There are few images more American than of the famous Pony Express. In just 9-10 days, young riders carried the mail by horseback over 1,966 miles from Missouri to California.
Category Archives: Forgotten History
10 Powerful Lines from 10 Famous Speeches
Anyone who’s had to give a talk or make a speech in public knows how intimidating and challenging it can be. The most famous speeches are a combination of impeccable writing and a polished delivery. Some of great speeches have been given either by charismatic speakers of the day, or under adverse circumstances that madeContinue reading “10 Powerful Lines from 10 Famous Speeches”
The Inca Empire was Defeated by Francisco Pizarro and just 168 Conquistadors
How could the massive Inca Empire have been conquered by Francisco Pizarro and just 168 Spanish conquistadors? Pizarro and his men were the first Europeans to make contact with the vast Inca Empire, high in the Andes Mountains. In less than a decade, the Spaniards defeated the entire Incan army, hundreds of thousands of warriors strong.
The Wilmington Massacre, America’s First Successful Coup
On Nov. 10th, 1898, a white supremacist mob massacred African Americans in the city of Wilmington, North Carolina and deposed the duly-elected city and county government in a violent coup.
7 Peculiar Facts about the 1st Modern Olympic Games of 1896
The first of the modern Olympic games were reborn in April, 1896 in Athens, Greece. It had been 1,500 years since they were banned in 393 AD by Roman Emperor Theodosius I. Since then, they have occurred every four years, with a few exceptions, moving to a new host nation each time. We take themContinue reading “7 Peculiar Facts about the 1st Modern Olympic Games of 1896”
The Most Heroic Rescue – The Great Raid at Cabanatuan
There have been many heroic rescues in recent years, the Thai youth soccer team in 2018, the Chilean copper miners in 2010, but neither compares to perhaps the most daring heroic rescue in modern times – the Great Raid of Cabanatuan in the Philippines during World War II. Sadly, with the passing of the ‘GreatestContinue reading “The Most Heroic Rescue – The Great Raid at Cabanatuan”
Henry V’s Rousing St. Crispin’s Day Speech from Shakespeare
The famous St. Crispin’s Day speech is given by England’s King Henry V in Shakespeare’s play of the same name, Henry V. The king gives the rousing speech on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt in the English camp in northern France. The Hundred Years War battle took place on October, 25th, 1415, Saint Crispin’s Day. The English wereContinue reading “Henry V’s Rousing St. Crispin’s Day Speech from Shakespeare”
The Infamous Hope Diamond – Cursed or Coincidence?
Without a doubt, one of the most spectacular gems in the entire world is the so-called Hope Diamond, a haunting blue stone weighing 45.52 carats. About the size of a walnut, the Hope is estimated to be worth a quarter of a billion dollars. Today, it sits on display in the Smithsonian Museum in WashingtonContinue reading “The Infamous Hope Diamond – Cursed or Coincidence?”
The Munich Massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics
During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, eight terrorists disguised in tracksuits, carrying gym bags filled with assault rifles and hand grenades, breached the Olympic Village security. Just before dawn on September 5th, Black September terrorists of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), managed to enter the building where Israeli athletes were sleeping. Once inside,Continue reading “The Munich Massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics”
The Black Hole of Calcutta’s Infamous Night of Horror
In 18th century India, the power of the Mughal Empire lay in the despotic hands of the Nawabs, or provincial princes. At the same time, the British and French East India Companies had built competing empires on the lucrative sub-continent. The British had established a trading hub at Kolkata (Calcutta) and built Fort William toContinue reading “The Black Hole of Calcutta’s Infamous Night of Horror”