November 13, 2008
The Civil War Home Page
It all began in 1860, with a single shot, and ended five horrible, bloody years later. Its primary focus was how much say did the federal government have over states? The states that seceded did so because they felt like they didn't have enough say in their own matters. One... Read the story »
November 6, 2008
Take Me Back to the Sixties
As you probably know, I'm all about nostalgia. My I remember JFK site has been a labor of love for two years now, and the site's basic premise is nostalgia, specifically of the Baby Boomer flavor. Today's FamilyFirst pick is a flash movie that runs about five minutes. It's called... Read the story »
August 29, 2008
Five Mysterious Historical Artifacts
OK, I'm filing today's FamilyFirst pick under "History", although the veracity of the claims made here are completely open to question by me. History, or pseudo-history? You decide. The premise: five sets of objects have been found which are historically paradoxical. For instance, a metallic hammer with a wooden handle.... Read the story »
August 6, 2008
The Roaring 20's
So what was life really like in the Roaring 20's? It was fast, furious, and fun. It was also tragic in many ways, long before antibiotics cured killer diseases. Today's FamilyFirst pick is called The Roaring 20's. It's a fun look back at an era before movies had sounds, before... Read the story »
July 30, 2008
NASA is Created, July 29, 1958
On October 4, 1957, Russia laid down the gauntlet to the rest of the world. That;'s when Sputnik was launched, the first satellite. Backyard stargazers watched the shiny little object orbit the earth, and amateur radio operators were able to listen to its beeping signal. The US responded the next... Read the story »
July 26, 2008
Outlaws and Highwaymen
Did you ever wonder where the term "highway robbery" came from? Well, highway robbery was the crime perpetrated by the highwaymen of old. The apostle Paul spoke of the dangers of highwaymen in the Bible. So clearly these road-traveling scoundrels have been around for a long time. Today's FamilyFirst pick,... Read the story »
July 14, 2008
Nasca Lines
The Nasca (aka Nazca) Lines are one of archaeology's most familiar finds. Ironically, they had to lie exposed for all the world to see for thousands of years. Yet, it was ani airplane flight that took place in 1939 that finally revealed their presence to the modern world! By then,... Read the story »
July 12, 2008
Odd But True Facts About World War Two
A few of you out there can remember WWII. Many of us had fathers who fought in the conflict. For many more of us, it was our grandfathers. The global conflict had a major impact on anyone who was alive during the 1930's and 40's. As you can imagine, the... Read the story »
May 10, 2008
Lost Liners
Once upon a time, big ocean liners ruled the seas. Massive steel structures that were longer than football fields held thousands of passengers in different classes, according to what they could afford to pay for. If you wanted to go to Europe or Asia or anywhere else in the world... Read the story »
May 5, 2008
Gjenvick-Gjonvick Archives
The USA has long been the goal of immigrants. While the wave has been from the southerly direction for quite a few years now, once upon a time it was the dream of many a European to get on a ship and sail to America. Today's FamilyFirst pick is called... Read the story »
April 29, 2008
Living in a Viking Longhouse
Ah, the Vikings. What a fun-loving bunch. They lived in the frozen north. They partied like it was the end of the world. If they saw something they liked, they took it. The holder of the property either gave it up willingly, or sacking and pillaging would take place. Makes... Read the story »
April 28, 2008
Today in Rotten History
I love history. But not all history is pleasant. In fact, some of it is just plain rotten. However, it's essential that we know history, even the rotten parts. ESPECIALLY the rotten parts. After all, we all know what they say about those who don't know history being doomed to... Read the story »
April 7, 2008
Eyewitness to History: The Monastery
We've become spoiled. Every day, we have come to expect more and more knowledge, more progress, faster computers, terabytes of storage space. Human society hasn't always been so enlightened. The barbarian hordes eventually conquered the last bits of the Roman Empire in the sixth century. At that point, the Dark... Read the story »
March 19, 2008
Petra: Lost City of Stone
One of the great archaeological discoveries in the Holy land is the city of Petra. Petra is known for many significant things. For one, it was the primary city that the early Christians fled to following Jesus' instructions to escape the first century Roman destruction of Jerusalem. For another, it... Read the story »
March 10, 2008
BBC History - Vikings
My name is a venerable Norwegian one. That means that I likely have Viking blood coursing through my veins. The only pillaging I do these days is sneaking a cup of coffee from the adjoining department's urn when my own pot is still brewing. But such a conquest might possibly... Read the story »
