They called him “The Deathless One”, “The Immortal Count” and “The Man Who Would Not Die.” Those who knew him intimately swore he never aged.
Author Archives: andrewspaulw
Podcast: Japan’s Minamata Disease was a Man-made Tragedy
Minamata Disease is a sobering reminder of the dangers of unregulated industries in modern times, a purely human-created disease. It was first seen in 1956 in the children living in Minamata City on the coast of Japan’s southern island of Kyūshū. Medically, it’s a severe neurological syndrome with symptoms including loss of muscle control, lossContinue reading “Podcast: Japan’s Minamata Disease was a Man-made Tragedy”
The Legacy of Russia’s Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
The greatest nuclear disaster the Earth has ever known, was sworse Three Mile Island, worse than Japan’s Fukushima.
Why China’s Boxer Rebellion Sounds Familiar
By the start of the 1900’s, China had lost a number of humiliating wars with Japan, Russia and other European powers. It fought to resist foreign armies, but lacked a modern military, and suffered millions of casualties. China’s Qing Dynasty was forced to accept humiliating foreign control over the Empire’s economy, as well as anContinue reading “Why China’s Boxer Rebellion Sounds Familiar”
The Prior U.S. Presidential Contested Election? The Ugly Campaign of 1876
Most remember the 2000 contested election of George W. Bush vs. Al Gore. It ended in the U.S. Supreme Court, with Vice President Al Gore finally conceding to Bush. 2020’s Trump vs. Biden election was contested in numerous courts on a state by state-level, but not at a federal level. The last contested U.S.Continue reading “The Prior U.S. Presidential Contested Election? The Ugly Campaign of 1876”
Mussolini and the Rise of Fascism
Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler
10 Forgotten Facts about Women’s Suffrage
August 18th, 2020 marked 100 years since women in the U.S. were finally given the right to vote. Though the Declaration of Independence in 1776 declared that all ‘men’ are created equal, the U.S. Constitution did not grant such equality to women. For the next 144 years, U.S. women were denied the right to vote,Continue reading “10 Forgotten Facts about Women’s Suffrage”
Welcome to the Gates of Hell – the Darvaza Fire Crater
There are some places on earth, whether natural or man-made, that simply defy description. This is certainly one of them. At Darvaza, deep in the heart of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert, there lives a large, fiery crater that glows hellish-red, both day and night. Known locally as the Gates of Hell, it is NOT volcanic. ThisContinue reading “Welcome to the Gates of Hell – the Darvaza Fire Crater”
Podcast: A Diver’s Defection, Summer Love and the Montreal Olympics
In July of 1976 at the Montreal Olympic Games, 17 year old Russian diver Sergei Nemtsanov finished 9th in the Men’s 10 meter Platform diving competition. As punishment for not earning a medal, his Soviet coaches told him he’d be banned from further international Olympics. His Soviet coaches, wary of defectors among their athletes withContinue reading “Podcast: A Diver’s Defection, Summer Love and the Montreal Olympics”
The Forgotten Ride of America’s “Female” Paul Revere
Most Americans have heard the tale of Paul Revere and his famous Midnight Ride, shouting “The British are Coming!” But I’ll wager you’ve never heard of the equally heroic “female Paul Revere,” named Sibbell Ludington. Her trip was 2 years later in 1777, twice as long as Revere’s, and she was only a 16 yearContinue reading “The Forgotten Ride of America’s “Female” Paul Revere”