A Brief History On June 16, 1811, the remaining crew of an American armed fur trading ship purposely blew the ship up after it had been overrun by Native Americans near Vancouver Island. Digging Deeper The wilds of Western North America were dangerous in 1811, and the Tonquin, a 3 masted ship about 94 feet long was armed with 22 guns.  Owned by fur tycoon, John Jacob Astor, Tonquin had been in the Pacific seeking to trade with Native Americans for furs. After establishing Fort Astoria in Oregon, Tonquin sailed for Vancouver Island where a dispute with Tla-o-qui-aht people resulted…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on June 15th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On June 15, 1667, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys, personal physician to King Louis XIV, performed the first human blood transfusion. On June 15, 1785, Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier (say that 10 times fast!) and his companion, Pierre Romain became the first people to die in an aircraft accident when the  hot air balloon they were flying crashed in an attempt to cross the…

A Brief History On June 15, 1858, Chancellor of the Exchequer Benjamin Disraeli called the Thames River in London, England, a “Stygian pool, reeking with ineffable and intolerable horrors.”  The growth of London as a major industrial giant had turned the river into an open sewer that became so foul the Queen and Prince Consort were forced off the waters and Parliament could not conduct business due to the stench! Digging Deeper The summer of 1858 was a hot one, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit, grossly aggravating the stench from a river that took in human and industrial waste…

A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on June 14th.  For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On June 14, 1789, the Rev. Elijah Craig first distilled whiskey from maize (corn). On June 14, 1900, the United States expanded by officially adding the territory of Hawaii to its growing empire. On June 14, 1954, Flag Day that year, President Eisenhower signed a joint resolution of Congress amending the 1942 Flag Code, adding the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. On June…

A Brief History On June 14, 1962, the European Space Research Organisation was founded in Paris, later to become the European Space Agency, now with 22 member countries.  While most focus is on the US and the Soviet/Russian space programs vis a vis the “Space Race,” other nations have joined in the endeavor to explore and exploit space. Digging Deeper As of April of 2023, only Russia, the US, and China have launched humans into space via their own vehicles, while the American private firm, SpaceX has joined the human space travel club. Along with Russia, the US, and China,…