Archive for War
Links of Interest Volume 3
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It’s time for another installment of Links of Interest, the weekend edition of Everything Is History. In this issue, we have some typographical history, some xbox live history, a letter from a jilted lover, among other things. As usual, if the title is self-explanatory, there is no description. Happy surfing!
- Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe
- Xbox Live Through the Years
- Weird Military Innovations: Ten Crazy Weapons of War
- The History of the Ampersand
- 7 Books We Lost to History That Would Have Changed the World
- Original Photographs From the Civil War
- Hope and Memory: A Timeline of America
- “I feel disposable, used, and insignificant”: This is a letter from Monica Lewinsky to President Bill Clinton…5 weeks after he called off their affair. It’s really sad and it gives you some insight beyond the tabloid trash that Monica became.
- Recording of Nazi Officers Who Found Hitler’s Body Released
- 10 Enigmas That Defy Explanation: From black helicopters to disappearing ships, these are the stories that only have creepy explanations.
- The 6 Most Baffling Nobel Prizes Ever Awarded: “#2. Al Gore Wins Oscar for PowerPoint Presentation, Gets Nobel Prize.”
- Fallen Empire: Dictator’s Destroyed and Recycled Palaces: After the fall of Saddam Hussein, his palaces became the barracks for the U.S. military.
- The Fashions of Queen Elizabeth I
- 10 Surprisingly Human Famous People: The flaws and quirks of some of history’s greatest people. For example, Ben Franklin was a blabbermouth.
Hopefully it’s not too late for a review video, but I thought this video was too great to pass up:
A Decade in Magazine Covers
On This Day: Nazis at Nuremberg
Posted by: | CommentsWith the close of World War II came an international military tribunal which sought the prosecution of 24 of the most prominent German Nazi officials in the areas of military, politics and economics, according to newworldencyclopedia.org. This tribunal, or trial rather, was officially set into motion November 20, 1945, and was held in Nuremberg, Germany at the Palace of Justice. The offenses brought to the court included waging a war of aggression, violating the customs of warfare, and committing crimes against humanity. Though the “Trial of the Major War Criminals”, as it was called, was only one of thirteen to take place during the four years of the “Nuremberg Trials”, it was the most famous due to the importance of the leadership involved.

