A Brief History On January 20, 1972, Pakistan started a nuclear weapons development program in a bid to become the first Islamic country to possess a nuclear bomb.  Coming on the heels of embarrassing losses in the Liberation War for Bangladesh (aka East Pakistan), and then failure in the 1971 war with India, Pakistan vowed to have a nuclear weapon by 1976. Digging Deeper Although Pakistan missed their timeline goals, by 1998 Pakistan became the first Islamic majority country to possess a viable nuclear weapon, and the 7th country to officially possess nuclear weapons (after the US, UK, USSR, France,…

A Brief History On January 19, 2017, there will undoubtedly be fans of American novelist and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe carefully watching his original grave (the cenotaph marking the site) to catch a glimpse of the person that has come to be known as “The Poe Toaster.”  Every year since some time in the 1930’s, an unknown shadowy person dressed all in black save for a white scarf and wearing a large brimmed black hat has visited the grave of Poe on Poe’s birthdate of January 19, performing the same ritual each year.  In 2010, for the first…

A Brief History On January 18, 2005, Airbus, the European maker of jetliners, unveiled its flagship jetliner, the A380, the largest passenger plane ever built.  How big is it?  The A380 has over 40% more available floor space than a Boeing 747! Digging Deeper After the big jet’s unveiling at Toulouse, France, it made its first flight in April of 2005.  By October 25, 2007, the A380 entered active service with Singapore Airlines and is currently used by Singapore, Lufthansa, Emirates, Air France, British Airways, Thai Airways, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, China Southern Airways, Etihad Airways, Malaysia, and Qantas Airways. …

A Brief History On January 17, 1961, outgoing President Dwight David Eisenhower (better known as “Ike”) made his farewell address to the nation, a tradition of outgoing Presidents since George Washington left office. Digging Deeper Ike’s speech was unique in that he warned the public of the “Military Industrial Complex,” the big business of war. During the Eisenhower years, defense spending made up an enormous part of the US budget (roughly 75 to 55% of government spending!) compared to today (20-25% of government spending).  Ike also warned of deficit spending and massive government subsidy of science and technology industries, lest…

A Brief History On January 16, 1970, one of America’s greatest architects and all around “Renaissance Man,” Richard Buckminster Fuller, was awarded the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects.  Mostly famous for his use of what he called the “geodesic dome” in architecture, Fuller, known simply as “Bucky” to friends, was also famous for his 30 books and penchant for inventing words and phrases. Digging Deeper Fuller is so highly regarded that a form of carbon molecules called “fullerenes” are named in his honor.  Fuller also served as the second president of the genius organization, Mensa, from 1974…