Browsing: Society

A Brief History On May 22, 1942, Ted Williams, arguably the best baseball player of that time, joined the United States Navy Reserve and later served in the US Marine Corps as a naval aviator.  He flew the F4U Corsair but did not fly in actual combat against the Japanese as he was still on Hawaii awaiting assignment when the war ended.  Many other big name celebrities have fought for their country, and here we list 10 of them.  Some fought and gained fame, allowing them to become celebrities, while others on the list were already famous people at the…

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A Brief History On May 22, 1849, future president of the United States Abraham Lincoln was granted a patent for a device to raise boats over obstacles in a river.  He is the first and only president to have been awarded a patent.  Here we list 10 unique and interesting things done or about a president for the first or only time so far. Digging Deeper 10. None. Presidents have served in the Army, Navy and Air Force (George W. Bush, Air National Guard), but so far we have had none that was a veteran of the Marine Corps!  Obviously,…

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A Brief History On May 22, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson announced his “Great Society” program that was to end poverty and racial injustice in the United States.  His reforms did neither, as we see so evidently today.  Presidents have often failed miserably in their attempts to achieve their agendas, and here we list 10 of those losing propositions.  (Note: The order listed does not indicate importance or scale of the blunders.) Digging Deeper 10. Richard Nixon, Cover up Watergate.  Nixon’s attempt to cover up the Watergate break-in by operatives of his re-election campaign blew up in his face when tapes…

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A Brief History On May 22, 2002, Bobby Frank Cherry, former member of the Ku Klux Klan, was convicted of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. Digging Deeper The early 1960’s were a turbulent time in America, with racial integration and the civil rights movement in high gear.  As the South fought against the end of segregation, violence was used as a weapon by radicals on both sides.  The 16th Street Baptist Church had been a focal point for African-American activists, used as a meeting spot by the top ranking African-American civil rights activists and a…

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A Brief History On May 20, 1899, history’s first traffic ticket was issued to a New York cab driver, Jacob German who was zipping down Lexington Street at 12 mph.  Ever since, drivers have been arguing about traffic tickets with no real idea what the law is, just basing their beliefs on urban myths that are frequently untrue.  We list 10 of the most misunderstood facts about everyday traffic and other laws as told by a retired police captain.  (Note: laws vary from state to state and sometimes from town to town.  We know that and are trying to avoid…

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