To All
. Good Tuesday morning May 26. It is starting out cooler again today and the skies are going to be overcast and we will hit 66 around 1 The forecast is for a lot of overcast skies and lower temps over the next week .
My physical Therapist dug in my hip with the point of her elbow this morning and found all the points in my lower back and hip that cause me to groan and yelp but things are feeling pretty good down there right now .The last time she did this we did mat work that night and I had to demonstrate how to do break falls to my students. The hip was not happy. So classes on Thursday will not include mat work. I am not a slow learner most of the time.
I have to go pull out all my flight gear out of the back of my car and pack it up for next year. I may take it to Class on Thursday for a show and tell. I did have a few students show up on the USS Midway.
Warm Regards,
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director’s corner for all 97 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History May 26
May 26 On This Day
1943 USS Saury (SS 189) attacks a Japanese convoy south of Kyushu and sinks transport Kagi Maru, about 10 miles north of the Nansei Shoto. Also on this date, USS Whale (SS 239) sinks Japanese gunboat Shoei Maru (which is transporting men of the Guam Base Detachment) about 17 miles north-northwest of Rota, Mariana Islands.
1944 USS England (DE 635) sinks its fifth Japanese submarine in a week, (RO 108), 110 miles northeast of Manus.
1952 The feasibility of the angled-deck concept is demonstrated in tests conducted on a simulated deck by Naval Air Test Center and Atlantic Fleet pilots using both jet and prop aircraft on board USS Midway (CVB 41).
1958 Medal of Honor recipient Hospitalman William R. Charette selects the World War II Unknown Serviceman onboard USS Canberra (CAG 2) off the Virginia Capes.
1990 USS Beaufort (ATS 2) rescues 24 Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea.
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Today in World History May 26
0017 Germanicus of Rome celebrates his victory over the Germans.
1328 William of Ockham is forced to flee from Avignon by Pope John XXII.
1647 A new law bans Catholic priests from the colony of Massachusetts. The penalty is banishment or death for a second offense.
1670 Charles II and Louis XIV sign a secret treaty in Dover, England, ending hostilities between England and France.
1691 Jacob Leisler, leader of the popular uprising in support of William and Mary's succession to the throne, is executed for treason.
1736 British and Chickasaw forces defeat the French at the Battle of Ackia.
1831 The Russians defeat the Poles at the Battle of Ostroleka.
1835 A resolution is passed in the U.S. Congress stating that Congress has no authority over state slavery laws.
1864 The territory of Montana is organized.
1865 The last Confederate army surrenders in Shreveport, Louisiana.
1868 President Andrew Johnson is acquitted of all charges of impeachment.
1897"Dracula" goes on sale in London
1896 The last czar of Russia, Nicholas II, is crowned.
1938 The House Committee on Un-American Activities begins its work of searching for subversives in the United States.
1940 The evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk begins.
1946 A patent is filed in the United States for the H-bomb.
1958 Union Square, San Francisco, becomes a state historical landmark.
1961 A U.S. Air Force bomber flies across the Atlantic in a record of just over three hours.
1961 The civil rights activist group, Freedom Ride Coordinating Committee, is established in Atlanta.
1969 Apollo 10 returns to Earth.
1977 The movie Star Wars debuts.
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May 26
Hello All,
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
If you have any questions or comments about RTR/TFO, or have a question on my book, you may e-mail me directly at acrossthewing@protonmail.com. Thank you Dan
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url elow and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
May 26: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2900
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear’s Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady’s work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend . The site works, find anyone you knew in “search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to Carl
The Great George Carlin on Germs, Viruses, Immune System, and Infections - LewRockwell LewRockwell.com (MUST WATCH! This is from his “You Are All Diseased” routine in 1999 with his typical language warning. Was always a fan of Carlin’s brilliance and have been binging on his old routines to add comic relief to all the negative current events. I saw this classic one a few weeks ago and meant to send it. So appropriate to issues recently! Carlin was way ahead of his time and so prophetic! He would be priceless today! He died in 2008 of heart failure at 71. A few of his famous quotes below.)
The Great George Carlin on Germs, Viruses, Immune System and Infections May 24, 2022 https://www.lewrockwell.com/2022/05/no_author/the-great-george-carlin-on-germs-viruses-immune-system-and-infections/
George Carlin - Germs, Immune System - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X29lF43mUlo&t=16s
Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own, and control the corporations. They've long since bought, and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear.
Some people have no idea what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.
I've set my own rules to live by. The first one is: 'Never believe ANYthing the government says.'
When fascism comes to America, it will not be in brown and black shirts. It will not be with jack-boots. It will be Nike sneakers and Smiley shirts. Germany lost the Second World War. Fascism won it. Believe me, my friend.
