On this date in 1914, the world’s first electric traffic light was put into place on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.   Automobile traffic had greatly increased on the roads of America,  and it had become apparent that some kind of regulation was necessary to reduce congestion on the streets.  This signal used red […]

I honestly knew nothing about this volcano, but I don’t live in Japan. On this date in 1783, Mount Asama erupted in Japan and caused some of the worst destruction of Japan’s history. The eruption actually began back in May with ash ejections off and on. The situation intensified in July,  and this was the date it came to a […]

Today’s feature is quite intriguing to me with the advent of Hallmark’s show Signed, Sealed, Delivered. On this date in 1527, the first known letter was entirely from North America. John Rut is the one who wrote it,  and he sent it from St.  John’s,  Newfoundland. He was leading an expedition to find the Northwest Passage.  He wrote a letter […]

It’s been awhile since I featured anything from ancient history, and so please read on.  On this date in 338 B.C., the Battle of Chaeronea was fought (this is an approximate date).  More than a thousand Athenians reportedly died in the battle, and another two thousand were taken prisoner.  King Phillip II and Alexander the Great fought the battle and […]

I featured a special K-2 event yesterday, but today’s is very sad.   On this date in 2008, the worst K-2 tragedy occurred with the death of 11 climbers. Three others were seriously injured. The details are still rather sketchy,  but it remains one of the worst Himalayan tragedies. For more info: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/13/k2-accident-himalayas-climbers-families http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_K2_disaster

On this date in 1954, Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli became the first men to climb the second-highest mountain in the world, K-2. While controversy does abound, it still is accepted that they were the first. For more info: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-3000/first-ascent-of-k2 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/lino-lacedelli-mountaineer-whose-ascent-of-k2-in-1954-was-shrouded-in-controversy-1826470.html http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lino_Lacedelli

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 […]

It was on this date in 1965, that the island nation of Maldives gained its independence. This officially ended British rule in the nation. I was not aware of where this country was even located.  For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Maldives http://aglobalworld.com/holidays-around-the-world/maldives-independence-day/

It was on this date in 1567, that Mary,  Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate the throne to her one-year-old son,  James.   As a side note,  this was eventually the king who authorized the King James version.  She was beheaded but a few years later. For more info: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mary-queen-of-scots-deposed http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/maryqueenofscots.htm