A Brief History On June 25, 1906, heir to a railroad and coal fortune, Harry Kendall Thaw of Pittsburgh shot and killed famed architect Stanford White. Thaw shot the man in front of hundreds of witnesses at the theater on the rooftop of Madison Square Garden. Digging Deeper Why would Thaw throw away a life of luxury by shooting a man? For a variety of reasons, including White’s prior involvement with Thaw’s wife, the notion that White was blocking Thaw’s social climb, and due to mental illness, shown by Thaw’s successful use of the insanity defense. You may wonder why…
Read More
A Brief History On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court handed down a blockbuster ruling that would become a major bragging point for then former President Donald Trump, the overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a right all across the United States. Digging Deeper The case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization found that abortion was not a right guaranteed by the US Constitution, a 6-3 decision in which the three Trump appointees to the Supreme Court made a major difference in making that decision. Reveling in the victory of overturning Roe v.…
A Brief History On June 23, 1926, the SAT exam was administered for the first time, a test created by the College Board to predict a student’s likelihood of success in college. Going through name changes and modifications of the testing itself, the SAT has generated controversy over its usefulness as a predictor of college or workplace performance, especially in relation to cultural factors of the test takers. Digging Deeper As with any standardized test, the SAT, which once stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test then the SAT Reasoning Test before being shortened to just SAT, has…
A Brief History On June 20, 1975, the blockbuster movie, Jaws, starring a huge and hungry great white shark, was released in the US and immediately started setting box office records. The real star of the film is usually just called “Jaws,” but the movie prop actually had a name, “Bruce.” Digging Deeper While horror films have featured monsters such as semi-humans, ala Frankenstein, Dracula, and Hannibal Lecter, or even aliens or made-up monsters such as Godzilla, today, we ask you which movie monster based on actual critters is or are the most epic? Some to choose from include: King…
A Brief History On June 17, 1994, after former NFL legend OJ Simpson failed to turn himself in to authorities after promising to do so, the LAPD spotted the accused murderer being driven in a 1993 Ford Bronco down the 405 and began a low-speed chase of the suspect which was televised live for 95 million American viewers. Digging Deeper Simpson had thrilled football fans as a college and professional running back, and further entertained movie and television watchers as an actor. With an outgoing and genial persona, OJ was one of the most popular sports figures in the US.…