Every day I beat my own previous record for the number of consecutive days I’ve stayed alive.
In America, anyone can become president. That's the problem
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Thanks to HISTORY Facts
The Most Popular TV Shows of All Time
The way we watch television is changing, and so is the way we measure viewership: 2023 was the first year in which viewers who no longer pay for traditional TV such as cable service outnumbered those who still do. Cord-cutting is increasingly the norm as people flock to Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services. The small screen remains a favorite passive pastime all the same, with Nielsen ratings and other metrics showing why the following seven shows have proven so enormously popular with viewers around the world. All of them proved popular throughout their run, with individual episodes (often their finales) setting records for viewership.
The Fugitive (1963-1967)
Before it was a Harrison Ford movie, The Fugitive was a wildly popular TV series. It took all 120 episodes — 90 broadcast in black and white, 30 in color — to reveal what really happened to the wrongly accused Dr. Richard Kimble (portrayed by David Janssen), and America was more than ready by the end. The series finale, “The Judgment,” set a record when 78 million people watched it, but The Fugitive’s place atop the ratings mountain didn’t last long. When the series ended in 1967, the show that eventually dethroned it was just five years from making its own debut on the small screen.
M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
M*A*S*H aired 256 episodes throughout its 11 seasons, none of which drew more viewers than its record-shattering finale. When “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” aired on February 28, 1983, around 105 million viewers were there to see how the beloved series ended — the most of any television broadcast in American history at that point, a record that stood until Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. Nearly 60% of American households helped make it the most-watched episode of any TV show by tuning in, a record unlikely to be broken in the streaming era.
Roots (1977)
Few series have become cultural phenomena to the same extent as Roots, the miniseries about slavery’s history and legacy based on Alex Haley’s novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. In addition to critical acclaim and a slew of accolades — the show won a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award, and nine of the 37 Emmys for which it was nominated — Roots broke Nielsen ratings records during the eight consecutive nights on which it aired, and every episode still ranks among the 100 most-watched episodes of all time. Roughly 51% of all American households gathered around their television sets for the finale, and an estimated 140 million viewers watched the show overall. It seems to have been all anyone could talk about in January 1977: “Theaters and restaurants emptied out during the show,” wrote TIME magazine’s Frank Rich two years later. “Hundreds of colleges started Roots courses; the National Archives in Washington found itself flooded by citizens’ requests for information about their ancestors.” In addition to a 1979 sequel, Roots also inspired a 2016 remake.
Dallas (1978-1991)
Dallas was well known for its cliffhangers throughout its 13-year run, but none of them riled the country into a frenzy the way its third-season finale did. “A House Divided” premiered on March 21, 1980, and after it aired, everyone was asking the same question: “Who shot J.R.?” When that burning question was answered exactly eight months later, 76% of all television viewers in the U.S. were watching — meaning every other show broadcast combined for just a quarter of the night’s total viewership. That amounted to some 90 million people, a record that stood until the M*A*S*H finale. The cliffhanger’s massive success helped popularize the now-common practice of ending a season with unresolved questions, including the Simpsons spoof “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” It wasn’t just this one episode that drew viewers, however — Dallas was a ratings success throughout its run, with seasons 4 through 8 all ranked either first or second according to Nielsen.
Cheers (1982-1993)
It’s the place where everybody knows your name, and just about everyone in the country tuned in when Cheers aired the last of its 275 episodes. “One for the Road” received a Nielsen rating of 45.5, meaning 45.5% of all American televisions were tuned to the episode, with a total viewership of some 93 million. To this day, M*A*S*H is the only series finale to be seen by more people — even massive hits such as Seinfeld (76 million), Friends (52.5 million), and Game of Thrones (13.6 million) didn’t come close.
The World of the Married (2020)
Traditional television viewership may be declining in the U.S., but it’s never been more popular in South Korea. Viewership records have been set and broken time and again over the last several years, as K-dramas have proved increasingly popular abroad as well. TV ratings are measured in terms of the percentage of households that tune in to a given episode, and the twisty relationship miniseries The World of the Married holds the current record in its home country. A full 28.37% of Korean homes (more than 14 million people) tuned in to the finale, breaking the previous record of 23.77% set by Sky Castle a year earlier.
Squid Game (2021)
South Korea is also responsible for Netflix’s most-watched series of all time: Squid Game, the global sensation that 142 million households pressed play on for a total of 1.65 billion viewing hours within four weeks of its release; the only other Netflix series to crack 1 billion viewing hours in that time frame are Wednesday and Stranger Things 4. Squid Game also won awards across the globe and has been renewed for a second season, which is expected to be wildly popular as well.
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I cleaned up all other stuff surrounding all of these and provided just the basic facts. Enjoy and it may help you win a bet someday..skip
Thanks to Interesting Facts
Did they really say this?
