Browsing: September 23

A Brief History On September 23, 1913, future fighter pilot combat hero Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros of France made an aviation historic first by becoming the first pilot to fly all the way across the Mediterranean Sea, flying from St. Raphael, France to Bizerte, Tunisia.  Usually referred to by the more manageable name of Roland Garros, this aviation pioneer went on to become the first acknowledged fighter pilot hero during World War I, though unlike the popular legend, was not technically the first fighter “ace.”  Historians often point to Garros as the man that invented air to air combat…

A Brief History On September 23, 1983, The MCI Mail service was launched as the first commercial email service to use the internet.  Nowadays, it may look like big corporations have a bigger budget and, as a result, more marketing tactics and resources (designers, programmers, translators, etc.) to benefit from email marketing; however, small businesses can also capitalize on this communication channel due to its versatility and flexibility. While it may take multinational companies much time to resonate with local customers, small brands can faster build close relationships with communities through more personal communication and human-like campaigns. Let us take…

A Brief History On September 23, 2008, a Finnish murderer proved that mass shootings do occur in other “civilized” countries outside the United States, and you do NOT need a military looking or high powered weapon to commit such a heinous act.  The perpetrator, only 22 years old, was ironically a “Hospitality Management” student at the Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences in Kauhajoki, Finland.  (Note: Finland has much more restrictive gun laws than the US.  Click the Finland link for more information.)  The shootings took place at a university, meaning the mass shooting was also in fact a “school shooting,”…

A Brief History On September 23, 1917, Imperial Germany lost one of its greatest flying aces when Leutnant Werner Voss was shot down and killed over West Flanders, outnumbered 8 to 1 and refusing to run!  With 48 confirmed aerial kills, Voss was the fifth highest scoring German ace of World War I despite having a flying career that lasted less than 2 years. Digging Deeper The British opponents flying against Voss called him “The Bravest of German Pilots,” a moniker justified by the famous last flight of Voss when incredulous British pilots were stunned to have Voss repeatedly attack…

A Brief History On September 23, 1338, the English ship, Christofer (variously spelled Christopher or Christophe) went into battle at Arnemuiden armed with three cannon and one hand gun.  This battle would be the first known time in history when a ship saw combat using artillery.  This battle was also significant as the first naval battle of the Hundred Years War. Digging Deeper The English had only 5 ships  (“great carracks”) for the battle, but having cannon was a decided advantage.  The French brought a large fleet of 48 galleys, and the overwhelming numbers proved decisive.  Despite a furious battle, the…