The Edmund Fitzgerald

The American Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald is seen on June 8, 1958 just prior to its' launch into the Detroit River. Until 1971, the 'Fitz" was the largest vessel of its' kind on the Great Lakes. On November 10, 1975, barely 20 miles away from Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay, all radar contact was lost with the vessel during a violent storm. The Edmund Fitzgerald and its' crew of 29 men was lost forever. The cause of the accident remains a mystery to this day. The ship is immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot's famous song 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'.

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

In 1889, one year before his death, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted 'The Starry Night', which depicts the view outside his sanitarium room window at night. Incredibly, he painted it from memory during the day. Since 1941, this famous painting has been in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Audie Murphy

Photo to the right shows Audie Murphy, a much decorated American soldier who served in the European theatre during World War II. Murphy went on to become one of the most highly decorated United States soldiers during World War II, with his awards including the Medal of Honor, and the Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, he successfully pursued an acting career. On May 28, 1971 Audie Murphy died in a plane crash just outside of Roanoke, Virginia at the young age of 47.

Grace Kelly

Leigh Wiener's photograph of American film actress Grace Kelly outlines her enriched beauty. Born Grace Patricia Kelly in Philadelphia on November 12, 1929, she would enjoy a very successful acting career. That would all change on April 19, 1956 when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco and became Princess Grace of Monaco. The couple would have three children, Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stephanie. On September 13, 1982, while driving back to Monaco with her daughter Princess Stephanie, Princess Grace suffered a stroke and lost control of her vehicle. While her youngest daughter survived her injuries, Princess Grace of Monaco succumbed at the age of 53.

President Lincoln Funeral Train

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train is pictured during a stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where his body would lay in state in the capitol building. The train was retracing the route it had traveled from Illinois to Washington, DC in 1860, when Lincoln was elected president.

Steelers 40, Colts 14, Plane 3

As if it had gone straight thru the up rites for three points, a single engine aircraft's wreckage rests in the upper tier seats of Baltimore's Memorial Stadium following a December 19, 1976 NFL Playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Colts. Some officials credited the lopsided score of 40 - 14 in Pittsburgh's favor for saving many lives, as most fans had already left the stadium. The pilot was charged with violating plane safety regulations.

A Fairy Tale To Remember

On July 29, 1981, the wedding that captivated the world took place in London when Lady Diana Spencer married Charles, Prince of Wales. As a result, she became Diana, Princess of Wales. The marriage would end in bitter divorce amidst rumors of infidelity on both sides. Diana would perish in a horrific car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Charles would eventually marry his longtime love interest, Camilla Parker Bowles.

Richard Speck

Richard Speck is pictured here during his 1966 trial for murdering and raping 8 women in a townhouse in a suburb of Chicago. At 11pm on July 13, 1966, Speck entered the residence, which served as a dormitory for student nurses, and he would depart hours later leaving behind eight slain women. One student, who was visiting for the night, managed to wiggle herself under a bed in one of the rooms and survived the ordeal. Speck was convicted and sentenced to death, but it was later changed to life imprisonment. He died in prison in 1991 at the age of 49.

Jon-Benet Ramsey (1990 - 1996)

Who murdered Jon-Benet Ramsey? This question seems destined to never be answered. Jon-Benet was a six year old American child beauty pageant queen who was found murdered in her Boulder Colorado home on Christmas Day in 1996. The local police have never solved the case, despite their initial investigation of her parents, who were eventually cleared of any suspicion. At one point, a suspect who confessed to the crime was later cleared by Boulder Police due to lack of evidence. The case has since gone cold, perhaps never to be solved.

Edward Moore Kennedy

(1932 - 2009)

Suez Canal

This air photograph of the Suez Canal was taken in 1934 by Swiss pilot and photographer Walter Mittelholzer. The Suez Canal, which is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869, the canal allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without having to circumnavigate around the continent of Africa.

Trenton, NJ Pinsetters - 1909

Young pre-teen boys are seen working as pinsetters at the Arcade Bowling Alley in Trenton, New Jersey. The boys worked until midnight or later, earning on average no more than $4.00 per week.

Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts was built originally as a temporary structure for San Francisco's Pam Pacific International Exhibition of 1915. It was made permanent in the 1930's, and remains a huge tourist attraction to this day.

A Unique Birthday Present

Yesterday, August 23, 2009, was truly a historical day in itself. Besides turning 66 years old, I was in a way treated to the most unique birthday present. The Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets baseball game ended with an unassisted triple play. Philadelphia second baseman Eric Bruntlett, who was filling in for the regular second baseman Chase Utley, sealed the Phillies' victory with what turned out to be only the eighteenth unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history, and only the second in history to end a game. The only other time this happened was back in the 1920 World Series.

An unassisted triple play takes place when there are runners on first and second base. The batter up hits a line drive to the second baseman and is called out. The second baseman then steps on second base putting the runner out before he returns to the bag, and finally he tags the runner who is running from first to second. It is referred as unassisted because he made all three outs in the inning on just one play.

Even if you're not a baseball fan, do yourself a favor and click the video link below and watch history being made. I can now remember this memorable day on a personal level.

Robert Frost

Poet and author Robert Frost is pictured conversing with First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the White House East Room. The occasion was a dinner for Nobel Prize Winners on April 29, 1963. The President is seen chatting with Pearl Buck; Lady Byrd Johnson is seated to Ms Buck's right.

