A Brief History It was the morning of June 26, 1968, that saw Canada welcome Pierre Trudeau as its Prime Minister, after winning the general election on the previous night. Known and beloved among Canadians for his liberal politics, his mild temperament and his unwavering commitment to Canadian unity, Trudeau made history as one of the most reasoned, intelligent, and brave politicians the country ever saw. Head of the Liberals and father of current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he inspired a wave of “Trudeaumania” before his first election and continued to serve for over 15 years from that position.…

A Brief History On November 3, 2020, the 2020 United States of America (U.S.) presidential election will be the 59th quadrennial U.S. presidential election.  The president of the U.S. is the head of state and head of government of the U.S.  The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.  This article therefore indicates the executive and military experience of the major party candidates currently running for president.  For the purpose of our table below, “executive experience” refers to holding an executive political office such as mayor or governor and…

A Brief History On June 27, 2015, the Formosa Fun Coast waterpark in Bali, New Taipei, Taiwan, experienced a massive explosion that killed 15 people and injured an additional 497.   Among the injured, 199 were in critical condition. The cause of the explosion was colored corn starch powder used in a “Color Play Asia” party, a ritual of the Hindu religious festival “Holi” (“Festival of Colors.”)  A performance on a music stage observed by hundreds of park goers was the setting for the disaster. Digging Deeper The recreational waterpark had been open since 1989, and was closed after the explosion. …

A Brief History On October 30, 1866, Fyodor Dostoevsky, one of the greatest writers in Russian literature, completed his novel The Gambler with help from his future wife, the then twenty-year-old Anna Grigoryevna Snitkina.  A writers’ work can come from various sources of inspiration, whether they are sharing their knowledge on certain topics, reflecting on specific occurrences, connecting with deep emotions or letting their imagination run wild. Perhaps the most powerful messages are those influenced by real events paired with a strong need to spread what we have to say out in the world.  Such is true for Dostoevsky, who undoubtedly put…

A Brief History On January 13, 2016, Powerball produced the largest lottery jackpot in history; the $1.586 billion jackpot was split by three tickets sold in Chino Hills, California, in Munford, Tennessee, and in Melbourne Beach, Florida.  Nevertheless, the multi-billion dollar industry around gambling certainly is not a recent phenomenon. The origins of the word come from the Middle English word, gammlen, meaning “to play, jest, be merry,”, and if you look even further back, you will find it actually started in prehistoric times.   Digging Deeper Prehistory and the ancient dynasties From the earliest cavemen calculating the odds of…