This Day In History: August 6, 1890 “I would rather see ten hangings than one such execution as this. In fact I never care to witness such a scene again. It was fearful. No humane man could witness it without the keenest agony.” – Deputy Coroner Jenkins of New York On August 6, 1890, murderer William Kemmler became the first […]

This Day In History: August 5, 1962 In the early morning hours of August 5, 1962, legendary screen goddess Marilyn Monroe was found dead in the bedroom of her Los Angeles home at the age of 36. From the moment her body was discovered, her death became as much of a media circus as most of her life had been, […]

This Day In History: August 4, 1892 Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks; When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. Most people know this rhyme about Lizzie Borden, but far fewer know the fact that she was acquitted of any crime. (The “whack” count is also over-stated, but we’ll get […]

This Day In History: August 1, 1981 “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” These were among the first words spoken when MTV, or Music Television, debuted on the airwaves at 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981. The first video played by the fledgling channel described the effect MTV would have on the music industry accurately and succinctly – “Video Killed […]

This Day In History: July 31, 1975 Controversial Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa was reported missing on July 31, 1975 after vanishing from a restaurant parking lot in Detroit, Michigan the previous day. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance still remain a mystery and have made Hoffa a permanent fixture of American folklore. Jimmy Hoffa showed exceptional leadership skills from a very […]

This Day In History: July 29, 1981 On July 29, 1981, the Fairytale Wedding of the Century took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The handsome prince stood at the altar awaiting his young and beautiful blushing bride who had won his heart over all the other girls in the kingdom. The Lady arrived at the church a mere […]

This Day In History: July 28, 1794 On July 28, 1794, the man who was once the hero of the French Revolution suffered an astounding fall from grace. His zealousness and tireless devotion to “The Cause” made him the obvious choice to lead the Revolution during its most radical phase known as the Reign of Terror. Ironically, the very qualities […]

This Day In History: July 25, 306 Constantine the Great is probably best remembered for being the first Christian Roman emperor, but he was a ruler of historical significance for other reasons as well. When Constantius was appointed as one of the two caesares, or junior emperors, of the Tetrarchy in 293, his son Constantine went to Nicomedia to serve […]

This Day In History: July 24, 1938 Although instant coffee had been around before this date, the instant coffee we know and love – or revile – today was introduced on July 24, 1938. The Nescafe (a combination of the words “Nestles” and “café”) brand was the result of a more sophisticated coffee refining process than earlier versions of the […]

This Day In History: July 23, 1918 On July 23, 1918, an infant named Viola Cooper died from unexplained causes, and during the next several years there were several more unexplained deaths in Dannebrog, Howard County, Nebraska. Many of the deceased were children, though one was an elderly woman and another was a young man. All of the victims had […]

This Day In History July 22, 1991 “I have to question whether there is an evil force in the world and whether or not I have been influenced by it. Although I am not sure if there is a God or if there is a Devil, I know that as of lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about […]

This Day In History: July 21, 356 BCE On July 21, 356 B.C.E., a man named Herostratus deliberately set fire to the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in modern-day Turkey, a beloved architectural marvel that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Herostratus did not try to evade capture for his heinous act, rather he openly bragged […]

This Day In History July 18, 1984 On July 18, 1984, 21 people lost their lives and another 19 were injured when James Oliver Huberty went on a shooting rampage in a McDonald’s just outside of San Diego, California. Huberty kept shooting for 77 minutes until a sniper’s bullet pierced his heart and killed him. James Oliver Huberty brought his […]

This Day In History: July 17, 1917 By the summer of 1917, the British Royal family was in quite a pickle. Although King George V was the reigning monarch of the Great Britain, his ancestry was almost entirely German, and during World War I anti-German sentiment among the British people was verging on hysteria. German-owned stores were destroyed, and the […]

This Day In History: July 16, 1999 Friday, July 16, 1999 was one of those hazy, hot and humid July evenings in the northeast that everyone remembers fondly when buried in January snowdrifts. It’s great beach weather but not the best conditions for flying, especially for a relatively inexperienced pilot. John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy […]

This Day In History: July 15, 1099 “Christians, hasten to help your brothers in the East, for they are being attacked. Arm for the rescue of Jerusalem under your captain Christ. Wear his cross as your badge. If you are killed your sins will be pardoned.” These were the words spoken by Pope Urban II calling for all good Christian […]

This Day In History: July 14, 1881 On July 14, 1881, one of the Old West’s best known and yet most misunderstood outlaws was gunned down by an ambush when he walked into a dark bedroom. His death led to a mythological legend based half in fact, half in fancy. Most accounts state that Billy the Kid was born on […]