To All
. Good Tuesday morning May 5.. We are overcast and cool with rain this morning. The high is supposed to be 64. Happy Cinco de Mayo.
. Regards,
Skip
HAGD
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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 5
1944 The hospital ship, USS Comfort (AH-6), is commissioned at San Pedro, Calif., and is the first ship to be manned jointly by U.S. Army and U.S. Navy personnel.
1948 Fighter Squadron Seventeen A (VF-17A), with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, becomes the first carrier-qualified jet squadron in the U.S. Navy.
1961 Cmdr. Alan Shepard Jr. makes the first U.S. manned space flight. USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) recovers the capsule after the 15 minute flight.
1979 USS Robert E. Peary (FF 1073) rescues 440 Vietnamese refugees from their disabled craft 400 miles south of Thailand.
2007 USS Hawaii (SSN 776) is commissioned at Groton, Conn. The Virginia-class submarine, the first to be named after the Aloha State, arrives at its homeport of Pearl Harbor July 23, 2009 following her maiden underway period.
2012 USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) is launched at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, Calif. The Military Sea Lift Commands dry cargo ammunition ship honors the prominent civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who served in the Navy during World War II and later founded the National Farm Works Association, which becomes the United Farm Workers union.
2017 Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, 38, of Falmouth, Maine, is killed during a Somali National Army-led operation with U.S. Africa Command against al-Shabaab May 5 in a remote area approximately 40 miles west of Mogadishu.
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Today in World History: May 5
1494 Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica, which he names Santa Gloria.
1814 British attack the American forces at Ft. Ontario, Oswego, New York.
1821 Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile on the island of St. Helena.
1834 The first mainland railway line opens in Belgium.
1862 Union and Confederate forces clash at the Battle of Williamsburg, part of the Peninsular Campaign.
1862 Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juarez defeat troops sent by Napoleon III in the Battle of Puebla.
1886 A bomb explodes on the fourth day of a workers' strike in Chicago.
1912 Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda begins publishing.
1916 U.S. Marines invade the Dominican Republic.
1917 Eugene Jacques Bullard becomes the first African-American aviator when he earns a flying certificate with the French Air Service.
1920 Anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are arrested for murder.
1935 American Jesse Owens sets the long jump record.
1942 General Joseph Stilwell learns that the Japanese have cut his railway out of China and is forced to lead his troops into India.
1945 Holland and Denmark are liberated from Nazi control.
1961 Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.
1965 173rd Airborne Brigade arrives in Bien Hoa-Vung, Vietnam, the first regular U.S. Army unit deployed to that country.
1968 U.S. Air Force planes hit Nhi Ha, South Vietnam in support of attacking infantrymen.
1969 Pulitzer Prize awarded to Norman Mailer for his 'nonfiction novel' Armies of the Night, an account of the 1967 anti-Vietnam War march on the Pentagon.
1987 Congress opens Iran-Contra hearings.
2000 The Sun, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn align - Earth's moon is also almost in this alignment - leading to Doomsday predictions of massive natural disasters, although such a 'grand confluence' occurs about once in every century.
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. . After “May the fourth Be with you” to this one for some more Humor which we need …SKIP
Thanks to Al from the archives
Monday Morning Humor--Cinco de Mayo
On May 5th, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico, 4,000 Mexican soldiers triumphed over twice as many French fighters. Mexicans celebrate that victorious battle as Cinco de Mayo.
Today, Cinco de Mayo is a joyous holiday celebrated with food, fun, parades, and plenty of cerveza or tequila. Held during the first week of May; Cinco de Mayo springtime events include carnivals, street fairs, and multi-day festivals across the USA.
In Mexico, the children play games on Cinco de Mayo as part of the fiesta to celebrate. One game involved the filling of a piñata or hanging paper bag full of "goodies". Children were allowed into a circle of their friends and had a small stick to wave around in an attempt to puncture the bag and gain the reward of the "goodies".
The best and most authentic Cinco de Mayo celebrations occur in locations with the highest concentration of Mexican people. Similar to St. Patrick's Day for the Irish and Columbus Day in New York state, Cinco de Mayo is one of those special times when everyone feels a little bit Mexican in their soul.
Cinco de Mayo Trivia and Interesting Facts about Mexico
· The Mexican community celebrates more than 365 festivals each year. Cinco de Mayo is just one of them.
· Although Cinco de Mayo is a big celebration in Puebla, where the battle was fought, Cinco de Mayo is much more popular in America.
· The festival was 'invented' in America by a group of students back in 1967. Each year since then Cinco de Mayo gets bigger thanks to people of Mexican descent - and those who just like a good margarita!
· Did you know Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.
· Around 28.3 million of USA residents were of Mexican origin in 2006. These residents constituted 9% of the nation's total population, and 64% of the Hispanic population.
· Approximately 630,000 of Mexican-Americans are USA military veterans.
· The Maya in Central Mexico were the first people known to harvest and use the peanut.
· Pineapple and papayas grew wild in Mexico, and were introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish explorers.
· Around the 1860s, three American travelers began exporting resin from the Zapote Blanco tree in Mexico after they noticed that it hardened when exposed to air. The men found a way to turn it into a waxy substance, added flavors and sweeteners, and sold it in small balls for a penny apiece, calling it Adam's Chewing Gum from New York. Today, Americans chew seven times more gum than the rest of the world.
· Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city, is where the Mexican Hat Dance, sombreros and mariachi music are believed to have originated.
· The vanilla bean comes from an orchid plant discovered by Mexican Indians who used it to add flavor to their cocoa and corn drinks. The world's largest crop of vanilla beans still comes from Mexico.
Stupid Cinco de Mayo sayings:
· Remember, Cinco de Mayo isn’t just about drinking margaritas. It’s also about tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.
· It’s funny how Cinco de Mayo always seems to fall on May 5.
· As you all know, May 5 is the traditional Mexican holiday celebrated by filling up your sink with mayonnaise.
· Cinco de Mayo: The greatest Mexican holiday that few Mexicans even know about.
· Cinco de Mayo: As if I needed an excuse to get wasted on tequila.
· Cinco de Mayo: The only holiday where we celebrate binge drinking and cultural stereotypes…er, besides Saint Patrick’s Day.
· “Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for ‘the fifth of May’ and not ‘chug, chug, chug.’ Anyway, salud!”
· “I’m not above using obscure Mexican battles to justify my drinking.”
· “Is it really necessary to adopt another country's holiday just to have an excuse to drink tequila? You don't need one the other 364 days of the year.”
· “Cinco de Mayo makes me long for a world in which all holidays are conveniently named after the dates on which they fall.”
Groaners:
What do you call a group of skunks drinking tequila?
Stinko de Mayo!
How many Mexicans does it take to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Just Juan!
How do they serve beer on Cinco de Mayo?
In Mexi-cans!
Which Disney princess only comes out on Cinco de Mayo?
Taco Belle!
