Category Archives: History

History at all levels, not just not my past or nostalgic musings.

1979: Voyagers arrive at Jupiter

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Steve

Can’t remember what my source was saying that either Voyager 1 or 2 arrived at their first destination around May but one go there in January, the other in July so I’ll just accept May as the compromise, hence this month’s header art! … Continue reading →

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1969: Charles DeGaulle resigns

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Steve

After his referendums were defeated in a public vote, the WWII hero left office unlike many French predecessors (Napoleon, Louis Napoleon III). However, I don’t think DeGaulle walking away was (or is) a surprise in the late 20th Century. Despite … Continue reading →

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1989: First Grammy® for Hard Rock/Heavy Metal goes to…

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Steve

…Jethro Tull! I can’t remember exactly when the ceremony was 30 years ago but it’s a solid memory of the year the Eighties closed out. I do clearly remember that the inaugural award went to an act which was neither … Continue reading →

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1999: Columbine…and how the US remains paralyzed

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Steve

The world knows this story all too well. Somebody or somebodies go into a school, shoot up the place and kill a bunch of people. Often the shooter(s) commit suicide or the cops kill them. Sadly, this event happens continuously … Continue reading →

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Notre Dame (cathedral) burns

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Steve

The only person who was happy to see this happen would be the embattled, inept and “farts higher than his own ass,” French president Emmanuel Macron. It distracts the French public, including the large number of Atheists, from his failed … Continue reading →

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1959: NASA introduces America’s first astronauts

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Steve

Even if not everything in the movie or book, The Right Stuff, is completely true, I think most Americans know the story about the Mercury Seven. Back when the US was trying to catch up to the Soviet Union, military test … Continue reading →

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Adam Ruins Everything

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Steve

Glad to see TruTV, formerly the insipid “reality” Court TV, with a hit show on Netflix (first season only). Adam is part Snopes.com, part Mythbusters and mostly what journalism is supposed to be, rolled into one 20-minute debunking of everyday issues: Airport Security, … Continue reading →

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1939: Italy invades Albania

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Steve

I always thought Mussolini pulled this dumb stunt after WWII started but as you can see by the link, I was wrong. Admitting to being wrong of course is one of us Liberals’ weaknesses as Conservatives go full on no … Continue reading →

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1994: Kurt Cobain commits suicide

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Steve

I remember seeing the main news story on MTV in the University Towers’ cafeteria as Kurt  Loder followed up with the PSA-esque pleas telling other people to seek help if they felt like killing themselves. Despite my life-long bouts of anxiety, … Continue reading →

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1979: The Three Mile Island Disaster

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Steve

For better or for worse, the accident that happened at this American nuclear power plant changed the country’s opinion about how safe this type of energy generation was. Thanks to TMI (before it became the abbreviation for Too Much Information), … Continue reading →

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1919: Benito Mussolini founds the Fascist Party

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Steve

A century ago, a horrendous political movement was created by Benito Mussolini. Although Hitler would take this crappy mindset even further, resulting in three percent of the planet being killed and practically all Jews in Europe exterminated, Mussolini came from … Continue reading →

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1989: Gorbachev pushes for a reform with Soviet farming

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Steve

In anticipation of the upcoming documentary Meeting Gorbachev, I found this little piece about Soviet History as their last leader tried to stem the superpower’s decline. I’m looking forward to seeing this movie: German director Werner Herzog will be interviewing Gorbachev, … Continue reading →

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The Favorite: Must See

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Steve

The whole bru-ha-ha and self-congratulating of the Oscars® are over but never the usual finger pointing via identity politics in which the biggest question of “is this movie any good?” gets skipped since it lacked [insert in the blank]. The … Continue reading →

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1864: Grant promoted to General of the (US) Army

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Steve

After firing numerous generals and getting a resounding “no” from Italian hero Garibaldi, President Lincoln finally found the commander he could trust to defeat the Confederacy once and for all. Grant was also the only officer who didn’t suffer any … Continue reading →

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1819: US acquires Florida…America’s punchline

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Steve

Originally colonized by the Spanish, despite people already living there. The future state was then handed over to the English after the French & Indian War; spoils for Spain trying to aid the French. Then it returned to Spanish control … Continue reading →

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