Browsing: Crime

A Brief History On September 29, 1714, Cossacks from the Russian Empire slaughtered 800 Finns on the island of Hailuoto during the Russian invasion of Finland, then part of the Swedish Empire, known as The Great Wrath. Digging Deeper Russia has long had a tumultuous relationship with their neighbors, Finland and Sweden, and this time the Russians had the upper hand, defeating Sweden in battles leading up to the massacre at Hailuoto. During 1714, Russia managed to occupy virtually all of Finland, until the end of the Great Northern War, which finally ended by the treaty of Nystad in 1721.…

A Brief History On September 28, 2008, the first Formula One night race was held, the Singapore Grand Prix.  The high-profile international auto race was won by Fernando Alonso driving for the Renault F1 team.  Later, it was discovered that Alonso’s teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr., had been ordered by team managers to deliberately cause a crash to help Alonso win the race. Digging Deeper This race would not be the first or the last time pro sports events were “fixed,” either by cheating or by deliberately losing in order to affect betting outcomes. Some other examples include the 1919 “Black…

A Brief History On September 23, 2000, journalist, author, government official, and gun control advocate, Carl Rowan, died at the age of 75.  Despite his great accomplishments, Rowan arguably died a hypocrite. Digging Deeper Of African American descent, Rowan valued education, was the Valedictorian of his high school class and went to college, graduating from Oberlin College in 1947.  He became one of the first African American commissioned officers in the US Navy and went on to a career in journalism and government service, including serving as the first African American to on the National Security Council. As a prominent…

A Brief History On September 20, 2001, US President George W. Bush addressed congress and the American people and declared a “War on Terror.”  Initial attacks against terrorist bases went well, but the war soon bogged down in Iraq, diverting the effort, and the US ended up in a 20 year occupation of Afghanistan, only for the Taliban to take over when the Americans left. Digging Deeper Some other declared wars that did not go well for the initiator include The War on Poverty, declared by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, which saw massive federal spending and creation of programs…

A Brief History On September 19, 1991, the mummified body of a man that lived around 3350 to 3105 BC was discovered in the Ötztal Alps between Austria and Italy.  The name of the mountains was used to name the mummy “Otzi,” and the long dead “iceman” became a celebrity. Digging Deeper Preserved by the snow and ice on the mountain, this Copper Age man was found to probably have been murdered, an arrowhead found in his shoulder and other wounds implying so. Otzi was found by tourists from Germany at a height of 10,530 feet.  Believing the body to…