A Brief History On December 24, 1914, exactly 100 years ago today, British and German soldiers facing each other across No Man’s Land in the trenches of World War I confounded their superiors by leaving their trenches and walking out to meet and greet their enemies in the spirit of Christmas brotherhood. Digging Deeper Not only did the soldiers shake hands and converse but they even exchanged presents!  When they sang carols together, it just about gave the generals on both sides fits.  In some cases, football games (soccer) were played between opposing forces as well. French troops were a bit less eager…

A Brief History On December 23, 1972, the survivors of an airliner crash in the Andes Mountains were finally rescued after 73 days.  Rescuers soon discovered the grisly evidence that the survivors had lived only because they had eaten those who had died. Throughout history, there have been instances where humans have eaten other humans, sometimes out of sheer desperation to survive, other times just because they wanted to.  Here 10 more such incidents are listed. (No, Hannibal Lecter does not count, even if they do call him “Hannibal the Cannibal!”)  In case you feel cheated out of a couple famous cannibals, consider…

A Brief History In September of 2014, a female Columbian cyclist team created a stir when their uniforms, or kits as they are known in the cycling world, made the headlines.  Normally, such uniforms are commented on for their aerodynamic qualities, but these were literally “racy.”  And by racy we don’t mean good for racing…  With nude, or rather flesh-colored (beige, if you prefer being politically correct) material covering the torso and crotch, these uniforms were considered provocative and shocking. Digging Deeper The kit’s female designer, who also happens to be a team member, could not understand the outrage, stating the color of the material…

Dear Readers, As you may have noticed, our site is going through some structural changes.  2014 was our first full year online, and we learned a lot concerning your preferences.  In response, we are altering our website’s design and concept somewhat and ask for your understanding in regard to any temporary inconveniences or inconsistencies you may notice during the transition.  At the beginning of the New Year, we will formally introduce our “revamped” site to you, now renamed History and Headlines. Thank you for your loyalty this past year!  We ask for your patience and look forward to your continued readership and to providing you with many…

A Brief History On December 21, 1965, the United Nations, often accused of being a useless organization, outlawed racism by passing The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.  This agreement went into effect in 1969 and to date has been signed by 87 nations (somewhat less than half of nations in the United Nations). Digging Deeper This convention called upon all member nations to “outlaw hate speech and to criminalize membership in racist organizations.”  Some of the nifty articles cover: methods to prevent discrimination, also in regard to immigration policies; definitions of appropriate terms; ways of resolving disputes and…