This Day In History: September 7, 1813 On September 7, 1813, the Troy Post in New York published an article on the War of 1812 that contained an early reference to “Uncle Sam” as the personification of the United States of America: “Loss upon loss, and no ill luck stir[r]ing but what lights upon Uncle Sam‘s* shoulders, exclaim the Government […]

This Day In History: September 4, 1957 On September 4, 1957, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to block the entry of nine black students from Central High School in Little Rock. Faubus was acting in direct defiance of a Supreme Court order, in what author Taylor Branch calls “the most severe test of the Constitution since the […]

This Day In History: September 3, 1752 “It is pleasant for an old man to be able to go to bed on September 2, and not have to get up until September 14.” – Ben Franklin Over six million people living in Britain and the American colonies went to sleep on September 2, 1752, but awoke on September 14. This […]

This Day In History: September 2, 1973 Author, poet, philologist, scholar, and professor, J. R. R. Tolkien is often lauded as the father of the modern fantasy novel. Ranked sixth on a list of top post-WWII British writers, he was also the fifth top-earning dead celebrity in 2009 according to Forbes magazine. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January […]

This Day In History: September 1, 1836 Americans Narcissa Whitman and her husband, Marcus (a physician) in 1836 headed west with another couple, missionaries Henry and Eliza Spalding, on their way to Oregon. The foursome made the grueling trip with a caravan of fur traders for most of the journey for protection. Along the way, Narcissa and Eliza became the […]

This Day In History: August 31, 1888 Just before 4 am on August 31, 1888, on London’s seedy Buck’s Row, a cart driver named Charles Cross saw the body of a woman lying on the ground. In the early morning gloom, it was initially impossible to tell if she was drunk or dead. Cross was soon joined by another carter, […]

This Day In History: August 28, 1968 “If you’re coming to Chicago, be sure to wear some armor in your hair.” – The Chicago Seed – alternative newspaper On August 28, 1968, growing opposition to the war in Vietnam came to a head inside and outside the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. The Democratic National Convention in 1968 was one of […]

This Day In History: August 27, 1990 Dallas, Texas, native Stevie Ray Vaughan grew up inspired to play guitar by his older brother Jimmie Vaughan (of the Fabulous Thunderbirds) and went the usual garage band route of most aspiring young musicians. He formed the band Double Trouble from the ashes of an earlier band in 1978, taking on both lead […]

This Day In History: August 25, 1212 In certain regions of the world, the Middles Ages was a time of religious fervor, portents, visions and the unbridled zeal to abolish the Infidel by any means possible. All of these factors came together to inspire the Crusades – pilgrimages made by good Christian men to the Holy Land to free it […]

This Day In History: August 24, 1981 On August 24, 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20-years-to-life in prison for the murder of John Lennon. Chapman shot the legendary musician four times outside his New York City home, the Dakota, on December 8, 1980. After procuring an autograph from the ex-Beatle earlier in the day, pictured right, (“a very […]

This Day In History: August 21, 1831 Nat Turner was born a slave on October 2, 1800 in Southampton County Virginia. He was deeply devotedly to his Christian faith and believed God spoke to him through visions and signs. One sign compelled him to return to his master after an escape attempt, another inspired the insurrection that would leave hundreds […]

This Day In History: August 20, 1948 “I can’t moan about any of it. I had a great time in the goldfish bowl.” – Robert Plant With his unmistakable vocal style and golden Adonis charisma, Robert Plant was the quintessential ‘70s front man. Part medieval troubadour and part decadent rock god, Plant – along with the rest of Led Zeppelin […]

This Day In History: August 19, 1504 One of the most blood-soaked battles in Irish medieval history took place on August 19, 1504, at Knockdoe, a hillock in County Galway. It would prove to be one of the last old-school medieval infantry battles in the region. At the same time, a couple of battle-field game-changers were implemented during this fight […]

This Day In History: August 18, 1227 On August 18, 1227, Genghis Khan, the legendary Mongol leader who ruled an empire of a scope seldom matched by anyone else in history, died in camp during a military campaign. The exact cause is unknown, but the 65-year-old was in failing health and it has been claimed (perhaps dubiously) that he may […]

This Day In History: August 17, 1893 “I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it.” – Mae West The original blonde bombshell, Mae West, was born on August 17, 1893. Mae grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was “Battlin’ Jack” West, a prizefighter and street brawler for hire. Her mother, Tillie, raised Mae and her […]

This Day In History: August 14, 1980 Everything happened so fast for the twenty-year-old beauty. She went from working at Dairy Queen at 17 to being Playmate of the Year shortly thereafter, then launching a promising acting career. At the same time, she was divorcing her abusive control freak husband in favor of getting engaged to an A-list Hollywood director. […]

This Day In History: August 13, 1913 On August 13, 1913, circus acrobat Otto Witte got one heck of a job promotion when he was crowned the King of Albania. At least, that’s the story. Born in 1872, Otto Witte had been a circus performer most of his life, starting as a lion-tamer at the age of eight. Aside from […]

This Day In History: August 12, 1827 “Shall I call him artist or genius – or mystic – or madman? Probably he is all” – Henry Crabb Robinson One of the most influential figures to emerge during the Romantic Age, or any age, was William Blake. Poet, Printmaker, Painter, Mystic and Maverick, Blake has been a muse for countless artists, […]