Browsing: Society

A Brief History In light of the current troubles with Islamic terrorists and our military operations in Arabic countries (Iraq, Syria, Yemen), we at History and Headlines would like to point out the contribution to American society made by just a few of the many Great Arab-Americans living here or that have made their mark on American society.  As you can see, we chose to include mostly highly visible Arab-Americans that you may be familiar with.  (Honorable mention to musician Frank Zappa who was mostly Italian, but had Greek and Arab heritage as well.) Digging Deeper 20. Danny Thomas, actor, comedian.…

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A Brief History On July 19, 1919, England celebrated Peace Day in honor of winning World War I.  Unfortunately, her veterans were not so thrilled, and expressed their unhappiness by rioting and burning down the Luton Town Hall. Digging Deeper British commoners were drafted to fight in World War I, for low pay and under horrible conditions.  Treated like cannon fodder by politicians and generals that did not understand modern warfare, they died and suffered en masse.  Soldiers with trench foot, pneumonia, and other serious illnesses were treated with contempt at recovery centers and were made to engage in physical…

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A Brief History On July 19, 1963, Joe Walker flew a North American X-15 rocket plane to a record altitude of 106 kilometers, qualifying him as an astronaut.  The X-15 rocket plane was an extraordinary aircraft, to say the least.  Over the years there have been airplanes that have stood out among the rest, for their performance, their records, their longevity or for capabilities that no planes before had mastered.  Here we list 10 of these exceptional machines, real operational planes, not fantasy experimental ones, ones that caught our attention.   Digging Deeper 10. Lockheed C-130, 1956-present. The first turboprop cargo plane…

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A Brief History On July 18, 1942, German aeronautical engineers reached a milestone in aviation history when the twin jet powered Messerschmitt Me 262 made its first flight under jet power.  Initial flights of the soon to be first successful jet warplane had been made with a regular propeller driving engine mounted on the nose of the prototype in order to test the airframe. Digging Deeper The Me 262 Swallow (“Schwalbe” in German) would become operational in April of 1944, much to the chagrin of Allied pilots.  The Me 262 boasted a top speed of 559 mph, more than 100…

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A Brief History On July 18, 1969, Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts, possibly the next Democratic presidential nominee, drove his Oldsmobile off a bridge over Chappaquiddick Creek, killing his passenger, a young woman not his wife.  This scandal mixing a woman and booze may well have cost Kennedy a chance to ever earn the Democratic presidential nomination that he felt was his.  Many times over the years famous politicians have tainted their legacies by sexual scandal, and here we list 10 of the most egregious and most famous indiscretions.  Today, when surveillance video and cell phone recording capability are…

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