What do you call a cargo ship full of mayonnaise that goes down in the ocean?
Sinko de Mayo!
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Juan.
Juan who?
Juan to go out for margaritas on Cinco de Mayo?
And finally, this standard…
Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.
This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.... But as we know....the great ship did not make it to New York....The ship hit an iceberg and sank .... and the cargo was forever lost....
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery .... were disconsolate at the loss....
Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning which they still observe to this day.... The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th.... and is known....of course....as Sinko de Mayo....
Have a great week and go easy on Cinco de Mayo, Al
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May 5
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 below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
For Tuesday May 5 ..
May 5: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1737
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/ )
https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2022-news-articles/wall-of-faces-now-includes-photos-of-all-servicemembers-killed-in-the-vietnam-war/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TMNsend&utm_content=Y84UVhi4Z1MAMHJh1eJHNA==+MD+AFHRM+1+Ret+L+NC
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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Some bits from 1440
Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 5, and we're covering a gaming company's $56B bid to take on Amazon and the winners of a prestigious literary award.
Strait Showdown Escalates
The US reportedly sank six Iranian military speedboats yesterday, while its ally, the United Arab Emirates, accused Iran of a drone attack, putting the four-week ceasefire between the US and Iran under strain.
The speedboats were allegedly targeting US Navy ships that were aiding commercial vessels as part of a mission President Donald Trump announced Sunday to help guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claims it struck an American warship, but the US denies this and says it successfully transited two American-flagged commercial ships through the strait. Meanwhile, the UAE said Iran launched four drones, hitting a key facility used to avoid shipping some oil through the strait. As of this writing, it is unclear whether an explosion aboard a South Korean-operated ship off the UAE was caused by Iranian fire.
Roughly 20,000 sailors have been stuck in the Persian Gulf for weeks, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Who are they?
Who Bids on the Bidding Site?
GameStop made an unsolicited $56B offer Sunday to acquire eBay, a bid to create a combined company capable of rivaling Amazon. EBay said yesterday its board will review the offer, which is nearly 20% above its $46B closing valuation Friday.
GameStop, valued at nearly $12B, is pursuing a company nearly four times its size. To fill the gap, the largely brick-and-mortar company is offering 50% cash and 50% GameStop shares, and says it has secured a commitment of up to $20B from TD Bank in debt financing. CEO Ryan Cohen maintains the combined company could leverage GameStop’s roughly 1,600 stores to fulfill eBay orders, largely focused on collectibles. Cohen also hopes to push eBay toward live commerce, involving real-time video streams of sales (see 101).
GameStop's stock gained popularity in 2021, when Keith Gill, known online as "Roaring Kitty," inspired investors to send the company's shares up over 1,600% in days. See a visual timeline here.
Pulitzer Prize Winners
The 2026 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced yesterday, honoring last year's distinguished work in journalism and the arts.
The Washington Post received the Gold Medal for Public Service for its coverage of the Trump administration's overhaul of federal agencies. Reuters won for documenting the expansion of executive power (national reporting); The New York Times for exposing conflicts of interest tied to the presidency (investigative reporting); and The Associated Press for its global probe into Silicon Valley-built surveillance tools now deployed by the US Border Patrol (international reporting).
Other winners include "Pablo Torre Finds Out" for its investigation into how the Los Angeles Clippers allegedly skirted the NBA's salary cap
Texas Monthly's Aaron Parsley for a first-person account of survival and loss after deadly Central Texas floods (feature writing); and Daniel Kraus for "Angel Down" (fiction). See the full list of winners.
The awards are named after Joseph Pulitzer, one of the founders of modern journalism, who left $2M to Columbia University upon his death in 1911 to establish its journalism school and the prize. Winners receive $15K.
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Thanks to Nice News
Lost Copy of Oldest-Known English Poem Sheds Light on the Evolution of Written English
Rome, National Central Library, MS. Vitt. Em. 1452, f. 122v.
What a poetic ending to National Poetry Month: On April 28, researchers published a study sharing that they recovered a lost copy of the oldest-known English poem in a Rome library. Titled “Caedmon’s Hymn,” the nine-line verse praising God for creating the world was composed by a cattle herder over 1,200 years ago and is believed to have been transcribed by a monk in Italy between A.D. 800 and 830.
“To make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I double-checked the catalogs and there was no mention of it,” historian Elisabetta Magnanti, who found the manuscript alongside fellow researcher Mark Faulkner, told The Guardian. “It was a huge surprise, a very good one.”
Unlike older Latin copies, the recently discovered poem was written in Old English in the ninth century, reflecting the growing status of the language in the early medieval period. The poem is also punctuated with periods after every word to clearly separate them. “It is part of the early development of ways of dividing words and shows text starting to come toward the presentation of English that we know today,” said Faulkner. R
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Thanks to some bits from the Flyover
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2026
Good Morning! On this date in 1862, Mexican troops defeated a superior French army at the Battle of Puebla, inspiring the annual Cinco de Mayo holiday that we celebrate today, though perhaps now more in thanks for the margaritas than the military victory.
A bakery truck driver in New Jersey was happily cruising along on Sunday, singing along to a tune, when a plane coming in for a landing smacked his truck
The stock market has been on a tear as of late. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both closed at fresh all-time highs last Friday, and the Dow is climbing back toward 50,000. Yesterday was down a bit, but the market has been rallying. What's actually driving it? Is it Big Tech earnings? The AI buildout? Hopes that the war in Iran ends soon? On today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, host Ayla Brown breaks down the three forces behind Wall Street's record run and what investors are watching next. Tune in!
Today’s sponsor, Miso Robotics, is developing next-generation AI-powered kitchen robots—backed by NVIDIA and already used by major brands—to transform the massive fast-food industry with faster, more efficient automation
US Sinks 6 Iranian Boats in Hormuz
The U.S. military sank at least six Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after Iran launched cruise missiles, drones, and sent small boats at U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels.
The flare-up came as President Trump kicked off Project Freedom, a new initiative to guide hundreds of stranded commercial ships out of the Persian Gulf.
Two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels successfully transited the strait on Monday, but a United Arab Emirates-owned tanker was hit by Iranian drones, and a South Korean cargo ship was also targeted.
Trump said Iran's small boats are "all they have left" and called on South Korea to join the mission after one of its cargo ships was hit. The UAE moved schools to remote learning through Friday over safety concerns.
GameStop Makes $56B Play for eBay
Video game retailer GameStop made an unsolicited $56 billion offer to acquire eBay on Sunday, despite being roughly a quarter the size of the e-commerce platform it wants to buy.
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen pitched the deal as a path to turn eBay into a "legit competitor" to Amazon, arguing the platform is "under-earning" and saying he could strip $2 billion in annual costs by cutting eBay's marketing budget.
Interviews with Cohen on Monday didn't clarify the specifics of the deal. Pressed repeatedly on how a company with $9.4 billion in cash plans to fund a $56 billion deal, he kept telling confused TV reporters that the details were "on our website."
