore Ravens, Arthur B. “Art” Modell died at the age of 87 in Baltimore. Once the toast of the town in Cleveland, Ohio, Modell became a pariah and perhaps the most hated sports figure in Cleveland History when he moved the Browns NFL franchise to Baltimore in 1995. Here we list 5 sports figures that fans in Cleveland can’t stand, hate, don’t like, or hold a grudge against. Digging Deeper 1. Art Modell. Modell bought a controlling interest in the Cleveland Browns in…