A Brief History On October 12, 1973, soon to be disgraced President Richard Nixon nominated US Representative Gerald Ford to replace Vice President Agnew who had resigned due to a criminal scandal.  Ford became Vice President without having run for that office, and in August of 1974 he ascended to the presidency, the only US President not elected either President or Vice President. Digging Deeper Ford was born Leslie King, Jr., in Nebraska in 1913, but his parents divorced less than a year later, and Ford’s name was changed when his mother remarried.  A graduate of the University of Michigan…

A Brief History On October 11, 2023, in the Middle East and around the world, many feel a sense of anxiety over what will happen next in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Digging Deeper The war began on October 7, 2023 with a combined land, air, and sea assault on Israeli territory by Hamas rockets and militants from the Palestinian controlled Gaza Strip.  The invading Palestinian terrorists attacked Israeli soldiers and civilians, massacring perhaps over 1,000 victims, wounding thousands more, and abducting perhaps hundreds in horrifying scenes of atrocities shared across various social media platforms as can be…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on October 11th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On October 11, 1138, the city that would one day become the most populous city in modern Syria, Aleppo, was hit with a catastrophic earthquake. On October 11, 1779, Polish cavalry officer and American Brigadier General, Casimir Pulaski, died of wounds incurred during the Battle of Savannah (Georgia) during the American Revolutionary War. On October 11, 1883, the heads of the major…

A Brief History On October 11, 2001, Polaroid Corporation filed for bankruptcy and a year later went out of business.  Polaroid brought us instant print photos and became a part of American culture when First Daughter Jenna Bush said her parents would “Shake it like a Polaroid picture!” referencing an Outkast song. Digging Deeper Other iconic American companies and brands have also become extinct, and we list a few of the most notable ones. Airlines, such as Braniff, Eastern, Frontier, Northwest Orient, Pan Am, and TWA, among others. Auto brands AMC, Checker, Mercury, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Plymouth, Saturn, and Studebaker, among…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on October 10th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On October 10, 1492, the famous first voyage of Christopher Columbus and his small fleet of three ships almost came to an end right at the point of “discovering” the New World. On either October 10th or November 10th, 1580, after a three-day siege, a papal army surrendered to the English in Ireland, only to be massacred. Thomas “Tom” S. Newman (October 10,…