Defendants in the Dock at Nuremberg
According to the BBC, the court’s judicial bench was composed of the war’s three major wartime powers – those being the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union – with France being awarded a seat as well. Each country also provided an alternate judge as well as comprising the prosecutorial membership.
Justice Geoffrey Lawrence, the British representative who presided, opened the trial stating it was “unique in the history of the jurisprudence of the world and of supreme importance to millions of people all over the globe”.
The proceedings are unique and relevant in history as they were done under unusual conditions. International wars quite normally end with a peace treaty in which stipulations are placed to allow for the individual states to prosecute their own countrymen. Because Japan and the German Armed Forces surrendered unconditionally, this meant there were no provisions held by the Axis powers that would keep an international body from prosecuting those suspected of war crimes.
In all, Nazi Germany egregiously affected the lives of millions across Central and Eastern Europe. This trial was an attempt to bring to justice those who were responsible for the atrocities witnessed throughout WWII and the Holocaust. The symbolism of the trial being held at Nuremberg cannot be overlooked either – the city is considered to be the ceremonial birthplace of the Nazi Party.
To learn more about this and the Nuremberg Trials, check out the History Channel documentary “Nuremberg – Tyranny on Trial“.
On This Day: The International Day for Tolerance
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Today marks two eventful occasions in the history of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The first occurred in 1945 with the founding of the organization. For this agency, “it is not enough to build classrooms in devastated countries or to publish scientific breakthroughs. Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture, and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal: to build peace in the minds of men,” according to UNESCO.org.
Currently some of its main objectives fall into what is called the Millennium Development Goals. Among other things, this initiative seeks to aid in reversing the loss of environmental resources by 2015, and, inside developing countries, halve the number of persons living in extreme poverty by the same year. There are also plans in place to ensure universal education in all countries.
The organization, based in Paris, states it currently has 193 member states and six associate members with its most recent member, the Faroe Islands, having entered in October 2009.
The second occasion is the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Seville Statement on Violence. In 1989 at the 25th session of the General Conference, UNESCO adopted this document which had been drafted in Seville, Spain, in May of the same year. Written by international scholars in varying fields of science, its stated purpose was that of challenging “a number of alleged biological findings that have been used … to justify violence and war”. These scholars believed that, in refuting the idea that organized violence is somehow biologically derived, they could contribute significantly to the process of establishing world peace. They in turn penned five propositions in an attempt to dispel what they found to be a pessimistic viewpoint toward the behavior of man. These points began with five basic assertions, including:
1. “It is scientifically incorrect to say that we have inherited a tendency to make war from our animal ancestors.”
2. “It is scientifically incorrect to say that war or any other violent behaviour is genetically programmed into our human nature.”
3. “It is scientifically incorrect to say that in the course of human evolution there has been a selection for aggressive behaviour.”
4. “It is scientifically incorrect to say that humans have a ‘violent brain’.”
5. “It is scientifically incorrect to say that war is caused by ‘instinct’ or any single motivation.”
In closing, the scientists argued that “the same species who invented war is capable of inventing peace. The responsibility lies with each of us.”
Aside from these two momentous days in the history of UNESCO, the organization has observed November 16th as the International Day for Tolerance since 1995. According to the day’s proclamation, its intended purpose is to “generate public awareness, emphasize the dangers of intolerance, and react with renewed commitment and action in support of tolerance, promotion and education”. The bi-annual UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize has been awarded since 1996 as part of the observance.
For further information regarding UNESCO, visit www.UNESCO.org.
Is French Toast Really From France?
Posted by: | CommentsAmericans live by the ecclesiastical phrase eat, drink, and be merry. We love eating so much that we use culinary tools to describe our society (melting pots and salad bowls). One of the benefits of having such a diverse society means having a diverse selection of grub. But where did our favorite foods originate? Here’s a list of 5 foods with deceptive names.
French Toast

Image courtesy of Svadilfari on Flickr
Typical French toast is made by dipping bread in eggs, frying the bread, then topping it with a variety of foods dependent on what’s popular in a particular geographic location. It is available around the world, but most popular in North America and Europe. The term “French toast” can be found in print in the U.S. as early as 1871. However, a popular legend is that the dish was commonly known as German toast in North America and England prior to World War I, but that the name was changed due to anti-German sentiment.
German Chocolate Cake

Image courtesy of my_amii on Flickr
While on the subject of Germany, there’s German chocolate cake, which is actually from…wait for it…Dallas, TX! According to Snopes the first recipe for German chocolate cake was submitted by a Texas homemaker to a Dallas newspaper in 1957. The cake got its name from the type of baking chocolate used, “Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate.” So, should there ever be any future anti-German sentiment, please don’t start calling this French chocolate cake.
French Fries

Image courtesy of food_in_mouth on Flickr
In 1680, people in the Spanish Netherlands (modern-day Belgium) would prepare sliced potatoes fried in oil when they were unable to catch any fish, so why aren’t they called Belgian fries? One of the earliest uses of the term French fried potato was by Thomas Jefferson, when he requested that his cooks prepare “potatoes served in the French manner,” at a White House dinner in 1802. The term French fries didn’t stick, though, and the dish was still commonly known as “fried potatoes.” French fries didn’t enter the vernacular for good until World War I, when American soldiers sampled them in France and enjoyed them immensely. When the soldiers brought the idea back to the U.S. after the war, people assumed they originated in France, and the term French fries stuck.
Belgian Waffles

Image courtesy of Jeff Cushner on Flickr
The French may have stolen their fried potatoes, but Belgium gets to keep its title as originator of the Belgian waffle, also known as the Brussels waffle. In the U.S., Belgian waffles typically have larger pockets than standard waffles, but that’s not what makes them Belgian. Standard waffles are made with batter that has been leavened with baking powder, while Belgian waffles are made with batter that has been leavened with yeast. So, the next time you go out for breakfast and see Belgian waffles on the menu, ask them what they’re made with; they may just be trying to trick you with a large-pocketed standard waffle.
India Pale Ale (IPA)

