Harry Houdini was perhaps the greatest illusionist/escape artist who ever lived. He jumped into icy rivers while in handcuffs and leg irons. He escaped from a sealed milk can filled with water. He hung by his ankles from the side of a building in a straight-jacket. And he devised the famous “Chinese Water Torture Cell,”Continue reading “The Tragic Death of Harry Houdini”
Category Archives: Forgotten History
The Hunt for the Source of the Nile River
For centuries, the quest to discover the source of Africa’s great Nile River has captivated explorers, much like the race to reach the North Pole or climb Mt. Everest first. The river’s vast expanse across central Africa complicated matters though, making exploration both daunting and dangerous. Egyptian and Sudanese kingdoms depended on the river and itsContinue reading “The Hunt for the Source of the Nile River”
Were the Luddites right all along?
Today, Luddite is often used as a derogatory term to describe a technophobe, any person who scorns new technology. But its origin dates back over two hundred years to an early 19th-century English labor rebellion. Luddites railed against mechanized manufacturing that threatened the livelihood of skilled craftsmen and artisans during the Industrial Revolution. The originalContinue reading “Were the Luddites right all along?”
King Shaka Zulu – the Napoleon of Africa
In the early 1800’s, in what is now KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, a powerful kingdom arose. Its leader was the cruel yet clever King Shaka. Under his rule, the small Zulu tribe grew and conquered all other tribes in the region. During his reign, more than a hundred chiefdoms were brought together in a unifiedContinue reading “King Shaka Zulu – the Napoleon of Africa”
The Hickory Polio Miracle
In the spring on 1944 , World War II was still raging in both Europe and the Pacific. At the same time, another deadly threat was invading the U.S. state of North Carolina – a dreaded polio epidemic. Regional hospitals were quickly maxed out with young, sick children. Desperate parents needed a solution, but whatContinue reading “The Hickory Polio Miracle”
Why is Greenland a part of Denmark?
Though a part of the North American continent, Greenland has been associated first with Norway, then Denmark since the 9th Century. Its head of state is King Frederik X of Denmark. It is an autonomous Danish territory with self-government and its own parliament. But how did this all come about?
The Real Macaronis – Britain’s Scandalous Mens Club
There have always been daring trendsetters throughout history, from fops and dandies to our more modern hipsters and fashionistas. The ‘Macaronis’ of 18th century Britain outdid them all in their extravagant fashion excesses and pretentiousness. These young, male British aristocrats were famous not just for their extremely elaborate (and often effeminate) dress, but for theirContinue reading “The Real Macaronis – Britain’s Scandalous Mens Club”
Operation Wetback – the 1950’s U.S. Mass Deportation program
The 1950’s “Operation Wetback” was the largest mass deportation of undocumented migrants in U. S. history. As many as 1.5 million people were swept up and deported in the Eisenhower Administration campaign. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) repatriated primarily Mexican immigrants (some of them American citizens) from the U.S. Ironically, millions of Mexicans hadContinue reading “Operation Wetback – the 1950’s U.S. Mass Deportation program”
The London Great Stink of 1858
Prior to the 1900’s, London’s River Thames had been used for centuries as the city’s open sewer – a dumping ground for industrial, animal, and human wastes. As the city grew, the amount of raw sewage it produced grew exponentially. During the hot summer of 1858, London was literally brought to its knees by the overwhelmingContinue reading “The London Great Stink of 1858”
The Three Lives of Istanbul’s Famous Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is an architectural marvel built over 1,400 years ago when the city was still known as Constantinople. Throughout its very long life, it has served as a Christian basilica for the Byzantine Empire, a grand mosque for the Ottoman Empire, and a renowned museum for Turkey. Though it looks outwardlyContinue reading “The Three Lives of Istanbul’s Famous Hagia Sophia”