A Brief History On November 19, 1887, Emma Lazarus, the author of “The New Colossus,” a sonnet that appears on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty, died in New York city at the age of 38, possibly of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Despite her brief life, her famous poem is familiar to almost all Americans. Is it in fact the most famous American poem? Digging Deeper Here are some contenders for that title, and you can tell us if one of these poems is the most famous American verse or nominate your own in the comments section for…
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A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on November 18th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On November 18, 1307, Swiss archer William Tell split an apple into two pieces on his son’s head with a well-aimed arrow. Contrary to Pat Robertson’s beliefs, on November 18, 1803, Haitians won their independence, not with the Devil’s assistance, but with their victory at The Battle of Vertières, the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution. On November 18, 1963, Bell…
A Brief History On November 18, 1996, the Channel Tunnel, or more familiarly, the Chunnel, was the scene of a terrifying event as a train carrying semi-tractor trailers, or “Heavy Goods Vehicles” as they are known in Europe, along with their drivers, caught on fire, probably due to arson. Digging Deeper The driver, or engineer, knew of the fire but planned on going through anyway, but the train stalled 12 miles into the 31 mile long tunnel. The problem quickly became apparent as thick smoke enveloped the locomotive and the passenger car. Luckily, the event did not turn into a…
A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on November 17th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On November 17, 1810, Sweden declared war on its ally the United Kingdom to begin the Anglo-Swedish War, although no fighting ever took place and there were no casualties! On November 17, 1858, Denver, Colorado, the town that bills itself as “The Mile High City” because of its elevation of 5280 feet above sea level, exactly one US mile, was founded. On…
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…