The cash-and-stock bid offers $125 a share, a 20% premium to Friday's close. eBay shares jumped 5% on the news. GameStop's stock fell nearly 10% as investors questioned whether the math actually works.
Google, White House Launch America 250 Site
The National Archives, White House Task Force 250, and Google Arts & Culture launched a sprawling new online exhibit Monday called Making of the Nation, billed as the digital front door to America's 250th birthday celebration this summer.
The hybrid experience uses AI, interactive storytelling, and 3D digital galleries to bring founding-era documents and artifacts to life. A virtual Founders Museum lets visitors explore Benjamin Franklin's electrical experiments, George Washington's dentures and inaugural suit, and stories from battles like Valley Forge.
The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes
➤ The S&P 500 and Nasdaq just hit all-time highs.
➤ A suspected hantavirus outbreak has killed three aboard a cruise ship now stranded off the coast of Africa.
➤ Secret Service officers shot an armed man near the White House on Monday after he pulled a weapon and fired at them. The White House was briefly locked down.
➤ The Supreme Court temporarily restored mail and telehealth access to the abortion pill mifepristone, pausing a 5th Circuit ruling that required in-person dispensing.
➤ Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida's redrawn congressional map into law, a move that could flip as many as four House seats to Republicans ahead of the midterms.
➤The Justice Department sued Minnesota over the state's climate lawsuit targeting energy companies, arguing it improperly overrides federal authority over domestic energy development.)
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If you watch Josh Gates of Expedition Unknown you know how the Pyramids were really built. He has two episodes that are real eye openers and demonstrate how it was done He has been in the middle of the great pyramid and filmed it….skip
His shows are very entertaining and fun to watch.
. Thanks to Interesting Facts
7 Interesting Facts About Ancient Pyramids
Few monuments capture the public imagination quite like pyramids. These feats of engineering teach us about cultures that lived long before us — not just their art and innovations, but their everyday lives.
Just how old is the earliest pyramid? How did Egyptians start building their iconic smooth-sided pyramids? What are we still discovering within them? From the towering Great Pyramids of Giza to the complex stepped pyramids of Mesoamerica, these seven facts reveal just how mind-blowing pyramids really are.
1 of 7
Egyptian Pyramids Were Rarely Just Pyramids
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In Egypt, these triumphs of architecture — reserved for royal tombs — were the main buildings of larger complexes. Typically, the complex also included an attached mortuary temple with shrines, an open courtyard, and chapels, staffed in perpetuity, with an offering table.
Ancient Egyptians also buried pits full of boats around these monuments to help ensure smooth sailing into the afterlife. One of the more impressive boats was uncovered in 1954 next to the Great Pyramid of Khufu — sometimes referred to as just the Great Pyramid. The 144-foot-long, 4,600-year-old ship was buried in more than 1,200 pieces stashed underneath stone blocks.
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The Great Pyramids of Giza Created Whole Cities Around Them
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Building pyramids as large as the Great Pyramids of Giza was a major undertaking, and required a lot of labor — especially the Great Pyramid of Khufu which, at 481 feet high, was the tallest building in the world for thousands of years. (The date of its construction is debated, but may have begun around 2550 BCE.)
Archaeologists have uncovered two "towns" around the Great Pyramids that not only housed pyramid-builders, but bakers, carpenters, weavers, stoneworkers, and others that supported day-to-day life. Some lived in family dwellings with their own courtyards and kitchens, while others, likely itinerant workers, slept in something more like a barracks. There is so much we don’t know about these areas, but one thing’s for sure: Based on animal bones and pottery found around the site, everyone there was very well-fed… and had plenty of beer to drink.
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The First Known Pyramid Is 4,700 Years Old
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Djoser’s Step Pyramid, built sometime between 2667 and 2648 BCE, is considered the oldest pyramid, although it doesn’t have the smooth sides we associate with Egyptian pyramids today. Previously, pharaohs had been buried underneath mastabas — structures that look like single plateaus. The Step Pyramid stacked multiple mastabas on top of one another, creating the tapered effect. It’s located Saqqara, a necropolis about 15 miles south of Cairo.
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Pyramids in Egypt Used to be Bright and Shiny
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We picture pyramids now as immense buildings of sandy-colored stone, but when they were originally constructed, they were adorned in polished limestone. These casing stones needed to be individually cut to a specific angle and sanded until they shone. Many of these outer layers were knocked loose by an earthquake or dismantled for building other things.
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Sudan Has More Than 200 Pyramids
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Egypt has around 140 pyramids that we know about, but to the south, present-day Sudan has more than 200 of them.
Until the mid-20th century, many archaeologists viewed these sites as extensions of Egypt, rather than part of a unique cultural heritage. But Sudan’s pyramids, most of them located in Meroe, are much smaller and steeper, surrounded by their own collections of chapels and monuments, and are unique to Nubian culture.
For what it’s worth, Egyptian-style pyramids are all over the place, including Italy and Greece. Pyramids more broadly, however, take many different forms.
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The Americas Contain More Pyramids Than the Rest of the World Combined — Including the Biggest One of All
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In ancient Mesoamerica, a region spanning from much of modern-day Mexico through most of Central America, peoples such as the Inca, Aztec, Maya, and Olmec had their own style of pyramid dating back to about 1000 BCE — and they built a lot of them. Unlike Egypt, they weren’t used exclusively for tombs.
The most well-known Mesoamerican pyramids are the ones in Teotihuacan, an Aztec city near present-day Mexico City. The Pyramid of the Sun, the largest of the structures, and nearby Pyramid of the Moon were both constructed by putting rubble inside a set of retaining walls, building adobe brick around it, then casing in limestone. The Pyramid of the Sun hides an extra secret: another pyramid, accessible through a cave underneath. These pyramids were built between 1 and 200 CE, although the pyramid inside the cave is even older.
The Great Pyramid in La Venta, an ancient Olmec civilization by present-day Tabasco, Mexico, is much different: It’s essentially a mountain made of clay. Later Olmec pyramids were also earth mounds, only faced with stone in a stepped structure.
The largest pyramid on the planet by volume, not height, is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, or Tlachihualtepetl, in Mexico. It dates back to around 200 BCE, and is essentially six pyramids on top of one another. Later civilizations expanded on previous construction, taking care to preserve the original work. It’s made of adobe bricks and, whether accidentally or through a deliberate effort from the locals, eventually became covered in foliage and was later abandoned. When Spanish invaders, led by Hernan Cortez, came through, murdered 3,000 people, and destroyed more visible structures, they thought Tlachihualtepetl was part of the natural topography and let it be.
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We’re Still Finding New Stuff Inside Pyramids
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, the tallest of the Great Pyramids, has been the topic of rigorous study for more than a thousand years — but we’re still finding out what’s inside, including whole new chambers. The Scan Pyramids project, a collaboration between Egyptian, French, and Japanese research institutions that started in 2015, uses updated cosmic ray technology for a noninvasive peek inside.