Image courtesy of Bernt Rostad on Flickr
Americans don’t just eat. We like to drink, too, and one of the popular trends among American craft and micro-brewers is to brew India Pale Ales, more commonly known as IPAs. Contrary to its nomenclature, the IPA was actually created in England in the 18th century by George Hodgson, owner of the Bow Brewery. One of the major distinctions of an IPA versus a typical pale ale is that it is highly hopped, and is supposed to age for a long time; up to 2 years. A popular legend is that Hodgson created this variety of pale ale because other ales would go stale on the four month long journey to India, hence its name. However, more likely is that the brewery became popular among traders in the British East India Company because of its proximity to the docks and Hodgson’s willingness to offer traders 18-month long lines of credit.
Dulce et Decorum Est
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Wilfred Owen - Image via Wikipedia
This is one of my favorite poems of all time. It was written by Wilfred Owen, a British soldier, during World War I, and was in stark contrast to public perception of the war at the time. Also, it contradicted traditional war poetry, which romanticized a soldier’s life, and warfare in general. Sadly, Owen would die just one week before the war ended. I just thought I’d share given the general attitude of nonchalance towards war.
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!–An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime…
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
via Wikisource
10 Questions You Should Have Asked About 9/11
Posted by: | Comments“Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.” -Ben Franklin
The above quote is one that my grandmother repeated almost daily during my formative years, although I didn’t fully understand what it meant until I reached adulthood. I’d probably never fully understand it if not for the great disaster that was 9/11 that happened during my 20th year on this planet. Like most people, in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 Incident, I was shocked, hurt, and most of all, full of vengeance. As that subsided, however, I came to realize that we, the American people, may have been duped. The greatest crime of all time may very well have not been perpetrated in the manner in which we’ve been told. Now, I’m not saying it was an inside job because I honestly don’t know. That is why I’m posting this; 8 years later, the greatest crime in American history shouldn’t have so many unanswered questions. This post is not meant to disrespect the victims of the 9/11 attacks, it is merely a quest to shine light where there is darkness. There are countless more questions that could be asked, but here’s a few that I hope will get you started.
- Why were plans finalized on September 10, 2001, to attack Afghanistan and remove the Taliban from power? Both Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell admit that without 9/11, there would be very little domestic support for an incursion against the Taliban.
- Why did World Trade Center towers 1 and 2 collapse so quickly, so cleanly, and in free-fall speed? The first plane struck Tower 1 at 8:46 AM, and it collapsed at 10:28 AM; 1 hour 42 minutes later. Tower 2 was struck at 9:03 AM and collapsed at 9:59 AM; 56 minutes later. Once the towers fell, they each took approximately 10 secs to collapse in on their own footprint. It was the first time in history that a steel-trussed building collapsed from fire, and it hasn’t happened since.
- Why did 7 World Trade Center collapse at all? 7 World Trade Center was a 47 story office building located across the street from the World Trade Center Plaza, tall enough to stand out in just about any other city’s skyline. It collapsed at 5:20 PM, supposedly from fire and debris from Towers 1 and 2. This one is decidedly more suspicious because only 8 floors were on fire, only 2 of which were visible from outside the window. However, it too collapsed in on itself at near free-fall speed. Here’s a side-by-side comparing a controlled demolition to the collapsed of WTC7: Interesting Note: The NE Regional Headquarters of the Securities and Exchange Commission was located at WTC7. The SEC was in the midst of its investigation into Enron, one of the biggest corporate accounting scandals in history. Enron was George W. Bush’s biggest political backer, former CEO Kenneth Lay was a close friend of Bush, and Bush frequently flew on Enron’s corporate jets during his 2000 campaign. With the collapse of WTC7, most of Enron’s SEC filings were likely lost.
- Why wasn’t there more extensive damage at the Pentagon? A photo of the immediate aftermath at the Pentagon shows no scars or skid marks on the lawn immediately in front of the impact site. Also, that hole in the building is awfully small considering a Boeing 757 has a wingspan of 124 ft. 10 in.