1 of 10
Gloria Steinem: “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”
A few variants of this phrase exist, most notably: “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” The saying is often attributed to feminist writer Gloria Steinem, or sometimes Erica Jong. Neither is correct: The modern incarnation of the phrase first appeared on a bathroom wall in Australia.
Devoted researchers on the Quote Investigator website have traced germs of the saying even earlier, to 19th-century American newspapers, who ran various lines comparing democracy without whiskey, fish without water, and women without husbands (all were bad). Later, the phrase “fish without a bicycle” was connected, satirically, to the idea of a man without religion. The Australian social activist Irina Dunn has taken credit for the modern phrase, saying she scrawled it in at least two bathrooms in Australia in 1970.
2 of 10
Nelson Mandela: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
Anti-apartheid hero and former South African president Nelson Mandela never said this. The phrase originated with Marianne Williamson, the New Age guru and erstwhile 2020 presidential candidate. According to Quote Investigator, the phrase first appeared in chapter seven of Williamson’s 1992 bestseller, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles.
The full quote is: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.”
Some people find the lines inspiring, but there’s no connection with Mandela. In fact, it’s not quite clear how the statesman was given credit, except that people think it’s the kind of thing he might have said.
3 of 10
Abraham Lincoln: “People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.”
It’s a very diplomatic phrase, but Lincoln never said it. Quote Investigator traced the expression to 19th century humorist Charles Farrar Browne, also known as Artemus Ward. In 1863, Browne created a series of fake testimonials for some lectures he was performing, including a fictitious blurb from one “O. Abe.” This “Abe” supposedly said: “I have never heard any of your lectures, but from what I can learn I should say that for people who like the kind of lectures you deliver, they are just the kind of lectures such people like.”
The testimonial was reprinted in multiple places, and versions of the saying became associated with Lincoln. Later on, a story arose that Browne had read a lecture to Lincoln, who responded with a version of the phrase. Later still, Browne’s name was dropped from the situation entirely. The writers George Bernard Shaw, Max Beerbohm, and Muriel Spark have all used the phrase — but long after it was already circulating.
By the way, other things Lincoln never said include: “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years,” and “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power,” among many other examples.
4 of 10
Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
It’s a lovely saying, but it wasn’t Gandhi. He did say something similar: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.”
According to Quote Investigator, the more succinct version of the phrase doesn’t start appearing until the mid-1970s—decades after Gandhi’s death.
5 of 10
Mark Twain: “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”
It’s funny enough that it seems like Twain could have said it. He didn’t. The man born Samuel Langhorne Clemens did have some funny quips about the weather, though, including the following: “I reverently believe that the Maker who made us all makes everything in New England but the weather. I don't know who makes that, but I think it must be raw apprentices in the weather-clerk's factory who experiment and learn how, in New England, for board and clothes, and then are promoted to make weather for countries that require a good article, and will take their custom elsewhere if they don't get it.”
Other funny things Twain didn’t say include: “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint,” and “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
6 of 10
Freud: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”
Although Freud was often pictured smoking a cigar, he never actually said this. According to Quote Investigator, the line first appears in the medical journal Psychiatry in 1950, where it’s attributed as a “famous remark” of Freud’s. But it wasn’t
7 of 10
Marie Antoinette: “Let them eat cake!”
Despite the stories that have circulated about her for centuries — like the one saying she delivered this line after being told the peasants had no bread — Marie Antoinette wasn’t a frivolous bimbo. In fact, she was smart, sensitive, and charitable, according to her biographer Lady Antonia Fraser.
Fraser and others have noted that versions of this line existed long before Antoinette’s birth. The tale was first told about Spanish princess Marie-Thérèse, who married Louis XIV in 1660. She supposedly suggested that the French people eat “la croûte de pâté,” or “the crust of the pâté.” Other royals were connected to the story over the years, and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau made the line famous in his 1766 Confessions, but he attributed it to “a great princess” — not one in specific.
8 of 10
Marilyn Monroe: “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.”
Monroe is credited with a number of popular sayings that appear next to her iconic image on Tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. It seems fairly clear that the credit for this one should actually go to Bette Midler, although she didn’t use those exact words. According to Quote Investigator, the original phrasing appeared in a newspaper supplement called “Family Weekly” in 1980, which included a section where ordinary people could ask questions of celebrities.
Midler was asked “Is it true that you really have a passion for shoes? If so, what kind do you prefer?” She responded: “The spike-heeled kind. They’re not always easy to find. I firmly believe that with the right footwear one can rule the world. Fortunately for the world, I have not found the correct footwear to achieve that goal. However, shoe stores across the nation can attest to my sincere and persistent efforts in that direction.”
