In July of 1915 on the Chicago River, the SS Eastland, carrying over 2,500 passengers and crew headed for a Western Electric company picnic, suddenly listed to port and rolled over into the muddy river. 844 souls perished, more than on the Titanic or Lusitania; yet the SS Eastland is lost in history to most.
Author Archives: andrewspaulw
Podcast: 6 Theories on the Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe
Edgar Allen Poe was the Stephen King of his day. A master poet and author of mystery and the macabre. To this day, his name alone evokes a chill down ones spine. Amongst his most popular works were Murders in the Rue Morgue and Masque of the Red Death. His life may have been cut short,Continue reading “Podcast: 6 Theories on the Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe”
The Spanish Civil War and General Francisco Franco
The Spanish Civil War was a modern, western civil war that ended in an authoritarian regime. Francisco Franco rose to power during the Spanish Civil War and then ruled over Spain for 36 years from 1939 until his death in 1975. With the help of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, his Nationalist forces overthrew theContinue reading “The Spanish Civil War and General Francisco Franco”
Podcast: The Final Deadly Days of the Knights Templar
For almost 200 years, the famous Knights Templar had considerable power, wealth, and influence across Europe and the Mediterranean. But it all came to an abrupt and bloody end in 1314. The Knights were originally founded as a Christian, monastic-military order, devoted to protecting pilgrims traveling to and from the Holy Land following the FirstContinue reading “Podcast: The Final Deadly Days of the Knights Templar”
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.
Lepa Radic, Teenage Resistance Partisan was Executed by the Nazis
Lepa Radic was just a 17-year-old Yugoslavian girl when she was hanged by the Nazis for being a Partisan in 1943. This extraordinarily brave girl had joined the Yugoslav Partisans in the fight against their Nazi oppressors in World War II, and taken on the most dangerous assignments. What turn of events lead to herContinue reading “Lepa Radic, Teenage Resistance Partisan was Executed by the Nazis”
Jamaica’s Port Royal, the Wickedest Place on Earth, Sank into the Sea
During the 17th century, Jamaica’s Port Royal was the wealthiest, busiest, and most nefarious port in the new Americas. It was frequented by smugglers, pirates, prostitutes and all other unsavory types who roamed the Caribbean Sea.
The History of Climate Change in 10 Minutes
It’s taken nearly a century of research to convince the majority of the earth’s population that we humans are polluting the atmosphere and changing the climate of our own planet. Decades of data now shows that not only is climate change real, but that our disregard has now left us near the point of no return, with dire consequences ahead of us. As the earth heats up, climate change has now become the Climate Crisis. But how did we get to this point so fast? Let’s take a quick look back.
Podcast: The Lusitania Sank in just 18 Minutes, Beating Titanic
The British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was struck by a German U-boat torpedo in May of 1915, and sunk within sight of the Irish coast in just 18 Minutes!
Bela Kiss, the Hungarian ‘Vampire’ Serial Killer
Romania’s Transylvania may be the birthplace of the fictional vampire, Count Dracula, but Hungary holds the distinction of harboring Bela Kiss. He was a real-life serial killer who murdered and drained the blood from at least 24 young women just before World War I.