Helen Keller

The above image shows Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan taken in Brewster, Massachusetts on Cape Cod in July, 1888. The then 8 year old Keller is shown holding one of her many dolls, while seemingly being attentive towards Sullivan. The photo, which was discovered 120 years after it was originally shot, is believed by experts to be the earliest picture taken of Helen Keller.

Pablo Escobar

Born Pablo Emilio Ecsobar Gavaria on December 1, 1949, Escobar was a Columbian drug lord who, at one time, headed the famous Medellin Drug Cartel. His life of crime made him, according to Forbes Magazine in 1989, the 7th richest man in the world. One day after his 44th birthday in 1993, Pablo Escobar met up with his fate, as he was killed in a gun battle with law enforcement agents on a roof top in Medellin.

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and jazz orchestra leader. Born in Washington, DC on April 29, 1899, his award filled musical career resulted in his being largely recognized as one of the greatest figures in the history of jazz. Ellington died in New York City on May 24, 1974 at the age of 75. His image appears on the back of the Washington, DC quarter, which was released in 2009.

The History of Paper

One of China's greatest contributions to the world was the invention of paper. During the Han Dynasty (around 200 B.C.), the Chinese used plant materials and silk rags to make paper. They made durable, long-lasting paper by 105 A.D. This paper became the common form of writing materials for records and books. The Chinese also used paper for creating landscape and figure paintings, windows, lanterns, umbrellas, and fans.

Roll The Dice

Archaeologists from Iran have unearthed the world's oldest backgammon from beneath the rubble of the ancient Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchistan province near Southeastern Iran. This backgammon appears to be older that the one previously discovered in Mesopotamia, leading experts to believe that the famous board game may have originated in Burnt City.

Iran Hostage Crisis

Iranian Islamist students parade a blindfolded American hostage outside the American Embassy in Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis. The students held 53 hostages in the embassy for a total of 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981 in support of the Iranian Revolution. The plane with the released hostages was not allowed to takeoff from Tehran until moments after the newly elected US President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office. Every evening during the crisis, ABC would televise a half hour special, updating the status of the ongoing crisis. This news programming continued after the crisis and became known as Nightline.

Dealy Plaza

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade passed thru Dealy Plaza in Dallas, Texas. The famous plaza is pictured above 1n 1969, appearing virtually unchanged from that fateful day six years earlier. The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, fired the fatal shot from the top floor, far right window of the Texas School Book Depository building.

Old Ironsides

This is the oldest known picture of the USS Constitution, which was taken in 1858 while undergoing repairs at the Navy Yard in Portsmouth, NH. The 44 gun frigate was launched in 1797 in Boston, MA, and was one of six original wooden hull three masted frigates built. The ship was named by President George Washington. Based at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, the Constitution remains on the Navy's active list.

USS Nautilus

The USS Nautilus (SSN-571), The world's first operational nuclear powered submarine, is pictured passing under the George Washington Bridge in 1956 as part of an Armed Forces Week visit to New York harbor. The Nautilus was launched on January 21, 1954 at the submarine base in Groton, CT. On May 10, 1955 the Nautilus traveled fully submerged for 84 hours from New London, CT, to San Juan Puerto Rico. It is also best known for having completed a submerged voyage across the North Pole. The vessel was decommissioned in 1980, and is currently a museum at the Groton Sub Base in Groton, Ct. The USS Nautilus has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Civil Rights in the 60's

The Reverend Martin Luther King is pictured in the center of this picture leading 8000 people in the 3rd Selma Civil Rights March on March 21, 1965. Three marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama were defining moments in the American civil rights movement, which challenged black people's voting rights.

My Childhood Church

During my younger days, I attended St. Francis Xavier Church, which is pictured above. Located in Nashua's north end neighborhood of French Hill, the church was built in 1898, and is the tallest church in the city. It was closed by the Archdiocese of Manchester in 2002 due to declining attendance. The church has been recently sold and is being renovated, under the new name of St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church.

Human Liberty Bell

Recently I was sent an e-mail with a picture of the Human Statue of Liberty. A little research on my part produced an interesting collection of human pictures photographed during World War I for the purpose of promoting the sale of War Bonds. The above photo shows 25000 soldiers and officers at Camp Dix, New Jersey in 1918.

Capitol Building Progress

In 1856, workers removed the old dome of the US Capitol and began replacing it with a new fireproof cast iron dome.

Hard At Work

This picture taken by Fenno Jacobs in August of 1943 shows a man working on the hull of a US submarine at the Electric Boat Company in Groton, CT.

Hollywood Sign

The world famous Hollywood sign was originally built in 1923 as a temporary advertisement and read Hollywoodland, the name of a new housing development in the area. Originally constructed of wood and sheet metal, the sign measured 200 feet in length with the letters being 50 feet tall. In 1949, the local Chamber of Commerce removed the LAND portion of the sign to reflect the name of the area. In 1978, the deteriorating structure was replaced by steel letters which measured 5 feet shorter. The overall sign still retained its' original length.

Old Nashville

Photograph of Nashville Wharf by Calvert Brothers shortly after the Civil War.

