A Brief History On March 11, 1916, the United States Navy commissioned its first “Super-Dreadnaught” modern battleship, the USS Nevada BB-36.  Named after the State of Nevada, the USS Nevada was the first of a 2 ship class, the other ship being the USS Oklahoma BB-37. Digging Deeper By 1911, the navies of the world had progressed past the “Dreadnaught” state of battleship construction (1906) to the “Super-Dreadnaught” evolutionary stage with the advent of the British Orion class battleships.  The US immediately countered with the New York class battleship, with 14 inch main guns to match those of Japan and…

A Brief History On March 10, 1978, the Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter bomber made its first flight.  This lightweight, multi-role, single engine jet fighter would go on to serve as the backbone of the French Air Force fighters and also with 8 other countries. Digging Deeper Produced from 1978 to 2007, just over 600 of these jets were built at a cost of about $23 million each.  The Mirage 2000 is an evolutionary heir to the Mirage III, and the basis for development of the larger, heavier, twin engine Mirage 4000.  The Mirage 2000 is more or less the French…

A Brief History On March 9, 1961, the Soviet space agency launched Korabl-Sputnik 9, a space craft containing Ivan Ivanovich and his pets, into space and into low Earth orbit. Digging Deeper Not ready to try their space capsule with a real person, Ivan the Cosmonaut was actually a mannequin, though his “pets,” a guinea pig, some mice, and a dog named Chemushka, were real living critters.  Launched atop a Vostok-K rocket from the Baikonor Cosmodrome, the Sputnik made only 1 orbit (which was the plan) before it was intentionally brought back into reentry. During reentry, Ivan Ivanovich was ejected…

A Brief History On March 9, 1831, King Louis Phillipe of France established the French Foreign Legion, a fighting force for France that has gone on to win fame and admiration for their fierceness, esprit d’ corps, bravery and honor. Digging Deeper Formed from the remains of foreign regiments fighting for France (German and Swiss), the Legion was formed in response to the need for reinforcements in the French battles to pacify the colony of Algeria.  Expressly formed for fighting outside of continental France only, the Foreign Legion is officered exclusively by French officers and though most of the recruits…

A Brief History On March 8, 1957, both houses of Georgia’s state legislature passed and Governor Marvin Griffin approved a shameful resolution known as the Georgia Memorial to Congress. Digging Deeper As part of the ongoing effort by Georgia lawmakers and politicians to fight the rising tide of the Civil Rights Movement, this resolution asked the US Congress to repeal the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, all part of an effort in the “continuing battle for segregation.” The gist of the 14th Amendment (1868) is that all citizens enjoy equal protection under the law, including equality in education. …