Today’s historical anniversary commemorates the arrival of Anne Hutchinson in colonial Massachusetts in 1634. Within a short time, she became one of the most controversial figures in early American history. Just four years later, the colonial authorities banished Anne to Rhode Island. There, she joined the community of fellow religious dissenter Roger Williams. The story […]
Category: United States History
The First Drunk Driving Arrest in History
Today is the anniversary of the first known arrest for drunk driving. On September 10 of 1897, British authorities arrested taxi driver George Smith for drunk driving after he drove his cab into a building. It took a while for the idea to catch on in the United States. New York state passed the first […]
The Attica Prison Riot – Today in History
The largest prison riot in US history, the Attica prison riot, began on September 9, 1971. Attica was a maximum-security prison located in New York State near Buffalo. At the time of the riot it housed 2,200 inmates in a facility meant to hold fewer souls. Besides overcrowding, the grievances of the inmates included censorship, […]
The War of the Worlds Hoax of 1938
The finale of this brief series on hoaxes in history is about Orson Welles and the War of the Worlds Hoax. It is the most famous of all the hoaxes in my series, so I saved it for last. In 1938, CBS radio has a program titled Mercury Theatre on the Air that broadcast mostly […]
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 – Today in History. Beginning August 25, 1835, and continuing for five more issues, the New York Sun published a series of six articles by “scientist” “Dr. Andrew Grant” claiming a colleague had found life on the moon using a powerful new telescope. The life forms apparently included unicorns, […]
Clarence Duval, Orphan Turned Baseball Mascot
This entry on Clarence Duval is the first in a series of short biographies of the members of the Spalding World Tour of 1888-1889. I hope to accomplish two things. First, fans of my Clarence Duval series of books will have a chance to learn more about the real lives of the characters in the […]