September 11, 2001

We must never forget.

My Lai Massacre

One of the ugliest chapters of the Vietnam War was written on March 16, 1968 when Lieutenant William L. Calley, leader of Charlie Company 1st Battalion 20th Infantry, led his men into the town of My Lai, which had been suspected of being an alleged Viet Cong stronghold. Calley and his men slaughtered 300 to 500 unarmed villagers in the South Vietnam hamlet. Hugh Thompson, a helicopter pilot and his two man crew were on a reconnaissance mission over My Lai when he spotted the massacre taking place. Thompson landed his aircraft between Calley's men and the civilians, ordering his men to shoot any Americans who tried to kill anymore civilians. The remaining villagers were rounded up and flown back to Thompson's base, where he then reported his findings. William Calley was the only person to ever be convicted for the My Lai Massacre.

End of The Line - 1921

A house made with two streetcars, pictured above on July 15, 1921. Different!

Mt. Vernon

Mt. Vernon, pictured above, was the plantation home of the first President of The United States, George Washington. Built in 1757 along the shores of the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1960.

Unknown Soldiers

In a ceremony pictured aboard the USS Canberra on May 20, 1958, the selection of the World War II Unknown Serviceman and the Korean War Unknown Serviceman is taking place. The Korean War Unknown is in the center casket, while the two World War II candidates are on either side. The Korean War Unknown and the World War II Unknown on the far right were selected and taken to Arlington National Cemetery for internment. The other World War II Unknown Serviceman was buried at sea.

The Pride of Baltimore

The Pride of Baltimore was an authentic reproduction of a 19th century Baltimore Clipper topsail schooner, and was commissioned in 1977 by the citizens of Baltimore, Maryland. The tall ship, which served as a Goodwill Ambassador to promote business and tourism for the State of Maryland, was lost at sea on May 14, 1986 along with 4 of its' 12 crew members. A replica and modernized version of the original Pride, The Pride of Baltimore II, pictured above, was launched in 1988.

The Alaska Pipeline

The Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is an 800 mile pipeline that covers an area from the Arctic Ocean south to the Gulf of Alaska. Built from 1974 to 1977 during the oil crisis, the series of 48 inch diameter pipes pumps more than 2 million barrels of crude oil from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez, Alaska. Several environmental and political issues had to be satisfied over a period of time before the first barrel of oil was to be pumped. One example of these issues is the concerns of possible harm to the the habitats of the native caribou herds and other local wildlife. To date, the Alaska Pipeline has pumped nearly 16 billion barrels of oil, while managing to not disturb the local environment.

Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga is an 18th Century fort built in 1755 - 1758 near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York. The site was strategically important during the 18th Century colonial conflicts between Great Britain and France, and to a lesser extent during the American Revolutionary War. A popular tourist attraction today and a museum, it was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960. It would eventually be placed on the National Registry of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

My Hometown

Main Street in downtown Nashua, New Hampshire looking north is shown in this undated picture. The automobiles pictured would indicate a possible time frame of the 1940's. On the far left, the marquee of the old Daniel Webster Theatre is prominently seen, while across the street just slightly to the left of the Sears sign, we can see the old State Theatre. Both these locations kept me off the streets and ate up most of my allowance in my younger days.

Robert Todd Lincoln

Robert Todd Lincoln, with President Harding directly to his right, is pictured at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922. He was the first son of President Abraham Lincoln and Marry Todd Lincoln, and the only one of Lincoln's children to live past his teenage years.

Chernobyl

The abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine is seen with the Chernobyl Nuclear plant in the distance. On April 26, 1986 at 1:23 am local time, the plant's number 4 reactor suffered what has been described as the worst nuclear reactor accident in history. As a result, 400 times more fallout was released than had been by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In addition to the 56 direct deaths, it is estimated that 600,000 were exposed to the radiation, possibly resulting in 4000 lifetime cancer deaths.

Zachary Taylor

This undated photo shows Zachary Taylor, 12th President of The United States. He held the office from March 4, 1849 until July 9, 1850. Known as "Old Rough and Ready", Taylor had a 40 year military career in the US Army. At one time, he lead his troops to several victories of critical battles during the Mexican-American War. In 1848, he was recruited by the Whipp Party to be their nominee in the upcoming presidential election. On July 9, 1850, Zachary Taylor died in office at the age of 65. The cause of death was gastroenteritis from having consumed rotten cherries and spoiled milk.

Gateway To The West

This 1965 picture taken from across the Mississippi River in St Louis shows the Gateway Arch nearing its' completion. Construction began February 12, 1963 and was fully completed on October 28, 1965. The Arch was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

New York to Paris - 1908

The German car Protos is pictured on February 12, 1908 as it prepares to take part in the Great Race of 1908. The race began in New York's Times Square and the finish line was at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with the route going via Alaska and Siberia. The Protos was assessed a 15 day penalty for having shipped the car by rail from Ogden, Utah to Seattle. Although first to cross the finish line on July 26, 1908, the car officially was ruled a second place finisher as a result of the penalty.