So far, they’ve found two previously unidentified areas: a corridor on the north face of the pyramid and a “big void” above the Grand Gallery. The void is at least 100 feet long and has a similar cross-section as the Grand Gallery, which connects various areas of the pyramid, including the burial chamber.
A team of American researchers hopes to use even more advanced technology to try to get a full three-dimensional image of the big void. Whether it’s a structural element or a whole new chamber, it could provide a wealth of information on how the pyramids were built.
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Thanks to History Facts
The Most Successful Ad Campaigns of All Time
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In a world inundated with ads, it’s rare for one to become an indelible part of the cultural landscape. As modern advertising evolved from its 17th-century print origins, it grew into an art form that entrenched itself in popular culture and changed the relationship between company and consumer. Yet amid the sea of print ads, commercials, and social media campaigns that have launched over the years, a few outliers have managed to stand out from the crowd, lodging themselves in the collective consciousness and successfully changing the conversation. These five iconic ads are generally considered among the most successful ad campaigns of all time.
Nike: “Just Do It”
In 1988, the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy debuted the “Just Do It” campaign, and catapulted Nike into the realm of cultural iconicism. Written by agency co-founder Dan Wieden, the slogan debuted in a TV spot for what was then a relatively small sportswear company. The empowering catchphrase was intentionally open-ended, and sought to capitalize on the decade’s enthusiasm for self-determinization and personal achievement. The idea for those three little words has a darker origin, however. The phrase was adapted from the last words uttered by convicted killer Gary Gilmore, who, shortly before his execution by firing squad, said, “Let’s do it.” Wieden and his collaborators swapped out a word, and the rest is history.
California Milk Processor Board: “Got Milk?”
In response to reports of flagging milk sales, ad agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners held an unconventional focus group. Participants were asked to not consume any milk for a week before convening, and the respondents reported frustration at the absence of the beverage. This inspired an advertising angle that differed from most 1980s campaigns that had focused on dairy’s health benefits. Instead, “Got Milk?” hinged on how people tend not to think about milk at all until they need it and it isn’t there. The first TV commercial, directed by Michael Bay, premiered in 1993. Two years later, Naomi Campbell starred in the first celebrity-fronted “Got Milk?” print ad, sporting the now-iconic milk mustache.
Volkswagen: “Think Small”
Considered one of the best advertisements of the 20th century, Volkswagen’s “Think Small” ad changed the game by injecting humor and self-awareness into advertising. Developed by DDB (Doyle, Dane, Bernbach) art director Helmut Krone and copywriter Julian Koenig, the print ad was released in 1959 and was the first to shirk the ad industry’s emphasis on mass consumerism. With a focus on the vehicle’s utility and the brand’s acknowledgment of its aesthetic shortcomings, the campaign was a welcome departure from traditional sensationalist car ads. It also marked the start of the ad industry’s creative revolution, ushering in the golden age of advertising (an era beautifully depicted in the 2007 television series Mad Men).
De Beers: “A Diamond Is Forever”
Before the 1930s, diamond engagement rings were reserved for the wealthy. Then in 1938, the ad agency N.W. Ayer was enlisted by De Beers heir Harry Oppenheimer to rebrand the jewel as something worth splurging for. Copywriter Frances Gerety succeeded when she coined the slogan “A Diamond Is Forever” in 1947. The ad likened the diamond to the permanence of marriage and made the ring an engagement staple, effectively increasing demand for the precious gem. The campaign was launched nationally before expanding worldwide, and was so successful that in 1999, Ad Age magazine named it the No. 1 slogan of the century.
Dove: “Campaign for Real Beauty”
Dove debuted the “Campaign for Real Beauty” in 2004 as a challenge to traditional beauty advertising. The ad was launched in response to the results of “The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report.” The company’s emphasis on diversity stemmed from the report’s findings: Only 2% of women polled described themselves as “beautiful,” yet 80% of participants agreed that all women have something beautiful about them. Led by Joah Santos of the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, the campaign began as a series of billboards before expanding to TV slots featuring copy such as, “Wrinkled or Wonderful?” and “Grey or Gorgeous?” The shift in narrative made its mark, and within six months, sales of Dove products rose 700%.
Old Spice: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”
A simple statistic inspired the launch of Old Spice’s 2010 “Smell Like a Man” campaign. Wieden+Kennedy learned that 60% of all body wash purchases were made by women, so creative directors Eric Baldwin and Jason Bagley came up with a campaign that appealed directly to them. Enlisting actor Isaiah Mustafa to embody the man “yours” could be, the campaign featured a shirtless hunk addressing the camera directly while navigating a variety of over-the-top situations. Shot in one take and with social media traction in mind, the ads quickly went viral and parlayed Old Spice from a baby boomer relic to a must-have for the 18-to-34 age demographic.
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 5
1864 – The forces of Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee clash in the Wilderness, beginning an epic campaign. Lee had hoped to meet the Federals, who plunged into the tangled Wilderness west of Chancellorsville, Virginia, the day before, in the dense woods in order to mitigate the nearly two-to-one advantage Grant possessed as the campaign opened. The conflict quickly spread along a two-mile front, as numerous attacks from both sides sent the lines surging back and forth. The fighting was intense and complicated by the fact that the combatants rarely saw each other through the thick undergrowth. Whole brigades were lost in the woods. Muzzle flashes set the forest on fire, and hundreds of wounded men died in the inferno. The battle may have been particularly unsettling for the Union troops, who came across skeletons of Yankee soldiers killed the year before at the Battle of Chancellorsville, their shallow graves opened by spring rains. By nightfall, the Union was still in control of the major crossroads in the Wilderness. The next two days brought more pitched battles without a clear victory for either side. Grant eventually pulled out and moved further south toward Richmond, and for the next six weeks the two great armies maneuvered around the Confederate capital.
1916 – U.S. marines invaded the Dominican Republic. The occupation began gradually. The first landing took place on May 5, 1916 when “two companies of marines landed from the U.S.S. Prairie at Santo Domingo.” Their goal was to offer protection to the U.S. Legation and the U.S. Consulate, and to occupy the Fort San Geronimo. Within hours, these companies were reinforced with “seven additional companies.” On May 6, forces from the U.S.S. Castine landed to offer protection to the Haitian Legation, a country under similar military occupation from the U.S. Two days after the first landing, constitutional President, Juan Isidro Jimenes resigned.
