“On August 27, 1929, El Paso witnessed an incredible event that left people in awe. The streets were filled with excited crowds, cars and people climbing atop buildings, all eager to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary Graf Zeppelin airship. This marvel from pre-Hitler Germany was on a record-breaking round-the-world journey and had El Paso…
Author: Michael Hodges
OTD: The Berlin Blockade ends
On this day, May 12th in 1949, and the Berlin Blockade ends after 318 days. Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, abandoned a blockade of the city that began on 24 June 1948. Germany had been partitioned into four zones of occupation by the Allies in 1945, with its capital Berlin also split into…
Pi in the Sky
Unique places and ways for re-enlisting in the military aren’t a new thing, but I thought this was pretty cool. Not only is her last name Pi, she took her re-enlistment oath on “Pi Day” and on a C-130 aircraft with a tail number ending in 314. That’s fantastic! Serving up a slice of service…
OND: Prince Hall Freemasonry
On this day, March 6th, in 1775 a man named Prince Hall and 14 other men of color were initiated into Freemasonry. This work was conducted by Sergeant John Batt of the Irish Militia Lodge No 441, attached to the 38th Foot of the British army When the 38th Foot left Boston in the colony…
Grilling on an Intel i9 Processor
I’m not sure who made this (or the song name used in it, which Shazam can’t seem to identify) but it’s both hilarious and cool! My old MacBook Pro and iMac both had an i9 processor, and the MBP’s fans would always be on, sounding like a jet engine. The iMac was a reliable furnace…
Throwback: Airwolf Debut, 1984
The TV show ‘Airwolf’ starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Ernest Borgnine premiered 40 years ago, January 22, 1984 on CBS. As an 80s kid, I was of course absolutely obsessed with this show!Sadly, both main characters have since passed, and even the original Bell 222 helicopter used in the TV show was eventually destroyed when it…
Dotson Graves at KSAV
Did you know there are two people buried under one of the runways at Savannah Hilton Head international Airport? When the airport expanded a runway during World War II, it paved over a family burial site. The family’s descendants permitted the relocation of 96 out of the 100 graves. The Dotson family was adamant about…
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 1902
The Masonic Temple at One North Broad Street in 1902, home of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. “The stately Masonic Temple, some thirty years old at the time of this photograph, seems a symbol of stability, for it remains virtually unchanged today. Across Broad Street, however, the site of Reyburn Plaza and the present Municipal…
Final Flight of the Concorde
Wow, it’s been twenty years already… On this day in 2003, the final commercial flight of the Concorde. Arriving at London Heathrow (LHR) for the final commercial flight of the Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde. The historic final landing is performed by British Airways G-BOAF Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde (CN 216 – preserved) flight BA002 New York (JFK) – London…
The Real M*A*S*H
The man on the left in the photo is Dr. Richard Hornberger (aka Richard Hooker), who wrote the original M*A*S*H novel in 1968. The man on the right was one of Dr. Hornberger’s tent mates, Dr. Agrippa (“Grip”) Kellum that signed the photo. Another tent mate not pictured here was Capt. Michael Johnson, the basis…