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Francis Drake: An Around the World Pirate Voyage
On this date in 1577, Francis Drake set off from Plymouth, England, on his around-the-world voyage. Here are some things you may not have known about Drake and his voyages. Francis Drake was born around 1540 in Devon, England. His father was a farmer. As a youth, Drake was apprenticed to a neighbor, who captained…
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Monarch Nicknames: From Fat to Terrible
On this date in year 884, Charles the Fat became emperor of the Frankish Empire. Here are a few historical monarchs with less-than-flattering nicknames, and the stories behind them. Charles the Fat was a great-grandson of Charlemagne, and reunited his forebear’s empire for a short time. There’s some disagreement over whether he fully qualifies as…
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John Glenn: First American in Orbit
On Thursday, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth and a longtime senator from Ohio died at the age of 95. Here are a few things you may not have known about him. John Glenn was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio, in the southeastern part of the state. In 1941,…
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Famous Speeches: “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”
On this date in 1941, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt gave what has become one of the most famous speeches in American history. Here are a few things you may not have known about the “Infamy Speech.” On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, sinking six American ships…
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Washington Monument: A Slow Process
On this date in 1884, the Washington Monument was completed. Here are some things you may not have known about the memorial to the first American President. Proposals for a monument to George Washington started at the end of the Revolutionary War. However, Congress didn’t act until after his death in 1799, when it authorized…
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LaGuardia Airport: New York’s First Major Airport
On this date in 1939, LaGuardia Airport in New York opened. Here are some things you may not have known about the closest airport to Manhattan. LaGuardia was the city’s first major airport. Until that time, the only commercial airport in the New York region was in Newark, New Jersey. Supposedly, the decision to develop…
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Channel Tunnel: Rail Link Between Britain and Europe
On this date in 1990, crews tunneling from England and France met under the English Channel. Here are some things you may not have known about the Channel Tunnel. The first proposal for a tunnel under the English Channel was made in 1802 by Albert Mathieu, a French mining engineer. He proposed horse-drawn carriages in…
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Pong: The First Video Game Sensation
On this date in 1972, Atari released “Pong,” the first commercially successful video game. Here are some things you may not have known about it. It wasn’t the first home video game, or the first arcade game, for that matter. The first home video game console was the Magnavox Odyssey, which was released in September…
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Grand Ole Opry: Country Music’s Most Hallowed Stage
On this date in 1925, the radio show that would become the “Grand Ole Opry” premiered in Nashville, Tennessee. Here are some things you may not have known about the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry began as the “WSM Barn Dance,” modeled after a similar program on WLS in Chicago. The first program featured 77-year-old…