1945 – In Lakeview, Oregon, Mrs. Elsie Mitchell and five neighborhood children are killed while attempting to drag a Japanese balloon out of the woods. Unbeknownst to Mitchell and the children, the balloon was armed, and it exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They were the first and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental United States during World War II. The U.S. government eventually gave $5,000 in compensation to Mitchell’s husband, and $3,000 each to the families of Edward Engen, Sherman Shoemaker, Jay Gifford, and Richard and Ethel Patzke, the five slain children. The explosive balloon found at Lakeview was a product of one of only a handful of Japanese attacks against the continental United States, which were conducted early in the war by Japanese submarines and later by high-altitude balloons carrying explosives or incendiaries. In comparison, three years earlier, on April 18, 1942, the first squadron of U.S. bombers dropped bombs on the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Kobe, and Nagoyo, surprising the Japanese military command, who believed their home islands to be out of reach of Allied air attacks. When the war ended on August 14, 1945, some 160,000 tons of conventional explosives and two atomic bombs had been dropped on Japan by the United States. Approximately 500,000 Japanese civilians were killed as a result of these bombing attacks.
1961 – From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA was established in 1958 to keep U.S. space efforts abreast of recent Soviet achievements, such as the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite–Sputnik 1–in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the two superpowers raced to become the first country to put a man in space and return him to Earth. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet space program won the race when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into space, put in orbit around the planet, and safely returned to Earth. One month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight restored faith in the U.S. space program. NASA continued to trail the Soviets closely until the late 1960s and the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a giant leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them to Earth. On February 5, 1971, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
O’DONOGHUE, TIMOTHY
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy, Born: 1841, Rochester N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served as boatswain’s mate on board the U.S.S. Signal, Red River, 5 May 1864. Proceeding up the Red River, the U.S.S. Signal engaged a large force of enemy field batteries and sharpshooters, returning the fire until the ship was totally disabled, at which time the white flag was raised. Serving as gun captain, and wounded early in the battle, O’Donoghue bravely stood by his gun in the face of enemy fire until ordered to withdraw.
PATTERSON, JOHN H.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 11th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., 5 May 1864. Entered service at: New York. Birth: New York. Date of issue: 23 July 1897. Citation: Under the heavy fire of the advancing enemy, picked up and carried several hundred yards to a place of safety a wounded officer of his regiment who was helpless and would otherwise have been burned in the forest.
RICH, CARLOS H.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company K, 4th Vermont Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., 5 May 1864. Entered service at: Northfield, Mass. Birth: Canada. Date of issue: 4 January 1895. Citation: Saved the life of an officer.
SWAP, JACOB E.
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 83d Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., 5 May 1864. Entered service at: Springs, Pa. Birth: Calnehoose, N.Y. Date of issue: 19 November 1897. Citation: Although assigned to other duty, he voluntarily joined his regiment in a charge and fought with it until severely wounded.
WILKES, PERRY
Rank and organization: Pilot, U.S. Navy. Entered service at: Indiana. Born: 6 June 1830, Indiana. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served as pilot on board the U.S.S. Signal, Red River, 5 May 1864. Proceeding up the Red River, the U.S.S. Signal engaged a large force of enemy field batteries and sharpshooters, returning their fire until the ship was totally disabled, at which time the white flag was ordered raised. Acting as pilot throughout the battle, Wilkes stood by his wheel until it was disabled in his hands by a bursting enemy shell.
FICHTER, HERMANN
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action.
MILLER, DANIEL H.
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at:——. Birth: Fairfield County, Ohio. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action.
MOTT, JOHN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at:——. Birth: Scotland. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action.
YOUNT, JOHN P.
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Putnam County, Ind. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action with Indians.
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Once USN, always USN!
Thanks to Mike
Thought you’d enjoy this…
https://www.facebook.com/theaviatorscafe18/videos/386833578889284
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The Polish Air Forces and army in exile were larger than the combined forces of France, Holland, Belgium, Norway and Czechoslovakia during WWII.
Yet, the Poles were not invited to participate in the huge victory parade in London in June 1946 because it might offend the Soviets. Poland was on the winning side but was given to the Soviets and lost territory to the Soviets.
Stan Golanka
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“This Day in Aviation History” brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
This Week in Aviation Heritage
May 5, 1917
Secretary of War Newton D. Baker agreed to a proposal from the Secretary of the Navy concerning the establishment of a joint board for the purpose of standardizing the design and specifications of aircraft. The board subsequently established was initially called the “Joint Technical Board on Aircraft, Except Zeppelins.”
May 6, 1914
A Curtiss AH–3 hydroairplane, flown by Lt. P. N. L. Bellinger and Lt. R. C. Saufley of the Navy in a reconnaissance mission over Mexican positions near Vera Cruz, became the first U.S. airplane hit by hostile ground fire. Bellinger was Daedalian Founder Member #2101. Saufley was #13307.
May 7, 1958
Maj. Major Howard C. Johnson, the operations officer of the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron based at Hamilton AFB, California, zoom-climbed a Lockheed F-104A Starfighter, serial number 55-2957, to an altitude of 91,243 feet over Edwards AFB, establishing a new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale altitude record. Major Johnson was part of a group of engineers and pilots awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association in 1958 for “the greatest achievement in aeronautics” because of their involvement in the Lockheed F-104 program.
May 8, 1911
The Navy ordered its first airplane, an A–1 amphibian, from Glenn Curtiss. By July the service was flying this aircraft at Hammondsport, New York.
May 9, 1932
Capt. Albert Francis Hegenberger, Air Corps, United States Army, flew the first solo instrument approach and landing, using a system which he had developed, at McCook Field, Ohio. The Hegenberger system, which was adopted by both civil and military aviation authorities, used a series of non-directional radio beacons and marker beacons on the ground, along with a radio-compass and other gyroscopic instruments and radio receivers aboard the aircraft, a Consolidated NY-2 biplane. This flight was the first solo blind instrument flight, approach and landing. (Lt. James H. Doolittle had made a blind instrument flight in 1929, but he carried a safety pilot aboard.) For his accomplishment, Captain Hegenberger was awarded an oak leaf cluster (a second award) for his Distinguished Flying Cross, and received the Collier Trophy, an annual award for the greatest achievement in aeronautics in America. He was Daedalian Founder Member #3827.
May 10, 1911
Lt. George Kelly becomes the first Army pilot to die in an airplane. He crashed to avoid striking encamped soldiers. While Lt. Thomas Selfridge died earlier (Sept. 17, 1908), he was flying as an observer, not as a pilot. Selfridge was the first person, and the first active duty person, to die in an aircraft crash. Kelly was Daedalian Founder Member #575, and Selfridge was #544.
