Historical

Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt was born in Germany in 1906 where she studied philosophy but, because she was Jewish, was prevented from teaching in German universities under the Nazi regime. She fled to France in 1933 and to the United States in 1941, where she eventually became the first woman to hold a full fellowship at Princeton University. She died in 1975.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
My Horse Story
I lost the most ordinary, ungainly looking colt in 1975 because I flat ran out of bullets. I will never forget that day, July 19th when Fasig-Tipton was offering a group of yearlings, selling them from a tent when a sudden summer storm pelted the tent with heavy rain, wind, and lightning. All the horses were raising nine kinds of loud fearful whinnies, rearing on hind quarters but I noticed this ugly duckling just standing in the midst of panic and he did not turn a hair. I went down and checked his legs, and he didn’t flinch. I turned his lip and looked him in the eye...and fell in love with the colt of my lifetime. The Taylors and the Hills outbid me, and they named what was to become one of the greatest horses in the history of thoroughbreds. Seattle Slew was an ungainly, undervalued colt who outran and outproduced his modest pedigree due, in fact, to the characteristic which attracted both me and the ultimate owners...it was The Look in his eye...it was the spirit in his gut which set him above the bar! As a colt, Slew didn't look like the typical champion. But looks, it turns out, didn't matter. Two couples, the Taylors (Karen and Mickey) and Hills (Jim and Sally), bought him on July 19, 1975 at the Fasig-Tipton of Kentucky yearling sale in for a relatively modest sum of $17,500.00 which is about $83,000.00 today!. In 1977 he became just the 10th horse to win the Triple Crown -- the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes -- and the first to do so with an undefeated record. Seattle Slew never trained or raced in his owners' home state; his lone appearance in Washington was as a celebrity, galloping around the track between races for two days at Longacre’s racetrack in Renton. For more than 20 years after he retired from racing in 1978, he was one of the world's most-sought stallions for breeding purposes. Seattle Slew died in Kentucky exactly 25 years after winning the Derby, with the Taylors by his side. His offspring and his offspring's offspring keep adding to his legacy as "the people's horse" who became one of the all-time greats out of sheer courage...a horse who stumbled at the start of the Kentucky Derby, and then bullied his way to fame and fortune.
By Welby Cox5 years ago in FYI
Interesting Facts About Cigarette Rolling Machines
Tobacco is a product that dates back thousands of years in the Americas. It was only until colonial times that the rest of the world was introduced to this product. With the industrial revolution taking hold, along came cigarette rolling machines. Here are some interesting facts you may not have known about machines such as the Powermatic IV Cigarette Rolling Machine.
By Smoker's Outlet Online5 years ago in FYI
Christianity in the Height and Fall of the Roman Empire
Christianity originated in Jerusalem as a sect of Judaism, forming into a separate religion and recognised as such by 64 CE (Green, 2010, 1). A significant proportion of the first Christians were indeed Jewish converts, although this is not to say that Christianity had a large number of followers in its beginnings. In truth, it was a measured process; breaking off from the larger religion of Judaism with the mission given to the Apostles to spread the values and beliefs of Christianity. The Apostles are not usually seen as being the first Christians, instead they are well known for their emphasised role in the spread of Christianity, particularly Paul after his own conversion. Paul and Peter's missions took them out of Jerusalem to preach this new religion and make conversions in Damascus and Syria at Antioch (Kee, 2005, 217). As the movement spread into the wider Graeco-Roman world, issues with paganism allowed the new religion to seem superior and a preference to many with what it offered. The Christians faced conflict with the Roman authority and suffered several major persecutions, but was never extinguished, however, and recognised new opportunities with the invasions of the barbarians to move further West into Germanic regions. I am exploring the journey Christianity took, what factors contributed to its advancement, and shows how the church "became the most profound historical influence on the world in which we now live" (Griffith, 1986, 432).
By Eloise Robertson 5 years ago in FYI
History of Tax Day
This year, in an unprecedented move not seen since last year’s unprecedented move, the Internal Revenue Service has extended the deadline for Federal Income Tax filing. This year, instead of being due today, April 15, the new deadline for individual tax filers is May 17 due to the Coronavirus pandemic… at least for individual tax filers.
By Bill Petro5 years ago in FYI
Prince Albert, Prince Consort
We know Prince Albert as the husband of Queen Victoria and Consort to the Queen. Victoria loved Albert so much that when he died (before his time), she went into full mourning until her own death --- 40 years! So who was this Prince who stole a Queen’s heart?
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff5 years ago in FYI
How a Drunk Driver Led to the Birth of Russia's Sputnik 1. Top Story - April 2021.
HAD IT NOT BEEN for a collision with a tree by a vodka-sodden driver on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia would not have put Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, into orbit around the Earth when it did. Sadly, history does not record the driver’s name.
By Wilson da Silva5 years ago in FYI
Goosie Goosie Gander
A familiar nursery rhyme Goosie goosie gander, Whither shall I wander? Upstairs and downstairs And in my lady’s chamber.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
Harry Houdini secrets you might not know
Harry Houdini, (1874-1926 was known as being the greatest escape artist of all time. There are some little known facts about this magical icon and in this article 12 will be shared.
By Cheryl E Preston5 years ago in FYI
The General Strike of 1926
The General Strike of May 1926 was short, and a failure, but it had a profound effect on how trade union leaders and members regarded themselves and their place in the economic life of the United Kingdom.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
Cheap or Free
There’s a certain sort of smell that certain spaces hold that I’ve come to associate with treasure. It’s a smell of disuse and age that lingers long after an item is reclaimed to its use. Chaos envelops the walls and isles of my favourite places. Don’t enter such spaces with a goal in mind or a tight schedule, you’ll quickly find yourself lost.
By Guillermo Jatzek5 years ago in FYI
Wampus Cat Origins
The wampus cat is an intriguing cryptid feline found in North American folklore particularly within the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding regions. It has multiple origin stories and serves as a unique mascot to a very small number of educational institutes such as Conway High in Arkansas. It may have even been involved in a secret government project gone awry in Alabama during World War II.
By Jake Thomas5 years ago in FYI