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 1862, that the Battle of Antietam was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland and Antietam Creek.  It was the first major battle of the Civil War that was fought on Union soil.  It was also the bloodiest single-day battle in U.S. history.  There was a combined total of 22,717 dead, wounded, and missing. For more info: […]

On this date in 1920, an act of terrorism occurred in the U. S.  that is still unsolved and was,  at the time, the most heinous act of terror perpetrated against the U. S.  During the height of lunch hour in the heart of New York’s financial district, a horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the J. P.  Morgan building. […]

Since I am from the Pacific Northwest, I suppose that I’m not supposed to like the state that is featured today, but I don’t really care about all that.  On this date in 1850, California became the thirty-first state admitted into the United States.  When I was growing up, Californians were emigrating to the Seattle-Tacoma area, and they were the […]

I was not quite two months old when this historic event occurred. It was on this date in 1974, that President Richard Nixon resigned as the 37th president for the U. S. . This kept him from being impeached due to the Watergate Scandal. For more info: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/080974-3.htm http://www.thestarshollowgazette.com/diary/10794/on-this-day-in-history-august-9

I honestly was unaware of this disaster, and it is eerie to see the footage in the video.  On this date in 1945, a B-25 bomber was headed to Newark.  Unfortunately, the weather was very foggy, and the pilot struggled to see anything in the zero visibility sky.  His plane crashed into the Empire State Building, the highest building in […]

I remember meeting a Korean War veteran at a church where I attended in Florida. I remember thinking how I knew very little about that war.  In fact, it is often called the “Forgotten War.”   He was so excited when the news came about the Korean War memorial being created in Washington DC. I even remember when he left to […]

This was the site of one of the worst flash floods in recent history on this date in 1977.  It occurred in Jamestown, Pennsylvania, and it killed  84 people and caused $300 million in damages.  No flash flood has killed more people in the U. S.   Twelve inches of rain fell in ten hours,  and it was estimated that this […]

On this date in 1890, Wyoming became the forty-fourth state admitted to the union.  It is a breathtaking state to be sure,  but it is also the least populated state. It is also one of three states that shares the honor of having the first National park–Yellowstone. For more info: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming http://www.democraticunderground.com/108573 http://www.wyohistory.org/essays/wyoming-becomes-state-constitutional-convention-and-statehood-debates-1889-and-1890-%E2%80%94-and-the?page=3