May 11, 1964
The first prototype North American Aviation XB-70A-1-NA Valkyrie, 62-0001, was rolled out at Air Force Plant 42 near Palmdale, California. More than 5,000 people were there to watch. In August 1960, the U.S. Air Force had contracted for one XB-70 prototype and 11 pre-production YB-70 development aircraft. By 1964, however, the program had been scaled back to two XB-70As and one XB-70B. Only two were actually completed.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 5 THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1910: At Mount Weather Observatory in Virginia, a kite flew to a 23,800-foot world altitude record. (24)
1927: The Patent Office issued a patent on hinged inset trailing edge ailerons, an invention that later became a standard feature on aircraft. (20)
1947: McDonnell’s H-20 Flying Bike, the world’s first ramjet helicopter, completed its first flight. (3)
1948: Fighter Squadron VF-17A, equipped with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, became the first carrier-qualified jet squadron in the US Navy. (16) (24) BOEING FLIGHT-TESTED B-29S MODIFIED FOR AERIAL REFUELING. To install the basic British hose system on the B-29s, Boeing removed all armaments and most armor to install a hose reel, hauling line, more fuel lines, and nylon-lined aluminum fuel tanks in the forward and aft bomb bays. Receiver aircraft had some oxygen equipment removed and fueling lines added. The success of the tests ultimately led the USAF to convert 92 B-29s into KB-29M hose-method tankers. Seventy-four B-29s were equipped to receive aerial refuelings by hose. (18)
1951: KOREAN WAR. A 3 ARS H-5 helicopter rescued a downed F-51 pilot north of Seoul. It encountered small arms fire in the area. (28)
1952: The Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar first flew. It had a swept-wing variable geometry wing.
1954: The USAF issued a requirement for a turbo-jet tanker to support the refueling needs of jet aircraft.
1956: Operation REDWING. Press reports said the first shot in a test series on Eniwetok Atoll had been of a “pocket-size” H-bomb small enough for delivery by a small aircraft or missile. (16)
1961: Navy Lt Cmdr Alan B. Shepard, Jr., became the first astronaut to cross the space frontier in a Mercury-Redstone 3 capsule, Freedom 7. During a 14-minute, 22-second suborbital flight, he reached 116 miles in altitude and 5,100 MPH. After lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Freedom 7 carrried him 302 miles to a landing zone in the Atlantic. He set a FAI altitude record without leaving the Earth's orbit. Cameramen and equipment from Air Photographic and Charting Service’s 1365th Photographic Squadron provided photographic coverage. (7) (9) (18)
1966: USAF A-1E Skyraider pilots flew their first strikes against targets in North Vietnam. (16) (26)
1969: The Smithsonian Institute received X-15 No.1 for display with other aircraft firsts. (3)
1971: The USAF’s sea-launched ballistic missile detection and warning system, called the Pave Phased Array Warning Sytem (PAWS), achieved its initial operating capability. (21)
1981: A B-52H from the 410 BMW at K.I. Sawyer AFB landed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin for two days of public display. This event came after years of negotiating an agreement, signed in March 1981, to let B-52s land in Australia. On 22 June, the bomber flew an operational sortie from Darwin on a sea-search mission. (1)
1987: The last Titan II missile came off alert at Little Rock AFB, marking “the close of a quarter century of uninterrupted service as the vanguard of America's deterrent force.” (16) (26)
1996: Colonel Betty L. Mullis became the first woman to command a flying wing when she assumed command of the 940 AREFW (AFRES) at McClellan AFB. (21)
1999: Operation PROVIDE REFUGE. A DoD-chartered Tower Air Boeing 747 landed at McGuire AFB with the first group of refugees from Kosovar, Serbia’s southern province in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In this operation, up to 3,000 Kosovar Albanians were flown to Mc- Guire and temporary quarters at neighboring Fort Dix until arrangements could be made for permanent resettlement with relatives or sponsors in the US. (22)
2001: The Boeing X-32B flew from Edwards AFB to NAS Patuxent River, Md., to validate the suitability of its direct-lift capability to Navy requirements. (3)
2003: During Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, a Global Hawk AV-3 (Nicknamed “The Grumpy Workhorse” and officially designated an YRQ-4A) flew 19 sorties in 446.6 hours over Iraq to collect some 3,700 surveillance images. While only flying 5 percent of the surveillance sorties in the theater, the Global Hawk gathered more than 55 percent of the data on time-sensitive targets. The vehicle returned to Edwards AFB on this date (image above). During Operation Iraqi Freedom, AV-3's sensors successfully tracked Iraqi Republican Guard forces during a fierce sandstorm in March 2003. While the dust blinded AV-3's optical and infrared sensors, its radar provided information accurate enough for fighters and bombers to attack the enemy successfully with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapons.
In February 2006, it made another spectacular flight by flying autonomously and non-stop from Australia to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Over its career, AV-3 completed 251 flights for 4,891.3 total hours flying time. This total included 195 combat sorties and 4,152.7 combat hours. A remarkable aircraft, AV-3 went on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2008. (Credit: NMUSAF)
2004: Two C-130s from the 146 AW(California ANG), equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System, dropped 21,600 gallons of fire-retardant on Santa Barbara County’s Cachuma fire. (32)
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. Good Tuesday morning May 5.. We are overcast and cool with rain this morning. The high is supposed to be 64. Happy Cinco de Mayo.
. Regards,
Skip
HAGD
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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 5
1944 The hospital ship, USS Comfort (AH-6), is commissioned at San Pedro, Calif., and is the first ship to be manned jointly by U.S. Army and U.S. Navy personnel.
1948 Fighter Squadron Seventeen A (VF-17A), with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, becomes the first carrier-qualified jet squadron in the U.S. Navy.
1961 Cmdr. Alan Shepard Jr. makes the first U.S. manned space flight. USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) recovers the capsule after the 15 minute flight.
1979 USS Robert E. Peary (FF 1073) rescues 440 Vietnamese refugees from their disabled craft 400 miles south of Thailand.
2007 USS Hawaii (SSN 776) is commissioned at Groton, Conn. The Virginia-class submarine, the first to be named after the Aloha State, arrives at its homeport of Pearl Harbor July 23, 2009 following her maiden underway period.
2012 USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) is launched at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, Calif. The Military Sea Lift Commands dry cargo ammunition ship honors the prominent civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who served in the Navy during World War II and later founded the National Farm Works Association, which becomes the United Farm Workers union.
2017 Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, 38, of Falmouth, Maine, is killed during a Somali National Army-led operation with U.S. Africa Command against al-Shabaab May 5 in a remote area approximately 40 miles west of Mogadishu.
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Today in World History: May 5
1494 Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica, which he names Santa Gloria.
1814 British attack the American forces at Ft. Ontario, Oswego, New York.
1821 Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile on the island of St. Helena.
1834 The first mainland railway line opens in Belgium.
1862 Union and Confederate forces clash at the Battle of Williamsburg, part of the Peninsular Campaign.
1862 Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juarez defeat troops sent by Napoleon III in the Battle of Puebla.
1886 A bomb explodes on the fourth day of a workers' strike in Chicago.
1912 Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda begins publishing.
1916 U.S. Marines invade the Dominican Republic.
1917 Eugene Jacques Bullard becomes the first African-American aviator when he earns a flying certificate with the French Air Service.
1920 Anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are arrested for murder.
1935 American Jesse Owens sets the long jump record.
1942 General Joseph Stilwell learns that the Japanese have cut his railway out of China and is forced to lead his troops into India.
1945 Holland and Denmark are liberated from Nazi control.
1961 Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.
1965 173rd Airborne Brigade arrives in Bien Hoa-Vung, Vietnam, the first regular U.S. Army unit deployed to that country.
1968 U.S. Air Force planes hit Nhi Ha, South Vietnam in support of attacking infantrymen.
1969 Pulitzer Prize awarded to Norman Mailer for his 'nonfiction novel' Armies of the Night, an account of the 1967 anti-Vietnam War march on the Pentagon.
1987 Congress opens Iran-Contra hearings.
2000 The Sun, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn align - Earth's moon is also almost in this alignment - leading to Doomsday predictions of massive natural disasters, although such a 'grand confluence' occurs about once in every century.
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. . After “May the fourth Be with you” to this one for some more Humor which we need …SKIP
Thanks to Al from the archives
Monday Morning Humor--Cinco de Mayo
On May 5th, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico, 4,000 Mexican soldiers triumphed over twice as many French fighters. Mexicans celebrate that victorious battle as Cinco de Mayo.
Today, Cinco de Mayo is a joyous holiday celebrated with food, fun, parades, and plenty of cerveza or tequila. Held during the first week of May; Cinco de Mayo springtime events include carnivals, street fairs, and multi-day festivals across the USA.
In Mexico, the children play games on Cinco de Mayo as part of the fiesta to celebrate. One game involved the filling of a piñata or hanging paper bag full of "goodies". Children were allowed into a circle of their friends and had a small stick to wave around in an attempt to puncture the bag and gain the reward of the "goodies".
The best and most authentic Cinco de Mayo celebrations occur in locations with the highest concentration of Mexican people. Similar to St. Patrick's Day for the Irish and Columbus Day in New York state, Cinco de Mayo is one of those special times when everyone feels a little bit Mexican in their soul.
Cinco de Mayo Trivia and Interesting Facts about Mexico
· The Mexican community celebrates more than 365 festivals each year. Cinco de Mayo is just one of them.
· Although Cinco de Mayo is a big celebration in Puebla, where the battle was fought, Cinco de Mayo is much more popular in America.
· The festival was 'invented' in America by a group of students back in 1967. Each year since then Cinco de Mayo gets bigger thanks to people of Mexican descent - and those who just like a good margarita!
· Did you know Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.
· Around 28.3 million of USA residents were of Mexican origin in 2006. These residents constituted 9% of the nation's total population, and 64% of the Hispanic population.
· Approximately 630,000 of Mexican-Americans are USA military veterans.
· The Maya in Central Mexico were the first people known to harvest and use the peanut.
· Pineapple and papayas grew wild in Mexico, and were introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish explorers.
· Around the 1860s, three American travelers began exporting resin from the Zapote Blanco tree in Mexico after they noticed that it hardened when exposed to air. The men found a way to turn it into a waxy substance, added flavors and sweeteners, and sold it in small balls for a penny apiece, calling it Adam's Chewing Gum from New York. Today, Americans chew seven times more gum than the rest of the world.
· Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city, is where the Mexican Hat Dance, sombreros and mariachi music are believed to have originated.
· The vanilla bean comes from an orchid plant discovered by Mexican Indians who used it to add flavor to their cocoa and corn drinks. The world's largest crop of vanilla beans still comes from Mexico.
Stupid Cinco de Mayo sayings:
· Remember, Cinco de Mayo isn’t just about drinking margaritas. It’s also about tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.
· It’s funny how Cinco de Mayo always seems to fall on May 5.
· As you all know, May 5 is the traditional Mexican holiday celebrated by filling up your sink with mayonnaise.
· Cinco de Mayo: The greatest Mexican holiday that few Mexicans even know about.
· Cinco de Mayo: As if I needed an excuse to get wasted on tequila.
· Cinco de Mayo: The only holiday where we celebrate binge drinking and cultural stereotypes…er, besides Saint Patrick’s Day.
· “Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for ‘the fifth of May’ and not ‘chug, chug, chug.’ Anyway, salud!”
· “I’m not above using obscure Mexican battles to justify my drinking.”
· “Is it really necessary to adopt another country's holiday just to have an excuse to drink tequila? You don't need one the other 364 days of the year.”
· “Cinco de Mayo makes me long for a world in which all holidays are conveniently named after the dates on which they fall.”
Groaners:
What do you call a group of skunks drinking tequila?
Stinko de Mayo!
How many Mexicans does it take to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Just Juan!
How do they serve beer on Cinco de Mayo?
In Mexi-cans!
Which Disney princess only comes out on Cinco de Mayo?
Taco Belle!
What do you call a cargo ship full of mayonnaise that goes down in the ocean?
Sinko de Mayo!
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Juan.
Juan who?
Juan to go out for margaritas on Cinco de Mayo?
And finally, this standard…
Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.
This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.... But as we know....the great ship did not make it to New York....The ship hit an iceberg and sank .... and the cargo was forever lost....
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery .... were disconsolate at the loss....
Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning which they still observe to this day.... The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th.... and is known....of course....as Sinko de Mayo....
Have a great week and go easy on Cinco de Mayo, Al
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May 5
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 below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
For Tuesday May 5 ..
May 5: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1737
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/ )
https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2022-news-articles/wall-of-faces-now-includes-photos-of-all-servicemembers-killed-in-the-vietnam-war/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TMNsend&utm_content=Y84UVhi4Z1MAMHJh1eJHNA==+MD+AFHRM+1+Ret+L+NC
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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Some bits from 1440
Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 5, and we're covering a gaming company's $56B bid to take on Amazon and the winners of a prestigious literary award.
Strait Showdown Escalates
The US reportedly sank six Iranian military speedboats yesterday, while its ally, the United Arab Emirates, accused Iran of a drone attack, putting the four-week ceasefire between the US and Iran under strain.
The speedboats were allegedly targeting US Navy ships that were aiding commercial vessels as part of a mission President Donald Trump announced Sunday to help guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claims it struck an American warship, but the US denies this and says it successfully transited two American-flagged commercial ships through the strait. Meanwhile, the UAE said Iran launched four drones, hitting a key facility used to avoid shipping some oil through the strait. As of this writing, it is unclear whether an explosion aboard a South Korean-operated ship off the UAE was caused by Iranian fire.
Roughly 20,000 sailors have been stuck in the Persian Gulf for weeks, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Who are they?
Who Bids on the Bidding Site?
GameStop made an unsolicited $56B offer Sunday to acquire eBay, a bid to create a combined company capable of rivaling Amazon. EBay said yesterday its board will review the offer, which is nearly 20% above its $46B closing valuation Friday.
GameStop, valued at nearly $12B, is pursuing a company nearly four times its size. To fill the gap, the largely brick-and-mortar company is offering 50% cash and 50% GameStop shares, and says it has secured a commitment of up to $20B from TD Bank in debt financing. CEO Ryan Cohen maintains the combined company could leverage GameStop’s roughly 1,600 stores to fulfill eBay orders, largely focused on collectibles. Cohen also hopes to push eBay toward live commerce, involving real-time video streams of sales (see 101).
