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”

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”

Madam C. J. Walker, America’s first Black, Female Entrepreneur

Madam C.J. Walker was one of the 1st female American self-made millionaires.  She was also an African American daughter of slaves.  She made her fortune thanks to a homemade line of hair care products she invented and marketed for black women.

10 Nazi Propaganda Tricks Hitler Used to Sway the German People

To Listen to an Audio Podcast [Click Here] Outside of Germany during World War II, people around the globe were aghast at the profound deceitfulness of Nazi Party propaganda, the self-righteous arrogance, the outright falsehoods, the sowing of fear and hatred, the astonishing acceptance of the German people. How on earth could intelligent, rational peopleContinue reading “10 Nazi Propaganda Tricks Hitler Used to Sway the German People”

Podcast: Galileo Faced Science Deniers in the Catholic Church

In 1633, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was the Stephen Hawking of his day – a famous & respected professor of astronomy.  Nonetheless, he was ordered by the Pope in Rome to stand trial before the Italian Inquisition.  Known for its brutal interrogations by torture, the Inquisition was the most feared and notorious court in allContinue reading “Podcast: Galileo Faced Science Deniers in the Catholic Church”