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 commercial empires on the lucrative sub-continent. The British had established a port and trading hub at Kolkata (Calcutta) and builtContinue reading “Podcast: The Black Hole of Calcutta Night of Horror”
Author Archives: andrewspaulw
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”
Crimea in the Crosshairs for Centuries
This is not the first time Crimea has a been in the cross-hairs of conflicts. Why is tiny Crimea yet again a global hotspot? Three words – location, location, location.
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”
The Forgotten Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
For an entire generation, the name Jacques Cousteau was synonymous with undersea exploration. He was a famous French explorer, inventor, and researcher. He co-invented the Aqua-Lung, better known today as SCUBA. On board his equally famous ship, the Calypso, he hosted dozens of TV documentaries from the 1960s thru the 1980s, exploring the world’s oceans.Continue reading “The Forgotten Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”
Catcher, Lawyer, Soldier, Spy – the Odd Life of Moe Berg
Morris (Moe) Berg was all that and more, a life-long bachelor, devoted Jew, and eccentric intellectual. The son of a pharmacist in Newark, New Jersey, young Moe fell in love with baseball. He began playing baseball at age seven, first for a local Christian church, then high school, then at Princeton University. The sport becameContinue reading “Catcher, Lawyer, Soldier, Spy – the Odd Life of Moe Berg”
Podcast: The Forgotten Great Chinese Famine of 1959
From 1959 to 1961, the Chinese people were decimated, not by a virus, but by a devastating famine. The death toll, concealed by the Communist government at the time, is still a matter of debate. The consensus however is that at least 30 million people died, though some take it as high as 50 MILLION.Continue reading “Podcast: The Forgotten Great Chinese Famine of 1959”
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”
6 Theories on the Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan 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.
The Bloody 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan
After over 100 years of British East India Company rule and another 90 years of British imperial rule, India had finally achieved its independence. What should have been a moment of joyful triumph turned into a year of unthinkable bloodshed. Indian freedom from Britain and the Partition took place on August 15, 1947. The partitionContinue reading “The Bloody 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan”