Critical Error

In a recent article, Louise Patten, writer and granddaughter of Titanic's 2nd officer Charles Lightoller, tells of his lifetime silence on the real cause of the 1912 disaster. She stated that the family kept it quiet all these years in order to protect Lightoller's reputation and that of his fellow crew.

Lightoller stated that a steering mistake doomed the giant ocean liner and more than 1500 of the people on board. When the iceberg had been spotted, the ship could have been steered to the left and around it. However, panic on the part of a crew member at the helm resulted in the ship turning the wrong way and directly into the ice's oncoming path.

He also believed the Titanic could have stayed afloat much longer had the Captain not been convinced by a company executive to continue on after it was hit. The ship's sinking could have been delayed long enough for the rescue vessels to arrive and possibly saving all those lives.

What is believed to be the last known image of the Titanic as it leaves Queenstown on its' fatal voyage.

Old Meets New

Photographer William England snapped this photograph of the Niagara Suspension Bridge in 1859. Viewed as an engineering marvel in its' time, the structure not only accommodated the modern trains of the era, but also the old horse and buggy traffic, as seen on the lower level beneath the tracks.

Pope John Paul I

Albino Luciani was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church on August 26, 1978, and took the name John Paul I. He brought simplicity to the Papacy from day 1 when he refused the customary Papal Coronation ceremony to begin his reign. That reign only lasted 33 days, as he was found dead in his residence on September 28, 1978.

Much controversy has surrounded his death over the years, resulting in some conspiracy theories that exist to this day. The Vatican was not completely forthcoming on much of the information released on his death. For example, it was reported that his secretary found the body, when in fact, a nun did while bringing him his morning coffee. The Vatican also reported he had health problems due to heavy smoking, when in fact it was learned that John Paul had never smoked.

His body was embalmed within one day of his death, setting off suspicions of it being done to avoid an autopsy, raising the possibility to some that he may have met with foul play. An official death certificate on his death has never been found.

Curse of The Bambino

The Bambino

After winning the 1918 World Series, the Boston Red Sox shocked the baseball world by selling their star player Babe Ruth to their arch rivals, the New York Yankees. With this acquisition, the Yankees became a better team over the years, and the Red Sox would go an incredible 86 years without winning another World Series. Many blamed the sale of Ruth to New York for Boston's long lasting post season misfortunes, eventually referring to it as 'The Curse of The Bambino'.

In 2004 the curse would be finally broken, with Boston overcoming an 0-3 deficit and defeating the New York Yankees in four straight games. Boston would face St. Louis in the World Series, winning the series 4-0. Cardinals shortstop Edgar Renteria, who wore #3, which was Babe Ruth's number with the Yankees, hit into the final out of the game giving the Red Sox the Championship, finally putting 'The Curse of The Bambino' to rest.

The Royal Theatre

Royal Theatre pictured in 1960

Opened in 1922 on Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, the Royal Theatre featured films as well as live shows by black entertainers, many of whom would go on to become icons in show business. Among the list of greats hosted at the Royal are Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Supremes, Jackie Wilson, The Temptations, and James Brown.

The Royal Theatre was torn down in the late 70's after four decades of operation. Today, Marquee Plaza stands on the Royal Theatre's site, symbolizing its' great contributions to not only Black History, but to the music industry as a whole.

A Spy Story With Legs

In this rare undated picture, Marina Lee appears as no more than the ballerina star she was during the World War II years. However, recently declassified papers from British Intelligence present her otherwise. As a German secret agent with striking beauty, Lee was somehow able to infiltrate Allied Defense offices, stealing battle plans of attack and turning them over to the Nazis.

Her accomplishments are credited with contributing to the fall of Norway to the Nazis early in the war. Intelligence from the French included the entry: Very nice legs.

Civil War Navy

The USS Monitor was a single turret naval vessel that was launched during the Civil War and saw battle until it was lost at sea on December 31, 1862. Over the years, several other monitors were added to the fleet and joined in the war.

It should be noted that the word 'monitor', while reflecting the name of the Navy's original vessel, became a reference term for all shallow-draft type vessels. The US Monitor Onondaga, a double turreted vessel, is pictured in 1864 near Aikens Landing, Virginia along the James River.

Harpers Ferry, WV 1862

The Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers come together in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where the railroad bridge is pictured in ruins after the Battle of Harpers Ferry in September 1862.

The Shot Heard 'Round The World!

At the Polo Grounds on October 3, 1951, Bobby Thomson, with his hand raised, is greeted at home plate by his New York Giants teammates after hitting what was to become known as the most famous home run in baseball history. Hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, the home run resulted in a series victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers, and would send the Giants to face the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Bobby Thomson passed away on Monday August 16, 2010 at the age of 86 in his Savannah, Georgia home. His famous home run will always be remembered as the shot heard 'round the world!.

City Gate

Kalgan, a gate to the Great Wall of China-1899

In his memoirs about a family trip to China in 1899, Herbert Hoover recalls his Christmas Eve stop in the town of Kalgan. While there, he met an American medical team doing missionary work. He describes the Christmas dinner he had there as a 'good one, but the fine American faces were a better tonic'.