American Halloweens of the Past
October 31, 2014 – Trick-or-treaters go Halloween shopping hoping to find the scariest, creepiest, or most unusual costume. You might have better luck by unleashing your creativity and using what you have at home, as these photographs from 1875 to 1955 show. They are from a book by Ossian Brown. Link: Daily Mail Additional Photos […]
Severed Arm from Civil War Part of Halloween Exhibit
October 31, 2014 – The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland, will display a soldier’s severed arm for Halloween. The injury was sustained in September of 1862 at the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest one-day battle of the war. Link: CBS News Additional Photos (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider]
Rumble in the Jungle 40 Years Ago
October 30, 2014 – Forty years ago today Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman in Zaire to regain the heavyweight boxing title. The bout was billed as “The Rumble in the Jungle.” After spending much of the fight on the ropes, Ali unleashed a flurry of blows near the end of the eighth round that sent […]
Moby Dick Author Listed as Crew Member of Whaling Ship
October 27, 2014 – Housed in the National Archives at Boston is a list of crew members of a whaling ship, the Acushnet, which sailed out of Massachusetts in 1841 heading for the Pacific. What makes the document noteworthy is the sixth name from the bottom: Herman Melville, age 21. His experiences at sea provided […]
WWII German U-boat Found Off Carolina Coast
October 23, 2014 – A German submarine that sank 72 years ago has been found resting on the ocean floor just 240 yards from the merchant ship it torpedoed 30 miles off Cape Hatteras. In July 1942, U-576 attacked an Allied convoy heading to Florida from Virginia. An armed merchant ship counterattacked using its deck gun and U.S. […]
Former Nazis on Social Security
October 19, 2014 – A two-year investigation by the Associated Press has found that dozens of Nazi SS guards and other war criminals expelled from the U.S. have received millions of dollars in Social Security benefits. At least four are still collecting. Link: SeattleTimes Additional Photos (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider]
Daughter of Black Confederate Veteran Buried with Honors
October 18, 2014 – A memorial service was held today for Mattie Clyburn Rice, who died recently at the age of 91. Her ashes were buried in the grave of her father, Weary Clyburn, a Confederate Civil War veteran. Rice had fought for years to have his service to the Confederacy recognized. A slave before and […]
19th Century Photographs of Native Americans Being Auctioned
October 17, 2014 – More than 100 rare 19th century photographs of Native Americans are being auctioned later this month, including one of the last taken of Chief Sitting Bull. The collection was assembled by an English adventurer of the period, Charles Alston Messiter. Link: DailyMail Additional Photos (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider] […]
American WWII POWs Return to Japan
October 16, 2014 – Three American prisoners of war during World War II have returned to Japan as guests of the Japanese government. They were among the 30,000 Allied servicemen held in dozens of camps in Japan, China, and elsewhere. Link: ABC Additional Photos (click thumbnails to enlarge) [divider]
Rare Film Footage of 1924 World Series Found
October 2, 2014 – Rare footage of the Washington Senators beating the New York Giants in the 1924 World Series was recently found tucked away in the rafters of a garage in Worcester, Massachusetts. President Calvin Coolidge attended the 12-inning game seven. The film, on one of eight reels turned over to the Library of Congress, […]