The First Stanley Cup

The Montreal Hockey Club of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) was the first team to officially win the Stanley Cup on March 17, 1893. Donated in 1892 by the Governor General of Canada,  Lord Stanley of Preston, the Stanley Cup was to be awarded to the amateur hockey team that finished their season with the best record. Today's version of the cup features several layers of rings bearing the names of players on the winning teams, topped off by the original bowl, which can be seen in this picture.

President John Hanson

On March 1, 1781, our country was formed and the Articles of Confederation were adopted. With that, Congress unanimously chose John Hanson as the first president of the United States. Under the Articles, the president was allowed to only serve one term, and Hanson was succeeded by six other presidents between 1783 and 1788. Ultimately, the Articles of Confederation never worked properly, and so the Constitution that we follow today was adopted, and George Washington was elected the first president under that Constitution. In history, the first seven presidents remain forgotten.

His 30 Year War

Hiroo Onoda is pictured in 1974 surrendering to authorities in the Philippines. In December of 1944 during WWII, Onoda, an intelligence officer, originally was assigned to Lubang Island in the Philippines. There he was to 'do whatever he could' to hamper enemy efforts to take the island. He and three other Japanese soldiers survived an attack on the island, and managed to escape into the nearby mountains.

Onoda held up there for the next 30 years, never knowing that the war was over. During  that time, his three fellow soldiers died, and repeated efforts to find him included dropping leaflets, which he believed were fake. Hiroo Onoda had told Norio Suzuki, a college student who had met up with him a few years earlier, that the only way he would surrender would be to his commanding officer. In February of 1974, Suzuki returned to Lubang Island with Onoda's former commanding officer, who persuaded him to surrender.  

Madame Curie

Marie Curie won the Nobel Peace Prize for physics and chemistry, the only woman ever to do so for both categories. She did so for her discovery of the theory of radioactivity. Her work kept her constantly exposed to radiation throughout her working life, contributing to her death on July 4, 1934 from aplastic anemia. She was 66 years old. To this day, her papers have been stored in special lead lined boxes, and anyone wishing to research them must do so wearing protective clothing.

RMS Queen Mary

The luxury liner RMS Queen Mary is pictured in New York Harbor on June 20, 1945. Although her maiden voyage was in 1936, the ship was fitted with anti-aircraft guns and used as a military transport vessel during World War II from 1940 to 1944.

 After the Queen Mary's retirement in 1967, the city of Long Beach, California purchased the ship and opened it to the public in 1971 as a hotel, restaurant, & museum exhibit.

Coventry Cathedral

Winston Churchill tours the roofless ruins of Coventry Cathedral after it was almost completely destroyed by a World War II bombing in November of 1940. Located in West Midlands, England, St. Michael's Cathedral, as it became known, was constructed between the late 14th and early 15th centuries.

In the post-war years, a new cathedral was erected directly adjacent to the old cathedral ruins, as seen in the above picture. 

Nellie Bly

Female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), who was widely known by her pen name Nellie Bly, is pictured in 1890 after having traveled around the world in a record setting 72 days. In addition to her famous voyage, she was also known for her report in which she faked mental illness and was admitted to an asylum in order to expose corruption in the institution. 

Tokyo Rose

Iva Toguri was an American who participated in propaganda broadcasts by Radio Tokyo to Allied soldiers in the South Pacific during World War II. On her program, 'Zero Hour', Toguri referred to herself as 'Orphan Ann', but she quickly became known as 'Tokyo Rose' to Allied troops.

When she tried to return to the United States, she was tried on 8 counts of treason, and eventually convicted on one count. Iva Toguri was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and was paroled after serving 6 years and 2 months. In 1974, an investigation into her trial revealed that a key witness had lied in their testimony. In 1977, President Gerald Ford issued her a full pardon. She died of natural causes on September 26, 2006.

Gloria Swanson

American actress Gloria Swanson is pictured in this still from her 1919 movie "Don't Change Your Husband". Born Gloria May Josephine Swanson on March 27, 1899, she made her acting debut in 1914 during the silent film era. Swanson was also known for her affair with a married Joseph P. Kennedy, who was her business partner and father of the future US President John F. Kennedy. She died at the age of 84 on April 4, 1983 in New York City.

Ferris Wheel

The first Ferris wheel, invented by George Washington Gale Ferris, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania bridge builder, is pictured in 1893 at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The wheel became known as the 'Chicago Wheel'.

The Rosenberg Executions

(Julius & Ethel Rosenberg during their trial)

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were American Communists who were tried and convicted of conspiring to commit espionage by passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. The Rosenbergs, as a result, were executed in Sing Sing Prison's electric chair on June 19, 1953. They became the first civilians to be executed for espionage in the history of the United States. 

(The Rosenbergs following their execution)

The Rosenberg execution remains controversial to this day. Ethel's involvement in the spy ring is believed by many to have been minimal at best, as supported by recently decoded Soviet cables codenamed VENONA.

Also in September, 2008, Morton Sobell, a co-defendant in the trial, admitted that he and Julius Rosenberg engaged in spying for the Soviets but that he believed that Ethel only knew of her husband's involvement and wasn't a participant.

History Of Golf

The Old St. Andrews Golf Course in Scotland, where many believe the present 18 hole version of golf originated. This photo shows the world famous course in 1891.

Mary Katherine Campbell

Miss America 1922, Mary Katherine Campbell, is pictured above. She was the only woman in the pageant's history to win the title twice, the second being in 1923. The first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921.

The Black Dahlia

Elizabeth Short is pictured after her arrest in Santa Monica on September 23, 1943 for underage drinking. She was 19 at the time.

On the morning of January 15, 1947, on a vacant lot in Los Angeles, the nude severed body of Elizabeth Short was found. A product of a broken home, the 23 year old woman had relocated to California from the East Coast in hopes of discovering fame and fortune. She led a somewhat troubled, sometimes mysterious life, culminating in her murder, which to this day, remains unsolved. The Black Dahlia nickname is believed to have originated from her hairstyle and black attire, others believe the media created it in order to sensationalize the murder case.

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.

The Model T Ford

T-model Ford car parked outside the Geelong, Victoria Australia Library at its' launch 1915. The Model T was the first automobile to be simultaneously mass produced in several countries.

McDonald's

The site of the original McDonald's is now The McDonald's Museum. Originally founded in 1940 by Dick & Mac McDonald in San Bernadino, CA. In 1955, Ray Kroc purchased the small chain of restaurants in Des Plaines, IL., and the McDonald's Corporation was born. Today, McDonald's operates 31,000 restaurants worldwide.

The 1972 Munich Olympics

The 1972 Munich Olympics would prove costly for the Israeli Olympic Team, as their complex would be attacked by the militant group Black September. On September 5 & 6, what has become known as the Munich Massacre would claim the lives of 11 athletes and coaches, 1 police officer, and 5 terrorists before it was all over. The above image remains a sad reminder of those 2 days.

Minnie Riperton

Who in our generation can forget her song 'Lovin You', which topped the charts in April 1975? Minnie Riperton possessed a rare ability in her tremendous singing talent. She was able to sing in what is known as a five-octave vocal range, which became her trademark in many of her songs. Minnie passed away at the young age of 31 in 1979, having lost her battle with breast cancer.