A Brief History On January 13, 1953, an article appeared in the Soviet newspaper, Pravda (which means “truth” in Russian, obviously some kind of joke…) that accused a large number of Jewish doctors in the USSR of plotting to poison top Soviet communist officials.  The government immediately cracked down on these alleged conspirators, with hundreds of doctors losing their jobs, many being arrested and jailed.  Other people of Jewish origin or bearing a Jewish sounding name were also ostracized.  This travesty of justice was known as “The Doctors’ Plot.” Digging Deeper The anti-Semitic nature of the Soviet Union is puzzling,…

A Brief History The concept of lingerie as a visually appealing undergarment was developed during the late nineteenth century.  Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff-Gordon (1863 – 1935), who worked under the professional name of “Lucile”, was a pioneer in developing lingerie that freed women from more restrictive corsets. During the late 19th century, corsets became smaller, less bulky and more constricting and were gradually supplanted by the brassiere, first patented in the 20th century by Caresse Crosby (born Mary Phelps Jacob; 1891 – 1970) . Today, nearly a century after these pioneering efforts, bottom wear can help you get all the attention…

A Brief History On January 12, 1971, a group of conspirators dubbed by the press as “The Harrisburg Seven” were indicted on charges that they planned to blow up the steam heating tunnels to Federal buildings in the Nation’s capital, as well as to kidnap National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger.  Shockingly, this group of alleged terrorists was led by radical Roman Catholic priest, Father Phillip Berrigan! Digging Deeper Berrigan was already in jail at the time of the alleged plot, serving a sentence of 3 years for entering a military draft office and burning draft cards with home made napalm. …

A Brief History On January 11. 2003, Governor George Ryan took the extraordinary step of commuting the sentences of 167 Illinois Death Row inmates to life in prison due to the scandal that had rocked the Chicago Police Department, in which Detective Jon Burge was accused of torturing confessions out of over 200 arrestees.  Burge was convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury, later serving 3 years in jail for his crimes. Digging Deeper Burge, a Vietnam War veteran, had earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart while in combat.  After leaving the Army, he had joined the Chicago…

A Brief History On January 10, 1776, the pamphlet Common Sense by American patriot Thomas Paine was published.  This persuasive document was widely read by Americans, encouraged to declare independence from an overbearing British colonial government.  Some books, pamphlets, manifestos, essays, and other written documents over the years have helped mold History.  Today, we list 12 of those important works. Digging Deeper 1.  Common Sense, Thomas Paine, 1776. Paine was a radical with little patience of tolerance of those that disagreed with him, and his forceful writings helped convince Americans to finally revolt against British rule. Common Sense is perhaps…