In 1969, Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River was so polluted with industrial waste runoff it Literally Caught Fire! The Potomac, Chicago, Delaware and Hudson rivers all stunk to high heaven with millions of gallons of industrial waste deposited every single day.
Author Archives: andrewspaulw
10 Examples of Being on the Wrong Side of History
Here are 9 cases of ideas or theories that were once widely believed as truth, but most definitely ended up on the Wrong Side of History, some are moral, some technological, and some philosophical.
The Great Smog of London Killed Thousands
Most everyone knows of the heavy smog that routinely hangs over China’s capital, Beijing. But few remember a far deadlier version that attacked London in 1952. That’s right, London.
‘Count’ Cagliostro, Europe’s Charlatan Extraordinaire
Most everyone has heard of Europe’s’ legendary lover Casanova, but how many of you have heard of his equally infamous counterpart, Cagliostro? Though not a famed womanizer, Cagliostro was nonetheless Casanova’s equal when it came to sheer audacity.
Billionaire Howard Hughes & the Spruce Goose Flying Boat
The largest aircraft ever constructed was flown only one time!
The Many Murders of Russia’s Rasputin
How many murder attempts did it take to finally kill the infamous Siberian monk Rasputin? Five, and all in the same night! Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, was a Siberian-born peasant and monk. At the young age of 23, he left his wife and three children to follow his calling and join an Orthodox monastery. After onlyContinue reading “The Many Murders of Russia’s Rasputin”
An Immigrant’s Ellis Island Fate Depended on 29 Questions
CLICK HERE FOR AN AUDIO PODCAST For a vast number of Americans, including myself, our great-grandparents arrived in the U.S. as immigrants in the early 1900’s. There were no modern airports back then, just a vast, grey ocean to cross. So all the Poles, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Swedes, Hungarians, Germans and dozens of other nationalitiesContinue reading “An Immigrant’s Ellis Island Fate Depended on 29 Questions”
The Lindbergh Kidnapping – a Real Crime of the Century
Most know aviator Charles Lindbergh famously flew his single engine plane, The Spirit of St. Louis, for 33 hours from Long Island to Paris in 1927, becoming the first to cross the Atlantic solo.
The Race for the Polio Vaccine – Salk vs. Sabin
Long before COVID, during the early 1900’s, summer was not a welcomed season for both parents and children. For back then, summer was also ‘Polio Season.’ Children were susceptible to poliomyelitis, an incurable disease that affects the central nervous system resulting in paralysis. Polio is a highly contagious virus that spreads from contact with waterContinue reading “The Race for the Polio Vaccine – Salk vs. Sabin”
The Woman on the Dollar Coin – Susan B. Anthony
What does the average person know about Susan B. Anthony other than: ‘Hmm, she’s that stern-looking woman on a US coin, right?’