It was on this date in 1982, that Richard Skretna wrote the first computer virus called Elk Cloner. He was a teenager at the time, and this first virus was disguised an Apple II boot program. It was 400 lines long, and this was before anti-virus programs were around like they are now.  He only did it as a prank, […]

It was on this date in 1784 that one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, wrote a letter to his daughter that explained his preference for the wild turkey instead of the bald eagle as our national bird.  While this may sound absurd to us today, things were a little different back then, and Franklin made some potentially valid points.You […]

Because of this election in 1876, on this date in 1877, Congress passed the Electoral Commission Bill. There was no definitive winner between Tiden and Hayes. A few days later, President Grant signed the bill into law. In the end, the commission voted that Hayes was the declared winner. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, […]

It was on this date in 1997 that the very first female Secretary of State was sworn in. I think I remember this barely. I didn’t remember that she was the first but she was. I guess President Clinton did something right during his presidency then. Proverbs 11:16 A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches.   For […]

It was on this date in 1910, the great Paris flood happened. High rainfall caused the Seine River to flood the city through tunnels, sewers, and drains.  Much of Paris was evacuated and by the 28th, the river reached its maximum height.  By today’s standards, the flood damage reached the equivalent of 1.5 billion dollars. There were no deaths (from […]

I have fond memories of seeing Volkswagen Beetles as I was growing up although I never actually owned one. On this date in 1978, the very last German-made Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line in Emden, Germany.  Actually, as of 2003, this kind of car is no longer made. Nahum 2:4 – The chariots shall rage in the streets, […]

Although there is some discrepancy concerning the date, I was intrigued to learn that colonists in America did report seeing what we would now call a UFO. On this date (or thereabouts) in 1639, Governor John Winthrop reported being amongst three friends who together sighted strange lights on the Muddy River in Boston.  Were they UFO’s? The world may never […]

It was on this date in 1807 when a horrendous ship disaster occurred in Leiden, Netherlands.  A ship (now notoriously known as the “gunpowder ship”) was carrying 37,000 pounds of gunpowder.  It exploded right in the center of the city, and the disaster was devastating.  There were over 151 deaths, 2000 wounded, and around 220 houses destroyed.  Reconstruction began quickly […]

I actually didn’t even know about this volcano–probably because I am a Washingtonian who pays attention to our own Mt. St. Helens. On this date in 2006, Mount Augustine in Alaska erupted for the first time in twenty years. The eruption lasted until March of that year and certainly disrupted flight plans during that time. Psalms 97:5 The hills melted […]

I don’t usually have video to accompany a history story but I do today. On this date in 2005, a landslide happened at La Conchita, California.  This mudslide killed ten people and destroyed or damaged 36 homes.  This was almost a sort of repeat event as ten years earlier there had been a similar event in the same area. Daniel […]