This Week in History
Monopoly Monopolizing the Board Game Industry
Out of the depths of the Great Depression came the most popular board game in history. More than 750 million people have played some version of Monopoly since the game made its debut on Nov. 5, 1935. Among various special editions that have been issued, Neiman Marcus offered one in their 1978 Christmas Wish Book […]
A Really Frightening Halloween
The night before Halloween was really frightening 71 years ago. It was on Oct. 30, 1938 that Orson Welles produced a radio drama for CBS called The War of the Worlds. The studio duplication of a live newscast was so realistic that thousands of people did not realize the program was a play. Instead, they […]
The U.S. and USSR Stood on the Brink of War
The “Cuban Missile Crisis” began on Oct. 22, 1962, when President John F. Kennedy told a nationwide television audience that the Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles in Communist Cuba. This was four years after an “agrarian reformer” named Fidel Castro seized power there and quickly turned the island nation into a Communist dictatorship. In his address to the nation, Kennedy said that the United States would implement a blockade of Cuba until the missiles were removed. The next day, the Organization of American States passed a resolution unanimously approving the U.S. quarantine of Cuba—something that would never happen today. The measure authorized the U.S. to use military force to prevent the shipment of more offensive weapons to Cuba.
Cavalcade of Stars Performed in Musical “Girl Crazy”
On Oct. 14, 1930, “Girl Crazy,” a new musical by George and Ira Gershwin, premiered at the Alvin Theater on Broadway. The show made stars of Ginger Rogers (who sang “Embraceable You”) and Ethel Merman (who belted out “I Got Rhythm,” among other numbers)…
Ray Kroc Legacy More Than Food
Ray Kroc, the founder of the world’s most successful fast food chain, was born 107 years ago this week. The one-time milkshake machine salesman was born on Oct. 5, 1902. He opened his first McDonald’s 52 years later. Today, it is almost impossible to grasp how huge the company he founded has become.
The Model T: Ford’s Great Promise and a Legacy Derailed
It was 101 years ago this week, on Oct. 1, 1908, that Henry Ford unveiled what would become the most popular automobile in the world, the Model T. Ford promised, “I will build a car for the great multitude. No man making a good salary will be unable to own one and enjoy with his family the blessings of hours of pleasure in God’s wide open spaces.”
John Paul Jones and the Bonhomme Richard
There are many things wrong with public education in this country, as we all know. But one thing that’s almost never mentioned is how little young people today learn about many of the heroes we were taught to admire. f you want to see evidence of this, play a word-association game with any teenager you know. Ask them to tell you about John Paul Jones, the Bonhomme Richard, or the phrase, “Sir, I have not yet begun to fight!” You’ll be sorely disappointed with the answers.
You can opt-out at any time. We protect your information like a mother hen. We will not sell or rent your email address to anyone for any reason.
