A Brief History On October 14, 1066, the Normans under William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings.  This date is one that you might find on a high school or college history test or perhaps on the television trivia show Jeopardy. Certain battles in history are associated with a particular date or year that many people remember or are reminded of, regardless of the importance of the battle.  Here 9 such dates and battles are listed. (By battles we mean the starting or ending date of the battle or the date of a significant event that…

A Brief History On October 13, 1983, with a network in the Chicago area, Ameritech Mobile Communications (later renamed Ameritech Cellular and then AT&T Mobility) opened the first mobile phone service in the United States. Digging Deeper History and Headlines Trivia: The Guinness Book of World Records claims that David Cotorno, one of the early Chicago-area customers, has had the same cell phone number since August 2, 1985, longer than anyone else!  He has been with Ameritech all along.  Some more History and Headlines Trivia: The term “cellular phone” or “cell phone” is actually a misnomer, as the phones are not cellular, the network…

A Brief History On October 12, 1957, Little Richard made a dramatic gesture to prove he was quitting rock music for a more religious life when he tossed four diamond rings into the Hunter River in Sydney, Australia.  Well, that lasted five years before Little Richard was back on stage, where he still is to this day, rocking and rolling at the age of 81. In 1955 Little Richard had a massive hit with the song “Tutti Frutti” at a time when many white parents were trying to keep their kids away from rock and roll.  This slam-bang-in-your-face song was…

A Brief History The United Nations Population Fund designated October 12, 1999 as the approximate day on which the world’s human population reached 6 billion.  This day is celebrated as the “Day of 6 Billion.”  In the meantime, approximately 7 billion people inhabit the Earth.  With so many issues affecting the planet, it is hard to say which ones are more detrimental than others.  It is clear, however, that these issues are rapidly getting worse.  What is the cause of all this?  Simply put: humans.  The biggest issues facing the planet are interrelated, and the most recognizable common denominator is human consumption habits.  It is crucial that…

A Brief History On October 11, 1975, the iconic television show Saturday Night Live made its debut with the late, great George Carlin hosting.  Guest performers included Andy Kaufman, Billy Preston and Janis Ian.  That memorable show featured Janis Ian singing her second major hit song, “At Seventeen.” Her first hit had been the controversial song “Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking),” a song that dealt with a relationship between a 16-year-old white, Jewish girl and a black man.  Initially released in 1965, the song about interracial love was released 3 times before it made the charts in 1967.  It was subsequently banned from many radio stations…