A Brief History On August 1, 2007, the Interstate -35 westbound bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis came tumbling down during the evening rush hour, killing 13 and injuring 145.  The incident brought the crumbling infrastructure of the US to the front of the news, but as usual, little if anything was done about it.  Bridges have been falling as long as men have built them.  The sorry state of repair and maintenance of American bridges means more deadly failures are likely to occur, sooner rather than later.  Here we list 10 notable bridge failures, not necessarily the deadliest…

A Brief History On July 31, 1970, the British Royal Navy experienced one of the darkest days in their long and glorious history, Black Tot Day.  This episode was the last day the Royal Navy would follow the long tradition of supplying a daily drink of rum to their sailors.  Many military and civilian traditions have fallen by the wayside, some with good riddance, some longingly missed.  Many of these traditions were written down as official policy, and others were just things people usually did.  Some ended with a clear cut finale, and others faded away.  Here we list 10 of…

A Brief History On July 30, 1864, Union forces exploded 8,000 pounds of black powder in a tunnel underneath Confederate trenches at Petersburg, Virginia, creating a crater 170 feet long and 120 feet wide, and 30 feet deep.  The unorganized rush of Union troops into the crater resulted in Union failure, with Federal troops suffering well over double the casualties inflicted on the Confederate troops.  The Battle of the Crater as this action was called is an example of an unconventional military idea that did not work.  Back on May 15, 2014 History and Headlines featured a list of 10 Weapons and Weapons…

A Brief History On July 30, 1975, Teamsters leader James R. Hoffa was last seen outside a suburban Detroit restaurant.  He has not been seen since, and as of July 30, 1982 has been presumed dead.  Ever since, speculation about what happened to the fiery 62 year old union leader has run wild.  Digging Deeper Rumors about who killed him and why have abounded, as have a plethora of places his body is alleged to have been hidden or disposed of.  Is he buried under the Giants stadium at the Meadowlands?  Or under tons of concrete at a Detroit building…

A Brief History On July 29, 1565, Mary, Queen of Scots, married her first cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. In her case, the only thing advantageous about this marriage, was that it ensured that the Scottish throne stay under the control of the House of Stuart by keeping it in the family so to say. Other that that, except for producing a son to carry on the lineage, the marriage was a complete disaster. Digging Deeper First cousins are defined as cousins who share at least one grandparent. Marriages between first cousins have taken place throughout history in both royal houses…