A Brief History On September 26, 2008, Yves Rossy, a Swiss former military pilot and aviation inventor, completed an aviation first by flying a jet powered wing across the English Channel. Digging Deeper A fighter pilot for the Swiss Air Force and then an airliner pilot of 747 Jumbo Jets, Rossy later invented and experimented with a variety of man portable flying machines, basically jet pack type rigs and developing carbon fiber wings mounted on his own body. Rossy’s “jet wingpack” consists of a special suit that incorporates a carbon wing of 7.9 feet and four tiny jet engines for…
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A Brief History On September 25, 1066, Harald III of Norway, aka Harald Hardrada, aka the “Thunderbolt of the North,” died a Viking’s death in battle at the Stamford Bridge in England, at the hands of the last Anglo-Saxon crowned King of England, Harold Godwinson. Digging Deeper As depicted in the semi-historical cable show, Vikings: Valhalla, the game of thrones played by the Vikings in Scandinavia, all around Europe, Britain, and as far as the Byzantine Empire was a violent exercise in subterfuge and betrayal, often resulting in violent death for those players who aspired after the various thrones. Harald…
A Brief History On September 24, 1929, American hero, James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle made aviation history by becoming the first pilot to take off, fly and land an airplane with no visual contact with the outside, proving that flying “blind” with instruments only was possible. Digging Deeper You may be aware of Doolittle’s most famous exploit, his leading a raid of 16 B-25 bombers off the carrier USS Hornet to bomb Japan in 1942, which earned him the Medal of Honor. Doolittle became an Army pilot during World War I, and between the wars he became a test pilot and…
A Brief History On September 23, 1981, Hollywood lost one of its iconic actors when Chief Dan George died at the age of 82. Born Geswanouth Slahoot to the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in Canada, he was the chief of his band from 1951 to 1963, giving his anglicized name credibility. Digging Deeper George is one of many Native Americans to find success on TV and in movies, another being Julia Jones, of Choctaw and Chickasaw heritage. A veteran of about 20 movies and several TV shows, she has had roles in the Twilight movie series and the Dexter: New Blood cable…
A Brief History On September 22, 2015, baseball legend, Lawrence Peter Berra, better known as Yogi, died in his sleep at the age of 90. Digging Deeper One of the greatest catchers in baseball history, Berra slugged 358 home runs and batted .285 over his 19 year MLB career. On a record 10 winning World Series teams, he was the AL MVP a record three times. An 18 time All Star, Berra was one of the best defensive catchers and pitcher handlers of all time. Berra also made his mark as a manager, leading the Yankees in 1964 and 1984-85.…