A Brief History On September 11, 2015, the city of Mecca, the holiest city within the religion of Islam, was the scene of a horrific accident when a crane collapsed at the Masjid al-Haram, also known as The Great Mosque, killing 111 and injuring another 394 people. Digging Deeper The deadliest crane collapse in history, the deceased victims included believers from 12 different nations, as devout Muslims were preparing for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. We have previously discussed notable disasters that struck religious gatherings or places of worship, and again we ask you, “What do these disasters mean?” Do you…
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A Brief History On September 10, 1960, Abebe Bikila, representing Ethiopia, became the first ever Sub-Saharan Black African to win an Olympic Gold Medal by taking first place in the ultimate event of the Summer Olympics, the Marathon race. Digging Deeper The 26.2-mile-long Marathon is a grueling race and is possibly the premier event of the Summer Olympics, but the fact that Bikila won the race while barefoot gives this story an entirely different angle! Bikila was a last minute substitute runner and no shoes that fit were available for him, leading to his running barefoot. Nearly as incredible as…
A Brief History On September 10, 2022, we have the pleasure of reviewing a new History oriented board game for you! Called Trekking Through History, this game is different than most others and provides a unique board game playing experience for those weary of electronic video games. NOTE: Dr. Zar, the owner of this site, received a free review copy of this game for the purpose of reviewing it on his site. Dr. Zar’s father, Major Dan, is the author of this review. Digging Deeper One of the key features of the game is its “game cards,” with each card…
A Brief History On September 9, 2022, King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland gave his first speech as king. The previous day, on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died and her eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, automatically assumed the title of King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, known more simply as the United Kingdom. Digging Deeper Charles is currently 73 year old, having spent nearly his entire life preparing for the moment he became King. Charles is the oldest person to ever assume the throne in…
A Brief History On September 9, 1942, the mainland of the United States was bombed by a Japanese military aircraft when a float plane dropped incendiary bombs on Oregon near Brookings. Digging Deeper While the US avoided the devastating bombing attacks suffered by many other countries during World War II, US territory was indeed attacked, shelled and bombed outside of the continental or “contiguous” states, including the islands of Alaska. As for the mainland of America, the Oregon bombing incident, known as “The Lookout Air Raids,” conducted by a Yokosuka E14Y launched from a submarine caused minimal damage and the…