Eugene Ely

Eugene Ely takes off in his Curtis pusher airplane from the deck of the U.S.S. Pennsylvania on January 18, 1911. Earlier that day, Ely became the first pilot to successfully land an aircraft on a ship's deck. The Pennsylvania was located in San Francisco Harbor when this historic event took place.

Here Lies Mother Goose

The grave of Mother Goose, pictured at left, is located in the Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Mary Goose, wife of Isaac Goose, is buried here and is believed by many to be the person behind the famous fairy tale character.

George Washington's Teeth

Photo taken between 1910 - 1915

Good Against Evil

This picture shows General Dwight Eisenhower talking to a group of paratroopers on June 5, 1944, the day before the D-Day Invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France.

The invasion would mark the beginning of the end of Nazi dominance in Europe.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder
(1867 - 1957)
Laura Ingalls Wilder, seen here in this undated photo, was an American author whose life was outlined in the famous television series titled after her book, "Little House On The Prairie". Ingalls was born in 1867 in Pepin, Wisconsin and passed away in Mansfield, Missouri at the age of 90.

Birthplace of Old Glory

Birthplace of Old Glory, Betsy Ross House, Philadelphia, PA - 1903.

Iwo Jima Operation - 1945

The first flag-raising ceremony on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima February, 23, 1945.

Marines of the 28th Regiment, Fifth Marine Division, hoist the U.S. flag on a piece of pipe at about 10:20 Hrs on 23 February 1945, after they had captured the summit of Mount Suribachi. This took place some 17 minutes before the famous flag-raising immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal.

Roller Skating

This 1905 print shows a roller skater on old style bicycle skates.

Titanic Survivors

Two Titanic lifeboats are seen as they approach the rescue ship Carpathia-1912.

Fenway Park

The exterior of Boston's Fenway Park, pictured between 1910 and 1915, has changed very little over the years.

Soda Jerker

Soda jerker flips ice cream into malted milk shakes. Corpus Christi, TX 1939

Life By The Sea

From the Treasure Net Historical Image Collection, we see this image of the masts of moored schooners along the wharfs of San Francisco in 1900.

The Grand Canal of China

The Grand Canal of China Is the oldest and longest in the world, surpassing the Suez and Panama canals. The canal was built in 486 BC and its' 1,114 miles include 24 locks and 60 bridges.

Lusitania

Lusitania is seen at a New York City pier on November 20, 1908.

Bread Line

Men standing in New York City bread line in 1915.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921 - 2009)

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of the Late President John F. Kennedy has passed away on Tuesday from multiple strokes. Shriver will be best remembered as the founder of the Special Olympics, and will forever be credited with changing the way the world views mentally challenged individuals.

The Advent of Color

A gas pump outside a barn is pictured in this 1941 farm setting. A clothesline hangs from a nearby tree, while a horse drawn wagon is seen in the distance. With color photography becoming more popular in the 1940's, scenes like this one were more detailed and enhanced.

FDR

A picture of Franklin Roosevelt taken on February 3, 1911, a few days after his 29th birthday.

Coca Cola

A 1905 ad for Coca Cola.

Alcatraz Island

On March 21, 1963 the Alcatraz Island Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay closes. The last 27 prisoners are transferred elsewhere at the order of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

"I Have A Dream"

Dr. Martin Luther King delivers his "I Have A Dream" speech during the March on Washington in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963.

10050 Cielo Drive

Forty years ago today, a horrific crime took place at this home in the Benedict Canyon suburb of Hollywood. On August 9, 1969, actress Sharon Tate, her unborn child, and four friends were brutally murdered by Charles Manson and some of his deranged followers.

Sir Winston

Winston Churchill and his fiancee Clementine Hosier shortly before their marriage in 1908.

The Wienermobile

In 1936 Karl G. Mayer, nephew of the famous Oscar Mayer, had a creative idea for promoting the family company's famous franks. Pictured to the right is the original Wienermobile, which remains popular to this day.

Affordable Gas

Dome Gas Station, Maryland 1926. Note the 23 cent price.

The 1894 Champion Orioles

The Orioles Champion Baseball Club

Baltimore, 1894

Inside The White House

The Cabinet Room in The White House, photographed around 1893.

Golden Gate

This picture of Golden Gate, circa 1891, shows the area prior to the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. Ferry service between San Francisco and Sausalito was the most popular method of travel to Marin County at the time. On May 27, 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was officially opened.

Quabbin Reservoir

Part of the Chicopee River Watershed, the Quabbin Reservoir was built between 1930 and 1939. In addition to the town of Enfield Massachusetts, pictured on the left, the towns of Dana, Greenwich, and Prescott were all officially dissolved and some of their buildings and cemeteries were relocated.

In April of 1938, the area covered by these towns was flooded and became the Quabbin Reservoir, which supplies the drinking water supply to the city of Boston as well as 40 other communities.

Aluminum Bridge, 1958

With the implementation of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, the construction of the Interstate Highway System began in many states. The Iowa Highway Commission began experimenting with aluminum with the building of an overpass in the town of Urbandale in 1958. This aluminum bridge was to become the only one of its' kind, as it was decided to switch back to steel once it became more readily available in the 1960's.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, a portion of which is seen in this 1907 photograph, was built between the 5th Century BC and the 16th Century to protect the northern border from attacks during various dynasties. The total length of the wall is 4000 miles.

Ebbets Field

Photograph of Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, taken on Opening Day April 5, 1913. Below, Genevieve Ebbets, youngest daughter of Charley Ebbets, throws out the first ball.