A Brief history On January 30, 1661, Oliver Cromwell, former Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, was removed from his grave and “executed” 2 years after his death! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find Cromwell the ultimate winner of the English Civil War, having deposed the monarchy and becoming the de facto ruler of Britain. After leading the anti-royalist forces known as the Roundheads against the forces of King Charles I, known as the Cavaliers, Cromwell was among those who decided Charles I should be executed after his defeat. Charles I was executed in 1649. Cromwell was a…
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A Brief History On January 29, 1967, the “hippie” counterculture scene melded with Hare Krishna at the Mantra-Rock Dance in San Francisco, later referred to as “the ultimate high.” Digging Deeper Digging Deeper, we find San Francisco about to give birth to the Summer of Love where the drug-using, free-loving, bead-wearing, mantra-chanting, status quo-rejecting, long-haired hippie counterculture reached its peak! Amidst this atmosphere, an Indian spiritual teacher, who was eventually popular enough to be featured on an Indian stamp, had founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966. He spent much of the 1960s and 1970s spreading his message around the world.…
A Brief History On January 27, 1973, the United States, North Viet Nam and South Viet Nam signed a treaty in Paris, France, effectively ending direct American involvement in the Viet Nam War. Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find Viet Nam to be a country divided into a communist North and a (supposedly) democratic South. The North was allied with and supported by the U.S.S.R. and China, while the South was supported by and allied with the U.S. and some other western countries. The split had taken place after the country’s liberation from Japanese control at the end of World…
A Brief History On January 25, 1971, Idi Amin, or more formally Idi Amin Dada Oumee, one of the arguably most bizarre dictators in world history, ousted Milton Obote and seized power in Uganda, starting a reign of terror. Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find the African country of Uganda, a former British colony, and Amin a former soldier in the British Colonial Army. Continuing his military career as a general in the Ugandan Army after Ugandan independence in 1962, Amin first took over as commander of the Army and then as ruler of Uganda in the 1971 coup that…
A Brief History On January 24, 1972, on the U.S. territory of the island of Guam, Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi was found hiding, believing that World War II was still going on! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find an incredibly dedicated soldier discovered by 2 islanders who had captured him and presented him to American military officials. Yokoi had taken part in the 1941 invasion and capture of Guam and was fighting the losing battle when the Americans retook the island in 1944. Yokoi did not surrender then and continued to hold out for the next 27 years, never believing the leaflets that…