Memorial Day traces its roots to the aftermath of the civil war when freed slaves created a new burial site for Union prisoners buried in a mass grave. General John Logan officially proclaims the first Decoration Day, celebrated at...

Lord Frederick Arthur Stanley commissions a cup for the best amateur hockey team in Canada. Lord Stanley returns to England to become the 16th Earl of Derby before the first Stanley Cup is won by the Montreal Hockey Club. The Winnipeg...

Social attitudes toward sexual diversity have varied over time; long before the first advocates for gender and sexual equality. The Riot at the Stonewall Inn inspires America’s first gay pride parade. The Upstairs Lounge fire devastates...

1983, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird draw four turtles: and name them after renaissance artists; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael. With $2,000, they print 3000 copies of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Eastman and Laird sign a...

January 11th, 1755 - Alexander Hamilton is born in the West Indies. His employers pay for his education at King’s College, now Columbia University. After writing his first political paper, he joins the Continental Army and becomes an...

Tokyo, 1989. Satoshi Tajiri forms the company “Game Freak”. After many failed pitches, “Pokemon” is funded by Nintendo. In Japan RED and GREEN versions are released on GameBoy with 151 Pokemon. The card game, manga, and Anime series are...

1776 - American patriots armed themselves and win their independence. After the Constitution was signed, the government was given the power to arm the patriots. That made some people nervous. The 2nd Amendment was born. “A well regulated...

The great white shark is believed to have evolved from the mako and megalodon around 16 million years ago. As the largest predatory fish, the great white has over 300 teeth and sensory organs capable of detecting the heartbeat of their...

August 30, 1987 - Street Fighter hits the arcade, where players battle computer opponents as Ryu or Ken. Street Fighter 2 introduces player vs. player, and adds six new playable characters creating an entirely new genre. ‘M. Bison’ is...

The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain marked the end of summer; when the doorway to the ‘otherworld’ was open and the ghosts of the dead returned to the realm of the living, bringing with them, the cold dark winter. The Celts lit...

Silly Putty, a novelty toy... or brilliant invention? You decide...

In Stavanger, Norway stands the iconic Sverd I Fjell, known to the rest of the world as the Swords In Rock. Unsheathed by King Olav the 5th in 1983, this tribute honors the medieval Battle of Hafrsfjord - in which western Norway began...

Tamales originated in Meso-America. In times of war, masa, a corn-based dough was an easily portable food for the Mayan, Inca and Aztecs. The Tamale was served to the Spanish during the Inquisition, and eventually brought to what is now...

Gingerbread was used in ancient Greek and Egyptian ceremonies long before an Armenian Monk teaches French christians how to make it. Crusaders returning home spread the recipe throughout Europe. At medieval tournaments, ladies give their...

1346 - Oriental rat fleas infected with the Yersinia pestis bacterium arrive by boat in several European cities. Within three years, the ‘Pestilence’ or ‘Great Mortality’ grips the entire continent. Bubonic plague earns its name from the...

1942 - Robert Norman Ross is born in Daytona Beach, Florida. As a child, he loses a finger in a wood-working accident. He joins the U.S. Air Force and becomes a drill sergeant where he spends so much time yelling that he never wants to...

The use of atomic weapons forced the Japanese to surrender. Many argue that the bombings were unnecessary, stating that more conventional methods may have been as effective. Casualty estimates for an invasion of mainland Japan were in...

June 25, 1880 - Australia - The Ned Kelly gang murders their former comrade Aaron Sherritt, who betrayed them to the police. After sabotaging train tracks nearby, they descend on Glenrowan, taking 62 prisoners in a local hotel. Drinks...

During World War II, the Japanese invade the French colony of Vietnam. Supported by the American Office of Strategic Services, now the CIA, Ho Chi Minh leads a band of resistance fighters known as the Viet Minh. Ho makes a deal with OSS...

1973 - The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is at odds with the elected tribal government and turns to the American Indian Movement for help. Leonard Peltier, an AIM leader, sets up camp at the Jumping Bull ranch to support and protect the...

November 16th 1532 - Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro invites Atahualpa to a feast in Cajamarca to honor him for becoming the new Incan Emperor. Atahualpa defeated his half brother’s army, bringing an end to the Incan civil war....

March 5, 1770 - British soldiers are accused of killing five colonists in what becomes known as the Boston Massacre. Lawyer John Adams agrees to defend the soldiers, despite the damage it may do to his reputation in the colonies....

August 25, 1896 - The Zanzibar Sultanate is in chaos after the death of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini. His 29 year old nephew, Khalid bin Barghash, declares himself sultan in violation of a treaty signed with Britain that requires their...

Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, leads the Army of Northern Virginia, on a massive raid into Union territory. Lee’s invasion is designed to secure Desperately Needed Supplies, undermine civilian morale, and bolster anti-war elements...