Browsing: November 15

A Brief History On November 15, 1914, the pre-National Football League professional football world was saddened by the death of a seasoned pro, Center Harry Turner of the Canton Professionals (now there is a catchy name) of the Ohio League.  Turner was playing in a game against Akron Indians when he suffered a broken back, completely severing his spinal cord. Digging Deeper When Turner died soon afterwards in the hospital, he became the first fatality caused by injury playing in a professional football game.  Appropriately, Turner was from Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of pro football.  A real home town guy,…

A Brief History On November 15, 1942, the Heinkel He 219, often called the “Uhu,” which is German for eagle-owl, made its first flight.  A year later, the first editions became operational.  Designed from the ground up as a night fighter to combat the British night-bombing raids, the He 219 had an innovative design which incorporated air-to-air radar and the first ejection seats installed in an operational aircraft.  It was also the only German plane of World War II with tricycle-type landing gear. Digging Deeper The He 219 suffered what most German aircraft developed during World War II suffered from, that being bureaucratic infighting between various…

A Brief History On November 15, 1280, St. Albertus Magnus died, after having reportedly built an android and discovered the philosopher’s stone, but according to the faithful his body did not deteriorate and according to Mary Shelley, his writings influenced mad scientist Victor Frankenstein! Digging Deeper Dominican friar and Catholic bishop Albertus Magnus (Albert the Great) is today renowned as one of only 35 people to be designated a “Doctor” of the Catholic Church.  A polymath, Albert of Cologne may have been the greatest German philosopher and theologian of the Middle Ages, having dabbled in everything from alchemy to astrology…