A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on May 16th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On May 16, 218, Elagabalus was proclaimed the true emperor of Rome by his mother and grandmother. On May 16, 1770, the 14 year old Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna of the House Habsburg-Lorraine married Louis-Auguste, Dauphin (heir to the throne) of France, House of Bourbon. On May 16, 1770, the 14 year old Marie Antoinette, future Queen of France, married 15 year…
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A Brief History On May 16, 2023, Americans celebrate National Barbecue Day, something that means different things in different parts of the country. Digging Deeper In Kansas City, barbecue is beef or pork, or even chicken, that is slow roasted with a sauce of tomato and molasses base. Memphis barbecue is normally a dry rub that is cooked long and low, with a smoky finish. Texas barbecue is usually beef slow cooked in a smoker, with a dry rub for seasoning leaving a smoky taste. Carolina barbecue uses pork basted with a vinegar and ketchup type sauce, and slow cooked…
A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on May 15th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On May 15, 1718, Englishman James Puckle patented his machine gun, the world’s first! On May 15, 1718, James Puckle of England patented the first machine gun. On May 15, 1718, Mr. Puckle patented what could be considered the first machine gun. On May 15, 1848, Serfdom was abolished in the Habsburg Austrian region of Galicia, ending the slavery of peasants in…
A Brief History On May 15, 2001, a 47-car freight train in Walbridge, Ohio took off away from the train station sans engineer who had dismounted to set a switch. The train, which included tanker cars carrying hazardous flammable chemicals, traveled an incredible 66 miles before finally being stopped in Kenton, Ohio. Digging Deeper In the face of recent train derailments and disasters, this particular incident could have been much worse. In this case, no crash occurred, and nobody was killed, due to the quick thinking and courage of rail crews. The engineer did suffer minor injuries in his vain…
A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on May 14th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On May 14, 1796, English scientist Edward Jenner used pus scraped from a cowpox pustule to inoculate his gardener’s son, the first ever vaccine used. On May 14, 1816, romantically linked English authors Mary Godwin and Percy Shelley arrived at Geneva, Switzerland. On May 14, 1878, the town of Salem, Massachusetts, was fittingly (in a way) the scene of the last known…