9 of 10
Albert Einstein: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”
Einstein might have agreed with the sentiment, but he didn’t say it. Quote Investigator suggests crediting sociologist William Bruce Cameron, who wrote in a 1963 tome: “It would be nice if all of the data which sociologists require could be enumerated because then we could run them through IBM machines and draw charts as the economists do. However, not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” There’s no reference to Einstein saying it until 1986, more than three decades after his death.
10 of 10
Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
The famous French philosopher Voltaire, born François-Marie Arouet, died in 1778, but this saying surfaced in the early 20th century. It first appears in a 1906 book called The Friends of Voltaire and describes Voltaire’s attitude to a situation, not something he actually said. According to Quote Investigator, the historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall (writing as S. G. Tallentyre) wrote about a kerfuffle over a controversial text, De l’esprit (“On the Mind”) which was banned and publicly burned. Voltaire was no fan of the book, but thought the response was a bit much.
As Hall tells it: “‘What a fuss about an omelette!’ [Voltaire] had exclaimed when he heard of the burning. How abominably unjust to persecute a man for such an airy trifle as that! ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,’ was his attitude now.”
The fact that Hall enclosed the line in quotation marks makes it seem like something Voltaire said, but as Hall later made clear in her letters, it was a “Voltairean principle,” not his own exact words.
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WHO SAID THAT?
It happened to Einstein, Marilyn, Washington & more: 12 famous misquotes
Some of history’s most often repeated sayings were never actually said. At least not by the people we love to credit. You have probably read dozens of quotes wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein or Oscar Wilde, but Marilyn Monroe also made the list. As did Marie Antoinette! Today, we are setting the record straight on some of the most stubborn quote myths.
1
"Let them eat cake"
Despite her reputation for extravagance, there’s no evidence that Marie Antoinette ever uttered these words. The quote "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" is often pinned on her as a symbol of her indifference to the hardships of starving peasants.
However, the phrase first appears in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions, which he started writing in 1765, when Marie was just about nine years old and still living in Austria.
2
"I cannot tell a lie"
The famous story about young George confessing to chopping down a cherry tree is pure fiction, cooked up by biographer Mason Locke Weems after Washington’s death.
There’s no evidence Washington ever said this. Weems simply wanted to craft a moral and visually memorable legend for America’s first president.
3
"The ends justify the means"
While "The Prince" does argue that rulers sometimes need to be ruthless, Niccolò Machiavelli never wrote "the ends justify the means."
The phrase is a simplified (and distorted) summary of much more complicated ideas he discussed about power and politics.
4
"And yet it moves"
The force of the Roman Inquisition fell upon Galileo, the father of modern astronomy who defended heliocentrism. He supposedly muttered this famous phrase after being forced to counter his views, defending that the Earth did move around the sun.
However, there’s no contemporary record of the defiant line being spoken. It first appeared decades later, in a biography written well after Galileo’s death.
5
"Be the change you wish to see in the world"
Michael Jackson did sustain that he was starting by changing "the man in the mirror," and Mahatma Gandhi probably would have agreed. But the exact words of the famous line were never said by the real Gandhi.
His advice was much more nuanced about personal responsibility and social reform. The polished quote is a bit of a paraphrase meant to capture his philosophy in a nutshell.
6
"Well-behaved women rarely make history"
You can thank Marilyn Monroe for a lot, but not this quote. Although often typed on posters next to her iconic photos, the line was actually written by historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in a 1976 scholarly article.
She wasn’t encouraging rebellion either: She was observing that history tends to overlook women who "color inside the lines."
7
"Elementary, my dear Watson."
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote many lines spoken through his famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. But this one –perhaps the most often repeated line– wasn’t among them!
Yes, Watson was Holmes’ dear sidekick, and probably Sherlock used the word "elementary" at some point. Still, the straight line "Elementary, my dear Watson" cannot be found anywhere in the original texts.
8
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken"
Oscar Wilde, a master of aphorisms, had wit to spare. Many lines can be attributed to him. This one, however, doesn’t ring like those by the author of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The saying doesn't appear in any of his writings or documented conversations. It likely emerged around the end of the 20th century, stitched together by fans who loved the idea of Wilde’s spirit.
9
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again…"
"... and expecting different results." You might have read this quote and felt inspired by it. Although often attributed to Albert Einstein, there's no record of him saying it.
Some say that the earliest known appearance is in a 1980s Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet. The internet did its job and blurred the origins of the quote.
10
"Far from the maddening crowd"
This one is only slightly incorrect. Thomas Hardy fans, take note: The correct line is "far from the madding crowd." And, in fact, Hardy borrowed it from Thomas Gray’s 1751 poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, which read "Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife." "Madding" meant frenzied, not "maddening."