- If the hijackers were such terrible pilots and opted not to learn to land, how did they strike the Pentagon in such a manner as to be able to penetrate to the 3rd ring of the Pentagon without skidding the ground?
- What’s the deal with Flight 93? We’ve all heard the heroic story of the passengers taking it to the hijackers, whereby the plane crashes in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It really is a powerful, emotional story, but it obscures the facts. Where were the bodies and the debris? Every plane crash in history, even the fiery, explosive ones have left behind bodies, yet Flight 93 only yielded bone and tissue fragments. As the Shanksville Medical Examiner put it, “I stopped being coroner after about 20 minutes because there were no bodies there.” And what of the debris. Here’s a view of the Flight 93 crash site (notice the lack of debris, lack of flames, and the single, relatively small crater):

And here’s one from the 1988 crash of Pan AM Flight 103 in Lockerbie Scotland:

- How come the FBI never changed the suspected hijackers’ list despite the fact that none of the hijackers’ names were on the passenger manifests, and at least 7 people are alive who claim ownership of those identities?
- If Osama bin Laden is responsible for 9/11, why isn’t he wanted for it? Bin Laden is on the FBI’s most wanted fugitive list, as well as the most wanted terrorist list for the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings, not for 9/11. Here’s the exact text from his wanted poster:
Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. These attacks killed over 200 people. In addition, Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world.
On September 12, 2001, Al Qaeda denies involvement in the attacks. On September 16, Osama bin Laden personally addresses the accusation against him and denies involvement. On September 28, in an interview with a Pakistani newspaper, bin Laden again denies involvement in the 9/11 Incident.
- Why hasn’t there been a criminal investigation into 9/11? The closest thing was the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, more popularly known as the 9/11 Commission, which was made up of politicians appointed by George W. Bush and Congress. It was only meant to tell the story of 9/11 and provide recommendations for the future. Of note, it completely ignored the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, and had other serious omissions, including the testimony of former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, that there were serious cover-ups at FBI Headquarters. Furthermore, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney refused to testify under oath, Bush and Cheney testified together, and Condoleeza Rice, then National Security Advisor, was not required to testify.
- Would elements of the government kill me in order to foster international support for a war? Ever heard of Operations Northwoods?
“It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts… For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.”
-Patrick Henry
50 Years of 50 States: Tennessee
Posted by: | CommentsNickname: The Volunteer State
Date Ratified: June 1, 1796 (16th)
Capital: Nashville

Map of Tennessee
- Tennessee earned its nickname during the War of 1812 when volunteers from the state fought bravely at the Battle of New Orleans.
- Tennessee was the first of the Confederate states to have its elected members readmitted to Congress (July 24, 1866). Andrew Johnson, the president at the time, was from Tennessee (conincidence?).
- The capital of Tennessee was originally Knoxville. However, the capital was moved to Kingston on September 21, 1807 for one day, to fulfill the obligations of a treaty with the Cherokee Nation. The capital was then moved back to Knoxville before it was permanently moved to Nashville in 1843.
- Andrew Johnson held every elected office at the state, local, and federal level, including president. He would also be elected to the Senate after his presidency, too.
- The only person in American history to be both general and admiral is Samuel Powhatan Carter, who was born in Elizabethton.
- The Tennessee state flag was adopted in 1905, but first raised in 1911. The 3 stars represent the different regions of Tennessee (East, Middle, and West), and the blue circle around the stars represents the unity of the regions. The blue bar on the right is purely there out because of design considerations. Colonel Leroy Reeves, the flag’s designer, had this to say about the bar:
“The final blue bar relieves the sameness of the crimson field and prevents the flag from showing too much crimson when hanging limp.”

Flag of Tennessee
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