A Brief History On April 4, 1969, Dr. Denton Cooley performed surgery to implant the first artificial (temporary) heart in history! Digging Deeper Dr. Cooley was a renowned heart surgeon and founder of the Texas Heart Institute. Having worked with Dr. Michael DeBakey (another renowned heart surgeon that invented the pump that makes heart surgery possible), Cooley was part of the team that performed the first heart transplant in the United States as well as his artificial heart work. He also pioneered techniques using artificial heart valves which reduced mortality in heart valve replacement surgery from 70% to 8%! Unfortunately,…
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A Brief History On April 4, 1841, a stunned nation learned that for the first time in American history a serving president died while in office! Digging Deeper William Henry Harrison from Ohio gave his inaugural address bareheaded despite poor weather. Perhaps because of this blunder, the new president contracted pneumonia and died 31 days later, becoming the first president to die in office and the president with the shortest time served. A total of eight US presidents have died in office over the 238 years of our nation’s history, and the weirdest part of that is that four of…
A Brief History On February 20th, we covered how Ted Kaczynski (the “Unabomber”) blew up a computer store in 1987. Today marked the end of his reign of terror as he was finally arrested on April 3, 1996. A recluse who was anti-technology, he probably would not have been caught without his brother having turned him in. Here are 10 civilian people who are known for bombing, good or bad. (For our companion list of military bombers, please see this article). Please Note: This list is not a rogues’ gallery! It includes good guys as well as bad guys famously…
A Brief History On April 3, 2008, an army of law enforcement descended upon a polygamist compound with snipers, machine guns, SWAT equipment, a helicopter, and even an armored personnel carrier! Digging Deeper Child welfare workers and enforcement officers were among the police, surrounding and sealing off the compound. Law enforcement had been alerted by a call purportedly from a teenage girl kept in the compound as a child bride, or as some would describe, a sex slave. Getting a warrant to conduct the raid was based on the calls from this person who turned out not to be even…
A Brief History Leon Russell was born on April 2, 1942 as Claude Russell Bridges. He is but one of a number of rock and rollers to have changed their names! This article celebrates thirteen great performances in rock and roll history by stars who changed their names! Digging Deeper 13. Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz) 12. Freddy Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) 11. Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian) 10. Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges) 9. Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey) 8. Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone) 7. Conway Twitty (born Harold Lloyd Jenkins) 6. Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier)…