11
"Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing"
Vince Lombardi gets the credit, but even he said he was misquoted! The original line came from UCLA coach Red Sanders, who reportedly told his team this hard-hitting slogan in the 1950s. Lombardi’s version was similar but way less cutthroat: He said, "Winning isn't a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing."
12
"The British are coming!"
Paul Revere didn’t actually yell this because, back in 1775, that would have been confusing. Most colonial Americans still considered themselves British.
What he likely said was something closer to "The Regulars are coming out" or "The Redcoats are on the move." He also didn’t yell, since secrecy was key for his mission.
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
History isn’t always right: 10 popular historical inaccuracies!
Published on June 15, 2025
Let’s face it: history is not an exact science. There’s a reason people regularly say that "history is written by the victors": there are more than a few inaccuracies bound to be included in history books around the world. What’s interesting, though, is that sometimes these mistaken pieces of history gain so much popularity that they become indisputable facts. We all know that Napoleon was short (except he wasn’t) or that Roman gladiator fights were bloody matches to the death (except they weren’t). With that in mind, we’ve selected 10 of the most famous historical inaccuracies, hoping to shed some light on these popular myths. Enjoy!
1
Napoleon’s height
We’ll begin with one of the most popular historical myths out there. If you had to describe Napoleon Bonaparte, what are the first three things that come to mind? Perhaps his iconic bicorne hat, or his white war horse, Marengo, forever immortalized in Napoleon’s portrait crossing the Alps. That said, you probably thought of another aspect of this French emperor that we all know too well: his height. Napoleon’s short stature is heavily ingrained in pop culture, with countless shows and movies referencing his height as an explanation for his bad temper. However, standing at 5 feet 6 inches, Napoleon was by no means short. Most historians believe this stereotype stemmed from British cartoons depicting him as a short man dressed in an oversized military uniform.
2
Viking helmets
Some historical figures are so ingrained in pop culture that we tend to imagine them in a very distinct way. For example, all pirates have an eyepatch and a parrot perched on their shoulders. In a similar vein, most Vikings depicted in cartoons and TV shows sport majestic beards and horned helmets. However, you might be surprised to learn that horned helmets became associated with Vikings during the 1800s after Richard Wagner included them in his Norse operas. In fact, most historians agree that, while Vikings did regularly use helmets, they weren’t horned.
3
Einstein’s school years
It must be nice for your last name to become synonymous with intelligence—Albert Einstein is truly a testament to this. Whether sarcastic or not, whenever someone is called "an Einstein," they are referring to their intelligence. In this sense, there’s a popular myth that states that, despite his genius, Albert Einstein did terribly at school and was not, by any means, the exceptional student you would expect. However, this is completely false. Einstein was a remarkable pupil, as his Swiss public records prove.
4
Gladiator fights
Let’s picture a hypothetical gladiator fight: two sturdy and brave warriors in a fight to the death, with a stoic and unmoving Caesar deciding with a thumb gesture which gladiator will live to fight another day. This image has been endlessly portrayed in movies and TV shows since the invention of the medium, but you might be surprised to learn that actual gladiator fights were a bit different. For starters, considering how expensive gladiators were to train and feed, it stands to reason that most gladiatorial fights didn’t end in death. In fact, most matches finished when first blood was drawn.
5
Ich bin ein Berliner
If you were lucky enough to visit Berlin, you might be familiar with one of the metropolis’ most famous sweet treats: the Berliner, a type of pastry that resembles a jam doughnut. Also known as Krapfen, there’s a popular myth surrounding this pastry that involves President Kennedy. In 1963, our 35th president visited West Berlin and proudly uttered the phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner" at the end of his speech. According to many, the use of the adjective ein changed Kennedy’s intended meaning of "I am from Berlin" to "I am a doughnut," much to the audience’s delight. However, this is not true: the president’s use of the phrase was correct, and the gathered crowd understood it as such.
6
Thomas Edison and the lightbulb
Thomas Edison’s contributions to the world are numerous and outstanding, so don’t take this entry as an attempt to discredit his genius. Among his many groundbreaking inventions are the phonograph and the motion-picture camera, but we do have to strike one from the record: despite popular belief, Edison did not, in fact, invent the lightbulb, since the first electric light was created by English scientist Humphry Davy in 1800. However, Edison did reinvent these unreliable and expensive lights into the first commercially viable light bulb, which helped extend the wonders of electricity around the world.
7
George Washington’s teeth
It stands to reason that George Washington, arguably the most important figure in American history, would be the subject of a number of popular myths and stories. We’ll focus on just one in this article for brevity's sake, but it is one of the most famous: a common story states that "The Father of our Country" used a set of wooden dentures throughout his life. Although this is false (Washington’s false teeth were mostly composed of metals and animal teeth), interestingly, these wooden dentures were widely accepted by historians until the 20th century.
