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April 5, 1761 The Female Paul Revere – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
Born April 5, 1761, Sybil Ludington was barely sixteen at the time of her ride. From Poughkeepsie to what is now Putnam County and back, the “Female Paul Revere” rode across the lower Hudson River Valley, covering 40 miles in the pitch dark of night, alerting her father’s militia to the danger and urging they…
April 1, 1392 April Fool – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
In 1974, logger Oliver ‘Porky’ Bickar chartered a helicopter and flew 70 old tires to the peak of the long-dormant Mount Edgecumbe volcano in Alaska. Dousing the pile with gasoline and setting the thing alight, townspeople gaped at the ominous black cloud rising from the volcano. Local police and fire were in on the gag…
March 30, 1945 An Act of Defiance – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then…
March 29, 1848 The Day Niagara ran Dry – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
Fish flopped in the dry riverbed as, upstream, factories ground to a halt. Souvenir hunters and daredevils walked out on the dry river bed. Some even drove buggies. One unit of the United States Army cavalry paraded back and forth across the river. Treasure hunters found artifacts from the War of 1812: muskets, bayonets, even…
March 27, 1915 Typhoid Mary – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
“In time of war, soldiers, however sensible, care a great deal more on some occasions about slaking their thirst than about the danger of enteric fever. Better known as typhoid, the disease is often spread by drinking contaminated water”. – Winston Churchill
December 20, 1874 The Beautiful Story of the “Ugliest Woman in the World” – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
Historical Easter eggs Wanted: The Ugliest Woman. Nothing Repulsive Maimed or Disfigured. Good Pay Guaranteed and Long Engagement for Successful Applicant. Send Recent Photo - Newspaper advertisement
December 15, 1256 Last Stronghold of the Assassins – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
Possessed of all the physical prowess of youth, the individual assassin was well-read and highly intelligent, expertly trained in combat tactics, the art of disguise, the ways of silent infiltration and the skills of the expert horseman.
November 23, 1944 Thanksgiving on the Front – Today in History
The military went out of its way during World War 2 to provide the traditional Thanksgiving meal for soldiers and Marines at home, as well as overseas. Thousands of turkeys with all the trimmings fanned out in a worldwide effort to make sure every uniformed member of the armed services had a holiday meal.
November 15, 1873 Of Love and Loyalty – Today in History
Perhaps a wolf once approached some some long-dead campfire in hopes of a morsel. Maybe someone took in a sick or injured puppy. Wolf packs could have shadowed human hunting parties, the two groups learning to work together for their mutual advantage. The story is lost to the mists of time, but one thing is…
November 12, 1912 To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield – Today in History
There are places in this world no human was meant to go. Places so inhospitable, so savage, the visitor is lucky to get out alive. Where returning with the body of one not so lucky, is not possible. The frozen side of Everest is such a place where no fewer than 300 climbers have perished…
November 11, 1918 If ye Break Faith – Today in History
In an alternate history, the June 1914 assassination of the heir-apparent to the Habsburg Empire may have led to nothing more, than a regional squabble. Wiser heads could have prevailed, the diplomatic crisis of July resulting in nothing more than a policing action in the Balkans. As it was, mutual distrust and entangling alliances combined with slavish…
October 28, 1944 The Fighter Pilot had Four Legs – Today in History
Before they had numbers, the "war to end wars" had Jackie the Baboon and Whiskey & Soda, the lion cub mascots of the Lafayette flying corps. World War II and Wild Bill Crump had Jeep, the only coyote and four-legged co-pilot to serve in the air war to retake Europe, from the Nazi occupier.
August 14, 1945 The Kiss – Today in History
The message running across the Times Building read, “VJ, VJ, VJ, VJ”. George Mendonsa grabbed a random stranger in nurse's uniform and kissed her. The moment was gone in two seconds, but Alfred Eisenstaedt's camera was in the right place, at the right time.
March 20, 1703 The 47 Rōnin – Today in History
code of Bushidō or “Way of the Warrior” prized fearlessness in battle. Athletic and martial skill was emphasized and personal honor, inviolate. Filial loyalty ranked high on this code of conduct, and yet not so high as the supreme obligation: that of the samurai to his lord. Even at the expense of his own parents.…
March 18, 37 Little Boots – Today in History
2,000 years ago, the Roman General Germanicus would bring his young son on campaign, the little boy with the not-so-little name Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Soldiers of the legions called the boy “Little Boots”, after the diminutive caligae or soldier's footwear, the boy liked to wear in camp. The future emperor hated the nickname…
February 9, 1945 Battle of the Atlantic – Today in History
Submarines operate in 3-dimensional space while their most effective weapon, does not. The torpedo is a surface weapon, operating in two-dimensional space: left, right and forward. Firing at a submerged target requires that the torpedo be converted to neutral buoyancy, introducing near-insurmountable complexity into firing calculations.