A Brief History On July 9, 1994, the world suffered the loss of another Bill, this time Bill Mosienko, a Ukrainian-Canadian former pro hockey player. Scoring a “hat trick” in an NHL record 21 seconds and being named “the most gentlemanly player in the league” by winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1945 are feats worthy of a song being sung about this Hall of Fame skater. Digging Deeper The name “Bill” appears in many notable songs, which today we list, asking you what “Bill” songs you would add? “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town,” a plea to a…
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A Brief History On July 7, 1863, the US instituted its first ever draft of young men to serve in the military, a necessity brought about by the enormous effort needed to prosecute the US Civil War. As usual, rich people were not really in danger of risking their lives, because for $300 a draftee could buy his way out of induction! Digging Deeper The US Civil War draft started a history of controversy over forced military service in the US, and infamous draft riots occurred in New York City and other Northern areas, even before the government started drafting…
A Brief History On July 6, 2022, a granite monument in Elberton, Georgia was heavily damaged by a bomb set by a vandal, leading to the dismantling of the “monument” which has not been replaced. Known as the Georgia Guidestones, the 19 foot tall stone pillars were inscribed with “guidelines” for human survivors of any imminent apocalyptic event. Digging Deeper Consisting of six slabs weighing almost a quarter million pounds total, the inscriptions contained 10 guidelines repeated in eight different languages. Completed in 1980, the monument was the subject of numerous conspiracy theories and rumors, including allegations that some sort…
A Brief History On July 5, 1994, Amazon, the internet mega-retailer, was founded by Jeff Bezos, his creation eventually making him the richest person in the world, worth $194.4 billion. Amazon provides an enormous inventory without the need for physical stores letting you shop at your desk. Digging Deeper The internet has brought incredible wealth to some people, placing them in the ranks of the wealthiest on the planet. Here are some of those folks that used the internet to their financial advantage: Elon Musk, net worth $180.7 billion, made a lot of his fortune with PayPal, an online money…
A Brief History On July 4, 1946, the Philippines became an independent country after having been under colonial rule by Spain and then the US for 381 years. Today, we look at countries that spent even more years under colonial rule than the Philippines. Digging Deeper Guyana, 387 years under Dutch then British rule, and English is the official language. Cuba, 389 years under Spanish rule. Angola, 400 years, first visited by the Portuguese in 1484 and later colonized, gaining independence in 1975. Ghana, 426 years dominated by European countries including Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain, Sweden, and Denmark! Jamaica, 454…