8
Newton’s apple
Arguably, the apple that fell on Isaac Newton’s head that fateful day might be the most important piece of fruit in human history. After all, this apple was the final inspiration that this iconic physicist needed to develop his law of universal gravitation. However, not to diminish the impact of this exemplary fruit, there’s a bit of misinformation that needs to be clarified: while Newton was indeed inspired after watching an apple fall from a tree, it most certainly didn’t fall atop his head.
9
Croissants’ origins
When it comes to bakeries, the good people of France are second to none. From their lovely baguettes to their heavenly pain au chocolat, you know you’ll have a tasty treat whenever you take a bite of a French pastry. In that sense, it might come as a surprise to learn that the croissant, one of France’s most impressive pastries, was actually invented in Austria. Known as a kipferl or kifli, this pastry is involved in a myth of its own: Some historians believe that its peculiar shape was created to celebrate an Austrian victory over the Ottoman Turks.
10
A cow and the Chicago fire
We’ll end this article by clearing the name of one of mankind’s most beloved animal friends. There’s no denying that cows do a lot for us, from the milk we drink to the beef we eat. In that sense, let’s repay their service by clearing up a common misconception regarding the fateful Chicago fire of 1871: No, this disaster wasn’t started by a cow. According to a popular tale, the fire was ignited by a cow being milked by her owner, Ms. O’Leary. For some reason, the clumsy cow kicked over a lantern, which supposedly grew into the biggest disaster that the city of Chicago had seen up to that day. However, there’s simply no evidence to support that this was the cause of the tragedy, and the cow (and her owner) were officially exonerated by the city in 1997.
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This Day in U S Military History…….
May 26 Feast day of Saint Philip Neri, Patron Saint of the Special Forces: Although he refrained from becoming involved in political matters, St. Philip broke this rule in 1593 when he persuaded Pope Clement VIII to withdraw the excommunication and anathema laid on Henry IV of France, and the refusal to receive his ambassador, even though the king had formally renounced Calvinism. Neri saw that the pope’s attitude was more than likely to drive Henry to a relapse, and probably to rekindle the civil war in France, and directed Cardinal Caesar Baronius, then the pope’s confessor, to refuse the Pope absolution, and to resign his office of confessor, unless the Pope would withdraw the anathema. Clement yielded at once, though the whole college of cardinals had supported his policy; and Henry, who did not learn the facts until several years afterwards, testified lively gratitude for the timely and politic intervention. Neri continued in the government of the Oratory until his death.
1941 – A British Catalina aircraft, piloted by a US Navy officer, finds Bismark only 700 miles from Brest and it is clear that the aircraft of the Ark Royal (of Force H) offer the best chance of slowing the German ship so that she can be caught. The first strike launched by the Ark Royal finds and attacks the British cruiser Sheffield by mistake owing to bad weather. The attack fails because of defects in the magnetic exploders of the torpedoes, so simple contact types are substituted for a second strike. The 15 Swordfish find the correct target and score two hits. One hit wrecks the German battleship’s steering and practically brings her to a halt. During the night Bismark is further harried by torpedo and gunfire attacks by five British destroyers. It is unclear whether they score any torpedo hits.
1942 – Japanese Admiral Nagumo’s 1st Carrier Fleet sails for Midway. His task force contains the carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu with two battleships, cruisers and destroyers as escort.
1944 – German submarine U-541 stops the Portuguese liner Serpa Pinto, carrying Jewish refugees to Canada. Two American citizens are removed and 385 others are ordered into the lifeboats. Nine hours later, after the submarine has contacted its base, the passengers are allowed back on board the ship. Three die in the evacuation process, including a 16 month old baby.
1945 – On Okinawa, American bombers and artillery attack Japanese troops withdrawing from the Shuri Line. Soldiers of California’s 184th Infantry, assigned to the Regular Army’s 7th Infantry Division, succeed in reducing several Japanese strong points as American forces drive deeper into the island’s defenses. The 184th was one of 18 Guard infantry regiments separated from it’s peacetime parent division, in this case the 40th Infantry Division, by the restructuring of all infantry divisions into smaller organizations in 1942.
1945 – Some 464 American B-29 Superfortress bombers fire-bombed Tokyo with about 4000 tons of incendiares. Parts of the imperial palace were damaged as was the nearby business district of Marunouchi, which was the targeted area. A total of 26 of the Marianas-based bombers were lost.
1969 – The Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth after a successful eight-day dress rehearsal for the first manned moon landing.
1969 – Operation Pipestone Canyon began when the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines and 3d Battalion, 5th Marines began sweeps in the Dodge City/Go Noi areas southwest of Da Nang. It terminated at the end of June with 610 enemy killed in action at a cost of 34 Marines killed.
