Author Archives: penquin

It was on this day in 1814 that The London Times became the first newspaper to be printed by an automatic press. Built by two German inventors, the steam powered machine was able to produce over 2000 pages per hour, compared to only 800 … Continue reading →

“History is a great teacher. Now everyone knows that the labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standards of millions, labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the … Continue reading →

It was on this day in 1095 that Pope Urban II first urged Christians in Europe to wage war against Muslims in the Middle East. The Turks had control of Jerusalem, and they had banned Christian pilgrims from visiting the … Continue reading →

It was on this day in 1864 that Charles Dodgson gave a handwritten manuscript to Alice Liddell. Entitled Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, it was based on a tale he had told the 10 year-old girl and her sisters during a fishing … Continue reading →

“Does anyone know where the decency goes, when you beat up on teachers and nurses?”

This day in history has seen some very rough weather and natural disasters. Earthquakes struck on this day in 1343 (wiping out Naples and other port cities in Italy), 1667 (killing over 80,000 people in the Caucasus region), 1759 (over 40,000 … Continue reading →

May your belly always be full, your naps forever be restful, and you always have plenty to be thankful for…

It was on this day in 1971 that a hijacker who called himself Dan Cooper parachuted out of an airplane. The man, whose actual name was never found out, had purchased a ticket for a flight from Portland OR to Seattle WA. Once … Continue reading →

It was on this day in 1889 that Louis Glass and William Arnold placed a modified Edison cylinder phonograph into a saloon in San Francisco. With an oak cabinet built around it, the machine would play only after a nickle was inserted. … Continue reading →