A Brief History On November 22, 1975, in the wake of the death of dictator Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos I was declared King of Spain. Currently on the throne of Spain is King Felipe VI, son of Juan Carlos. In this day and age, incredibly, we still have kings! Digging Deeper Some of those current reigning monarchs in supposedly modern countries include: Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden. Hans-Adam II, Liechtenstein. Harald V, Norway. Abdullah II, Jordan. Mohammed VI, Morocco. Henri, Luxembourg. Willem-Alexander, Netherlands. Philippe, Belgium. Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia. Rama X, Thailand. Charles III, United Kingdom and a…
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A Brief History On November 21, 2019, cutting edge technology and electric vehicle producer, Tesla, proudly demonstrated their latest gem, the Cybertruck, and its alleged unbreakable windows. This ultra-modern pickup truck was touted to have a range of 250 to 500 miles, depending on trim level, and a blistering 0 to 60 mph time of as little as 2.9 seconds. Digging Deeper The “Armor Glass” was demonstrated by having metal balls thrown at it, and both of the subject windows promptly shattered. Ridicule followed, and company CEO Elon Musk made excuses, as expected. Another window demonstration gone wrong was the…
A Brief History On November 20, 1990, serial killer Andrei Chikatilo was arrested in Rostov Oblast of the Soviet Union by undercover detectives that had been tailing him. Chikatilo eventually confessed to 56 murders and was executed in 1994. Digging Deeper Born in Ukraine in 1936, his family was starving during the Holodomor famine. Chikatilo claimed his family had to eat “grass and leaves” to survive, and that his brother was kidnapped by neighbors and cannibalized. Poverty stricken and hungry, Chikatilo was weak and constantly bullied. Usually impotent, Chikatilo found sexual release in violence toward girls. Conscripted into the Army…
A Brief History On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal in Egypt was inaugurated, providing passage to and from the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Just over 120 miles long, the canal can accommodate ships up to 254 feet wide. (Note: The author has passed through the Suez Canal four times.) Considered an incredible engineering feat at the time, we ask you what engineering marvel is the greatest? Digging Deeper Some suggestions to choose from include The Great Pyramid at Giza (2570 BC), which was built without any power equipment. The Panama Canal (1914) is 51 miles long but…
A Brief History On November 16, 1857, during the battle known as the Second Relief of Lucknow, British soldiers earned 24 Victoria Cross medals in a single day, the most in British history. Digging Deeper Lucknow, the capital of the Oudh, now called Awadh, province of India, housed a British settlement. The area was administered by the British East India Company, a situation distasteful to the local Indians. The 1857 Indian Rebellion, May 1857 to November 1858, saw rebellion against the East India Company. Lucknow, defended by 1,729 troops, was beset by 5,000 Sepoys, Indian soldiers that had been working…