2010 – Space Shuttle Atlantis completes what is believed to be its final scheduled mission after landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-132 (ISS assembly flight ULF4) was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station on 16 May 2010. STS-132 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on 14 May 2010. The primary payload was the Russian Rassvet Mini-Research Module, along with an Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deployable (ICC-VLD). STS-132 was initially scheduled to be the final flight of Atlantis, provided that the STS-335/STS-135 Launch On Need rescue mission would not be needed. However, in February 2011, NASA declared that the final mission of Atlantis and of the Space Shuttle program, STS-135, would be flown regardless of the funding situation.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
MARTINEZ, JOE P .
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company K, 32d Infantry, 7th Infantry Division. Place and date: On Attu, Aleutians, 26 May 1943. Entered service at: Ault, Colo. Birth: Taos, N. Mex. G.O. No.: 71, 27 October 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy. Over a period of several days, repeated efforts to drive the enemy from a key defensive position high in the snow-covered precipitous mountains between East Arm Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor had failed. On 26 May 1943, troop dispositions were readjusted and a trial coordinated attack on this position by a reinforced battalion was launched. Initially successful, the attack hesitated. In the face of severe hostile machinegun, rifle, and mortar fire, Pvt. Martinez, an automatic rifleman, rose to his feet and resumed his advance. Occasionally he stopped to urge his comrades on. His example inspired others to follow. After a most difficult climb, Pvt. Martinez eliminated resistance from part of the enemy position by BAR fire and hand grenades, thus assisting the advance of other attacking elements. This success only partially completed the action. The main Holtz-Chichagof Pass rose about 150 feet higher, flanked by steep rocky ridges and reached by a snow-filled defile. Passage was barred by enemy fire from either flank and from tiers of snow trenches in front. Despite these obstacles, and knowing of their existence, Pvt. Martinez again led the troops on and up, personally silencing several trenches with BAR fire and ultimately reaching the pass itself. Here, just below the knifelike rim of the pass, Pvt. Martinez encountered a final enemy-occupied trench and as he was engaged in firing into it he was mortally wounded. The pass, however, was taken, and its capture was an important preliminary to the end of organized hostile resistance on the island.
NEWMAN, BERYL R.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 133d Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Cisterna, Italy, 26 May 1944. Entered service at: Baraboo, Wis. Birth: Baraboo, Wis. G.O. No.: 5, 15 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 26 May 1944. Attacking the strongly held German Anzio-Nettuno defense line near Cisterna, Italy, 1st Lt. Newman, in the lead of his platoon, was suddenly fired upon by 2 enemy machineguns located on the crest of a hill about 100 yards to his front. The 4 scouts with him immediately hit the ground, but 1st Lt. Newman remained standing in order to see the enemy positions and his platoon then about 100 yards behind. Locating the enemy nests, 1st Lt. Newman called back to his platoon and ordered 1 squad to advance to him and the other to flank the enemy to the right. Then, still standing upright in the face of the enemy machinegun fire, 1st Lt. Newman opened up with his tommygun on the enemy nests. From this range, his fire was not effective in covering the advance of his squads, and 1 squad was pinned down by the enemy fire. Seeing that his squad was unable to advance, 1st Lt. Newman, in full view of the enemy gunners and in the face of their continuous fire, advanced alone on the enemy nests. He returned their fire with his tommygun and succeeded in wounding a German in each of the nests. The remaining 2 Germans fled from the position into a nearby house. Three more enemy soldiers then came out of the house and ran toward a third machinegun. 1st Lt. Newman, still relentlessly advancing toward them, killed 1 before he reached the gun, the second before he could fire it. The third fled for his life back into the house. Covering his assault by firing into the doors and windows of the house, 1st Lt. Newman, boldly attacking by himself, called for the occupants to surrender to him. Gaining the house, he kicked in the door and went inside. Although armed with rifles and machine pistols, the 11 Germans there, apparently intimidated, surrendered to the lieutenant without further resistance, 1st Lt. Newman, single-handed, had silenced 3 enemy machineguns, wounded 2 Germans, killed 2 more, and took 11 prisoners. This demonstration of sheer courage, bravery, and willingness to close with the enemy even in the face of such heavy odds, instilled into these green troops the confidence of veterans and reflects the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.
PETRY, LEROY A.
