History: January 7, 1959: The U.S. Recognizes Fidel Castro’s Government of Cuba On January 7, 1959, the United States officially recognized the new government of Cuba that was headed by Fidel Castro who, together with his revolutionaries, had overthrown the corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. Batista had originally seized power in a coup after having lost a presidential election in 1952, so the U.S., expecting a return to democracy, actually welcomed Castro and his revolution.  Alas, it was not to be as Castro declared himself a communist in 1961, and it quickly became evident that he was just another dictator. Worse yet for the U.S., this…

A Brief History Many people love reading their astrological horoscopes.  It is estimated that between 20-30% of women do so regularly.  This is especially popular at the beginning of each new year as people want to know what the upcoming year has in store for them.  It sometimes seems though that all horoscopes could apply and this is because they are kept generic to cover a large portion of the population, 1/12 so to say.  Furthermore, if you have ever had your astrological chart done, you will know that you are comprised of more than just your primary sun sign.  Great…

A Brief History On January 6, 2014, only one year ago today, former Venezuelan beauty queen Monica Spear, age 29, was murdered on a lonely Venezuelan roadside along with her ex-husband during a botched robbery. Digging Deeper The beauty had previously reigned as Miss Venezuela 2004 and came in as the 4th runner up in the 2005 Miss Universe contest.  She had married British citizen Thomas Berry in 2008 and had a daughter, but the couple divorced in 2012. Of German and English extraction, Monica’s family had emigrated to Venezuela prior to her birth.  Monica herself had moved to Orlando, Florida…

A Brief History On January 5, 1895, French Army officer Alfred Dreyfus was falsely convicted of treason for allegedly having passed along secret information to the Germans in what famously became known as the Dreyfus Affair and was sentenced to live at the dreaded Devil’s Island prison in French Guiana.  Dreyfus was eventually pardoned and exonerated.  Although closed since 1953, Devil’s Island prison remains the epitome of notoriously miserable prisons and is virtually synonymous with the term “hellhole.”  Here we list 10 infamous prisons, places with cruel reputations that strike fear in the hearts of convicts and disgust in the hearts of reformers.  Presumably any…

A Brief History Shortly before 1 AM Eastern Time on January 4, 2015, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defeated formerly undefeated Olympian Daniel Cormier in a grueling five-round battle in Las Vegas.  With this victory, Jones cements his position as the all-time greatest light heavyweight mixed martial artist.  The youngest fighter to win a UFC championship, his accomplishments include having the most successful consecutive title defenses in the division and the longest win streak in UFC light heavyweight history. Digging Deeper Yet, probably one of his finest moments actually occurred outside of the cage.  On…