A Brief History On November 5, 1895, an unlikely candidate from Rochester, New York became the first American to patent an automobile. George Selden was actually an attorney that loved to dabble in his workshop. The son of an attorney that represented suffragist Susan B. Anthony, Selden’s attorney work included representing George Eastman (the Kodak camera guy) in patent matters. Selden also patented a typewriter and a hoop making machine. Digging Deeper Selden was intrigued by the internal combustion engine displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia (built by George Brayton… Is everyone in this story named George???) The…
Browsing: November 5
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A Brief History On November 5, 1943, despite explicit orders from Allied and Axis commanders, four bombs from a bomber airplane were dropped on the Vatican. A few months later, on March 1, 1944, it happened again. Apparently during wartime, nothing is sacred. Digging Deeper The first incident was reported to be a single plane that had been circling the Vatican that night. Its identity has never been proven, with speculation that it may have been an Italian plane trying to take out the Vatican radio tower. Various theories present US, UK, German, or Italian responsibility. Despite heavy damage, no…
A Brief History On November 5, 2009, Fort Hood, Texas became the scene of the worst slaughter of U.S. military personnel at an American installation when Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist of all people, went on a murderous shooting spree that left 13 dead and 32 wounded. Digging Deeper On the morning of the fateful day, Hasan gave away his furniture and handed out copies of the Koran. He then armed himself with a 5.7 mm FN pistol, went to the Soldier Readiness Center, shouted “Allahu Akbar!” (Arabic for “God is Great”) and spent the next ten minutes shooting his comrades. Hasan…
A Brief History On November 5, 1530, The St. Felix’s Flood destroyed the city of Reimerswaal in the Netherlands and killed over 100,000 people, making it the fifth deadliest flood in human history. Digging Deeper Over the past month, we have seen one city destroyed by a tornado, another by an earthquake, and another by an army. For our fourth city to experience near total devastation, we go back to mother nature. The now lost city of Reimerswaal in the Netherlands is our victim this time around. Reimerswaal was granted city rights in 1374 during the reign of Holy Roman…
