Browsing: Lists

A Brief History On September 3, 1783, the treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War was signed in Paris, France, thus becoming known as the Treaty of Paris.  Paris is often referred to as “The City of Light,” and many other cities have notable nicknames as well.  Here 10 are listed.  (This list is American-centric because there seem to be more nicknamed cities in the U.S. than in other parts of the world.) Digging Deeper 10. Hershey, Pennsylvania, “Chocolate City” People love chocolate, so Hershey must be one of the most beloved cities in the U.S.  The motto of the city is “The Sweetest Place…

A Brief History On September 2, 1901, the then Vice President of the United States, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt first used his famous phrase “Speak softly and carry a big stick” in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.  Presidents and other famous people have often uttered lines that has become closely associated with that person.  Here 10 of the author’s favorite utterances by famous people are listed.   Digging Deeper 10. “I am not a crook.” Richard Nixon. Twice elected vice president twice and twice elected president, and this simple line is how he is remembered.  This was one tortured, weird guy.…

A Brief History On September 1, 1952, The Old Man and the Sea, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ernest Hemmingway novel, was first published.  Many great novels have centered on ships and men at sea.  In the Marine Corps we used to say, “The difference between a fairy tale and a sea story is the fairy tale starts ′Once upon a time,′ while the sea story starts ′This is no sh*t!′ ”  Here 10 great sea stories involving the tales of sailors and seamen and their ships are listed.   Digging Deeper 10. The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk, 1951. This Pulitzer Prize-winning fictional story of…

A Brief History On September 1, 1715, King Louis XIV of France died after having ruled for 72 years, the longest reign of a king or queen of any major European country.  Many Frenchmen were born and died during his time on the throne and never knew any other monarch.  Here 10 of the longest-reigning leaders of countries or other institutions are listed, in no particular order. Digging Deeper 10. Howard Stern, “King of All Media,” 1986-Present. Howard became the soi-disant (self-proclaimed) “King of all Media” in response to Michael Jackson’s claim to be the “King of Pop.”  Stern went national in 1986 after having been fired from…

A Brief History On August 30, 1918, Fanny Kaplan fired shots at Vladimir I. Lenin, leader of the Russian Revolution and founder of the Soviet Union, wounding him.  Had Lenin died at this time and not six years later, history might well have been different.  The fairer sex has sometimes turned to violence throughout history, either in domestic situations, for political reasons, in war or for idealistic purposes.  Here 10 such murderous women are listed, in no particular order.   Digging Deeper 10. Fanny Kaplan, Assassin. Her real name was Feiga Roytblat, and she was Jewish socialist revolutionary in Russia.  Already in…