A Brief History On October 5, 1926, a former self described “Satanic Priest” turned Dominican lay tertiary, died at the age of 85 and was entombed in glass, dressed in the regalia of a Knight Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Digging Deeper Born in Southern Italy in 1841 to a wealthy Catholic family, Bartolo Longo went to college to become a lawyer, and was radicalized as a nationalist against the Church, turning to Satanism and being ordained as a Satanic priest. By 1871, Longo had reverted to Catholicism and became a lay leader…

A Brief History On October 4, 1957, the USSR launched its first satellite to achieve orbit around the Earth, Sputnik 1, marking the beginning of the space age. Digging Deeper The world marveled while the 184 pound satellite circled 134 to over 500 miles above and emitted a radio “beeping” signal that even amateur radio buffs could monitor.  Americans were chagrined that the Soviets could “beat” the US into space. The Soviets continued to beat the Americans with the first living mammal in space, a dog named Laika in November of 1957, then the first human in space that also…

A Brief History On October 3, 1683, Shi Lang, a naval commander representing the Qing Dynasty of China took the surrender of Tywan on the island of Taiwan.  Almost four centuries later, mainland China is still threatening Taiwan, with no sign of rapprochement Digging Deeper Ever since the Communists took over in 1949, the Chinese Nationalists that fled to Taiwan have claimed to be the legal government of China and the Communists have wanted to take over Taiwan. Rumors of Chinese plans to invade Taiwan remain, with China boasting 1.4 billion people and a military of just over two million…

A Brief History On October 2, 1864, US Army troops fought Confederate regulars and Home Guard troops at Saltville, Virginia, a Confederate victory that ended in a massacre of captured and wounded Union soldiers. Digging Deeper As hinted at by the name of the town, Saltville is the location of a major saltworks.  Salt was vital to the Confederacy for preserving meat used to feed its army.  Another notable aspect of the battle was African American US Army cavalry playing a major role in the battle. Union forces tried a dismounted attack on entrenched Confederate defenses, but CSA reinforcements arrived…

A Brief History On October 1, 2021, the international exposition known as Expo 2020 was opened in Dubai, an expo delayed by the Covid 19 pandemic since its intended opening of October 20, 2020.  Few places on Earth remained largely unaffected by the worst pandemic of recent decades, and many notable activities were greatly affected by the measures to limit the spread of the deadly virus. Digging Deeper Some other major disruptions included: The 2020 Summer Olympics were not held until July and August of 2021.  Other sporting events were either cancelled or held without spectators. School closings affected about…