Kenneth C. Davis's Blog, page 120
June 25, 2010
TODAY IN HISTORY: 60 Years Later- Don't Know Much ABout® the Korean War
It used to be called the "Forgotten War." But it is no longer forgotten, as recent headlines continue to prove. And it never really ended. With the sinking of a South Korean navy submarine in March, tensions between the two countries were once again ratcheted higher. And the firing of Gen. MacChrystal by President Obama this week brought back recollections of the Korean wartime firing of General Douglas MacArthur by President Truman. They were more reminders of the so-called "Forgotten...
TODAY IN HISTORY: 60 Years Later- the Korean War
It used to be called the "Forgotten War." But it is no longer forgotten, as recent headlines continue to prove. And it never really ended. With the sinking of a South Korean navy submarine in March, tensions between the two countries were once again ratcheted higher. And the firing of Gen. MacChrystal by President Obama this week brought back recollections of the Korean wartime firing of General Douglas MacArthur by President Truman. They were more reminders of the so-called "Forgotten...
June 21, 2010
Today in History: Murder in Mississippi
Did Mississippi Burning really happen?
On June 21, 1964, three young civil rights workers were murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Their bodies were discovered a few weeks later.
Here's is the original New York Times story about the crime:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0621.html#article
If Hollywood gets its way, the civil rights movement was saved when Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe rolled into town like two gunslinging Western marshals. In this revisionist cinematic ...
June 18, 2010
Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger informed slaves in the area from the Gulf of Mexico to Galveston, Texas, that they were free. Lincoln had officially issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but it had taken two more years of Union victories to end the war and for this news to reach slaves in remote sections of the country. According to folk traditions, many of the newly freed slaves celebrated the news with ecstasy. Many of them began to travel to other states i...
June 16, 2010
Happy Bloomsday!
"Stately, plump Buck Mulligan. . ."
With those words, James Joyce (February 2, 1882-January 13, 1941) opened Ulysses, chosen in 1999 as the greatest novel of the 20th century by the Modern Library. The novel follows Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus on their wanderings through Dublin on a single day –June 16 1904. Hence, today is "Bloomsday" and complete readings of the book take place all over the world. The date was significant to Joyce because it was the day on which James Joyce first had a...
June 10, 2010
Don't Know Much About® Flag Day (DKMAM #20)
FLAG DAY is celebrated on June 14 in honor of the adoption of the American flag by the Second Continental Congress in 1777.
In 1877, Congress ordered the flag to be flown from every government building on June 14 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the official birth of the American flag. With its thirteen red and white stripes in honor of the original states, the U.S. flag has has changed a lot since 1777, with 50 stars now representing the states. But the familiar symbol of...
Don't Know Much About® Flag Day
FLAG DAY is celebrated on June 14 in honor of the adoption of the American flag by the Second Continental Congress in 1777.
In 1877, Congress ordered the flag to be flown from every government building on June 14 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the official birth of the American flag. With its thirteen red and white stripes in honor of the original states, the U.S. flag has has changed a lot since 1777, with 50 stars now representing the states. But the familiar symbol of...
May 28, 2010
Don't Know Much About® Memorial Day (DKMAM #19)
It's not about the barbecue or the Mattress Sales. Obscured by the holiday atmosphere around Memorial Day is the fact that it is the most solemn day on the national calendar. This video tells a bit about the history behind the holiday.
You can read more about Memorial Day in my Huffington Post piece, Memorial Day and our "Hidden Wars"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kenneth-c-davis/memorial-day-and-our-hidd_b_582222.html
One way to mark Memorial Day is by simply reading the Gettysburg Address.
May 19, 2010
Memorial Day and Hidden Wars
Okay, it is official. "Summer" is here. A few days ago, I saw the first article promising higher prices at the pump for Memorial Day. The traditional kickoff to the summer season always brings front-page stories about travel costs, traffic snarls, picnic tips, and what to wear at the beach. Can a bathing suit sale be far off?
But this Memorial Day comes with darker news– the announcement that the United States military had surpassed more than 1,000 service members killed in...
May 11, 2010
Highlights in the History of a Christian Nation
In a recent Fox News colloquy, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin explained America's religious traditions to Bill O'Reilly. Discussing the National Day of Prayer in May 2010, both underscored their belief that America is a "Christian Nation," founded upon Judeo-Christian principles and the Ten Commandments. Speaking of the Founders and the nation's founding documents, Palin told O'Reilly,
"They're quite clear — that we would create law based on the God of the Bible and the Ten...
