A Brief History On December 24, 1818, the day Christians celebrate as “Christmas Eve,” the first ever performance of the carol, “Silent Night,” was presented in Oberndorf, Austria at the church of St. Nikolaus. Our nominee for the “Greatest Christmas Carol” would be “O Holy Night,” and you are welcome to tell us which carol you believe is the “greatest.” Digging Deeper We list a few of our other favorites below: “Angels We Have Heard on High” “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” “Good King Wenceslas” “Go Tell It on the Mountain” “Masters in this Hall” Question for students (and subscribers)…
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A Brief History On December 23, 2022, we at History and Headlines would like to wish all our great viewers and subscribers a hearty and happy Festivus! Digging Deeper So what is Festivus? It is a secular pseudo-holiday first introduced on the Seinfeld television sitcom back in 1997, supposedly to compete with religious and other winter holidays. No presents are needed and no religious affiliation is attached, and celebrants are welcome to make up their own rules, though there are a few general guidelines. Some of the staples of Festivus include “The Festivus Pole” and some sort of snacks and…
A Brief History On December 22, 1965, a 70 mph speed limit was set on all British rural roads. Prior to this law, there had been no speed limit in Great Britain, a country that had the most cars per mile of road than any other country in the world. Alas, no more unlimited speed and no more bragging rights about car density. Digging Deeper Plus, the once mightiest empire on Earth is virtually gone, and the mighty Royal Navy no longer rules the seas (though it is still strong). But Britain has some great things about it, too! Great…
A Brief History On December 21, 1936, the German concept of a “schnellbomber” that could outrun most fighter planes took to the air when the prototype Junkers Ju-88 made its first flight, achieving a speed of 360 mph. Today, we look at the major belligerents of WWII and their most produced 2 engine bomber, leaving you to tell us which one was best. Digging Deeper Germany, Junkers Ju-88: 15,183 were built with a 290 mph, top speed and 3100 lbs of bomb capacity internal, plus 3000 lbs of bombs external. Defense was provided by 5 x 7.92mm machine guns Britain,…
A Brief History On December 20, 1941, the American Volunteer Group, better known by its nickname, the Flying Tigers, engaged in its first air-to-air combat when its fighters encountered 10 Japanese “Sally” bombers. Digging Deeper Flying the rugged Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, this dashing and daring band of American military pilots and support personnel had resigned from the American military to volunteer to fight for China against the Japanese aggressor. By the time of their first combat, the US was already in the war, and the AVG was disbanded by July of 1942, most of its personnel reabsorbed by the American…