Rank: Staff Sergeant, Organization: U.S. Army, Company: Company D, Division: 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Born: 29 July 1979, Santa Fe, NM, Departed: No, Entered Service At: New Mexico, G.O. Number: , Date of Issue: 07/12/2011, Accredited To: New Mexico, Place / Date: 26 May 2008, Paktya Province, Afghanistan. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Leroy A. Petry distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the vicinity of Paktya Province, Afghanistan, on May 26, 2008. As a Weapons Squad Leader with D Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Staff Sergeant Petry moved to clear the courtyard of a house that potentially contained high-value combatants. While crossing the courtyard, Staff Sergeant Petry and another Ranger were engaged and wounded by automatic weapons fire from enemy fighters. Still under enemy fire, and wounded in both legs, Staff Sergeant Petry led the other Ranger to cover. He then reported the situation and engaged the enemy with a hand grenade, providing suppression as another Ranger moved to his position. The enemy quickly responded by maneuvering closer and throwing grenades. The first grenade explosion knocked his two fellow Rangers to the ground and wounded both with shrapnel. A second grenade then landed only a few feet away from them. Instantly realizing the danger, Staff Sergeant Petry, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, deliberately and selflessly moved forward, picked up the grenade, and in an effort to clear the immediate threat, threw the grenade away from his fellow Rangers. As he was releasing the grenade it detonated, amputating his right hand at the wrist and further injuring him with multiple shrapnel wounds. Although picking up and throwing the live grenade grievously wounded Staff Sergeant Petry, his gallant act undeniably saved his fellow Rangers from being severely wounded or killed. Despite the severity of his wounds, Staff Sergeant Petry continued to maintain the presence of mind to place a tourniquet on his right wrist before communicating the situation by radio in order to coordinate support for himself and his fellow wounded Rangers. Staff Sergeant Petry’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, 75th Ranger Regiment, and the United States Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for May 26, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1920: The Boeing 5-ton GA-1 armored triplane with twin-Liberty engines, eight machine guns, and a 37MM GAX cannon tested at McCook Field. (24)
1923: Lt H. G. Crocker used a DH-4B Liberty 400 to make a nonstop transcontinental South-North flight from Ellington Field, Houston, Tex., to Gordon, Ontario, in 11 hours 55 minutes. (24)
1942: Vance Breese flew Northrop's prototype P-61 Black Widow, the first American-designed night fighter with radar guidance, for the first time at Hawthorne, Calif. (12)
1948: At the White Sands Proving Ground, the first Navaho research test vehicle (NATIV) launched successfully. (6) 1952: KOREAN WAR. The 315th Air Division received its first C-124 Globemaster as two squadrons began the conversion from C-54 to C-124 aircraft. Through 27 May, 10 B-29s from the 19th Bombardment Group attacked the Sinhung-dong rail bridge, destroying 1 locomotive, 16 boxcars, 350 linear feet of the bridge, and nearly 400 feet of track on the approaches. (28)
1956: A Pan American Airways DC-7C claimed the distance record for a nonstop commercial flight by flying from Miami to Paris, France in 13 hours 55 minutes. (24) First flight of Republic's F-105 Thunderchief. (12)
1959: Douglas Aircraft Company received a contract from the Air Force for advanced design studies of the Skybolt missile. (6)
1961: MACKAY TROPHY. Maj William R. Payne and Captains William L. Polhelmus and Raymond Wagener from the 43 BMW at Carswell AFB flew a B-58 Hustler 4,612 miles across the Atlantic from New York to Le Bourget Field, Paris, in FAI record time. They completed the trip in 3 hours 19 minutes 41 seconds by flying at 1,089.36 MPH (by comparison Lindbergh's flight took 33 1/2 hours) to earn the Mackay Trophy for the flight. Tragically, On 3 June 1961, The Firefly crashed only 5 miles from Paris, killing a different crew and destroying the aircraft.
1972: In Moscow, President Nixon and Communist Party Leader Leonid I. Brezhnev signed a treaty that limited anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems and an interim agreement on strategic offensive arms. The ABM treaty limited each country to two ABM deployment areas with a radius of 150 kilometers (93 miles) each and with no more than 100 missiles (ABMs) each. Under the strategic agreement, the Soviet Union could deploy 1,618 ICBM and 740 SLBM launchers, while the US could have 1,054 ICBM and 656 SLBM launchers. (26)
1973: SKYLAB 2. The lab launched from Kennedy Space Center on a Saturn IB with Astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr., Paul Weitz, and Dr. Joseph Kerwin aboard. On 26 May, the astronauts met with Skylab 1 during the fifth orbit, where they worked in space to repair the space station through 21 June. On 18 June, the astronauts surpassed the endurance record in space set by the Soyuz 11 crew. They returned on 22 June, landing 830 miles southwest of San Diego. (21)
1983: General Dynamics delivered the 500th F-16A aircraft to Hill AFB. (12)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. The 104th Expeditionary Operations Group deployed a small contingent of Air Guardsmen and A-10s from Trapani AB to Tazar AB, Hungary, to perform combat search and rescue operations. (32)
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