Browsing: Society

A Brief History On May 23, 1701, Scottish Captain William Kidd was hanged in London for piracy and murder. Captain Kidd is one of the better known pirates, and here we list 10 of the most famous or infamous of them all. For today, we will stick to real people, so Captain Hook and Long John Silver will have to wait for a fictional list. Digging Deeper 10. Anne Dieu-le-Veut. The last name is actually a sobriquet meaning “God wills it” or “God Wants.” She was given this nickname because it seemed she achieved everything she tried. Sent to Tortuga…

A Brief History On May 23, 1934, waiting policemen ambushed notorious robbers and murderers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, filling them and their stolen car full of holes.  Bonnie was not quite 24 years old and Clyde was only 25, but at the time they were the most famous outlaws in the United States. Digging Deeper Blazing a trail of crime from 1932 to 1934, the couple and their gang had robbed about 12 banks, many stores and gas stations and had killed 9 police officers and a handful of civilians in the process. Both of these career criminals were born in Texas,…

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…

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,…

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…