GameStop's stock gained popularity in 2021, when Keith Gill, known online as "Roaring Kitty," inspired investors to send the company's shares up over 1,600% in days. See a visual timeline here.
Pulitzer Prize Winners
The 2026 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced yesterday, honoring last year's distinguished work in journalism and the arts.
The Washington Post received the Gold Medal for Public Service for its coverage of the Trump administration's overhaul of federal agencies. Reuters won for documenting the expansion of executive power (national reporting); The New York Times for exposing conflicts of interest tied to the presidency (investigative reporting); and The Associated Press for its global probe into Silicon Valley-built surveillance tools now deployed by the US Border Patrol (international reporting).
Other winners include "Pablo Torre Finds Out" for its investigation into how the Los Angeles Clippers allegedly skirted the NBA's salary cap
Texas Monthly's Aaron Parsley for a first-person account of survival and loss after deadly Central Texas floods (feature writing); and Daniel Kraus for "Angel Down" (fiction). See the full list of winners.
The awards are named after Joseph Pulitzer, one of the founders of modern journalism, who left $2M to Columbia University upon his death in 1911 to establish its journalism school and the prize. Winners receive $15K.
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Thanks to Nice News
Lost Copy of Oldest-Known English Poem Sheds Light on the Evolution of Written English
Rome, National Central Library, MS. Vitt. Em. 1452, f. 122v.
What a poetic ending to National Poetry Month: On April 28, researchers published a study sharing that they recovered a lost copy of the oldest-known English poem in a Rome library. Titled “Caedmon’s Hymn,” the nine-line verse praising God for creating the world was composed by a cattle herder over 1,200 years ago and is believed to have been transcribed by a monk in Italy between A.D. 800 and 830.
“To make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I double-checked the catalogs and there was no mention of it,” historian Elisabetta Magnanti, who found the manuscript alongside fellow researcher Mark Faulkner, told The Guardian. “It was a huge surprise, a very good one.”
Unlike older Latin copies, the recently discovered poem was written in Old English in the ninth century, reflecting the growing status of the language in the early medieval period. The poem is also punctuated with periods after every word to clearly separate them. “It is part of the early development of ways of dividing words and shows text starting to come toward the presentation of English that we know today,” said Faulkner. R
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Thanks to some bits from the Flyover
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2026
Good Morning! On this date in 1862, Mexican troops defeated a superior French army at the Battle of Puebla, inspiring the annual Cinco de Mayo holiday that we celebrate today, though perhaps now more in thanks for the margaritas than the military victory.
A bakery truck driver in New Jersey was happily cruising along on Sunday, singing along to a tune, when a plane coming in for a landing smacked his truck
The stock market has been on a tear as of late. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both closed at fresh all-time highs last Friday, and the Dow is climbing back toward 50,000. Yesterday was down a bit, but the market has been rallying. What's actually driving it? Is it Big Tech earnings? The AI buildout? Hopes that the war in Iran ends soon? On today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, host Ayla Brown breaks down the three forces behind Wall Street's record run and what investors are watching next. Tune in!
Today’s sponsor, Miso Robotics, is developing next-generation AI-powered kitchen robots—backed by NVIDIA and already used by major brands—to transform the massive fast-food industry with faster, more efficient automation
US Sinks 6 Iranian Boats in Hormuz
The U.S. military sank at least six Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after Iran launched cruise missiles, drones, and sent small boats at U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels.
The flare-up came as President Trump kicked off Project Freedom, a new initiative to guide hundreds of stranded commercial ships out of the Persian Gulf.
Two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels successfully transited the strait on Monday, but a United Arab Emirates-owned tanker was hit by Iranian drones, and a South Korean cargo ship was also targeted.
Trump said Iran's small boats are "all they have left" and called on South Korea to join the mission after one of its cargo ships was hit. The UAE moved schools to remote learning through Friday over safety concerns.
GameStop Makes $56B Play for eBay
Video game retailer GameStop made an unsolicited $56 billion offer to acquire eBay on Sunday, despite being roughly a quarter the size of the e-commerce platform it wants to buy.
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen pitched the deal as a path to turn eBay into a "legit competitor" to Amazon, arguing the platform is "under-earning" and saying he could strip $2 billion in annual costs by cutting eBay's marketing budget.
Interviews with Cohen on Monday didn't clarify the specifics of the deal. Pressed repeatedly on how a company with $9.4 billion in cash plans to fund a $56 billion deal, he kept telling confused TV reporters that the details were "on our website."
The cash-and-stock bid offers $125 a share, a 20% premium to Friday's close. eBay shares jumped 5% on the news. GameStop's stock fell nearly 10% as investors questioned whether the math actually works.
Google, White House Launch America 250 Site
The National Archives, White House Task Force 250, and Google Arts & Culture launched a sprawling new online exhibit Monday called Making of the Nation, billed as the digital front door to America's 250th birthday celebration this summer.
The hybrid experience uses AI, interactive storytelling, and 3D digital galleries to bring founding-era documents and artifacts to life. A virtual Founders Museum lets visitors explore Benjamin Franklin's electrical experiments, George Washington's dentures and inaugural suit, and stories from battles like Valley Forge.
The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes
➤ The S&P 500 and Nasdaq just hit all-time highs.
➤ A suspected hantavirus outbreak has killed three aboard a cruise ship now stranded off the coast of Africa.
➤ Secret Service officers shot an armed man near the White House on Monday after he pulled a weapon and fired at them. The White House was briefly locked down.
➤ The Supreme Court temporarily restored mail and telehealth access to the abortion pill mifepristone, pausing a 5th Circuit ruling that required in-person dispensing.
➤ Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida's redrawn congressional map into law, a move that could flip as many as four House seats to Republicans ahead of the midterms.
➤The Justice Department sued Minnesota over the state's climate lawsuit targeting energy companies, arguing it improperly overrides federal authority over domestic energy development.)
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If you watch Josh Gates of Expedition Unknown you know how the Pyramids were really built. He has two episodes that are real eye openers and demonstrate how it was done He has been in the middle of the great pyramid and filmed it….skip
His shows are very entertaining and fun to watch.
. Thanks to Interesting Facts
7 Interesting Facts About Ancient Pyramids
Few monuments capture the public imagination quite like pyramids. These feats of engineering teach us about cultures that lived long before us — not just their art and innovations, but their everyday lives.
Just how old is the earliest pyramid? How did Egyptians start building their iconic smooth-sided pyramids? What are we still discovering within them? From the towering Great Pyramids of Giza to the complex stepped pyramids of Mesoamerica, these seven facts reveal just how mind-blowing pyramids really are.
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Egyptian Pyramids Were Rarely Just Pyramids
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In Egypt, these triumphs of architecture — reserved for royal tombs — were the main buildings of larger complexes. Typically, the complex also included an attached mortuary temple with shrines, an open courtyard, and chapels, staffed in perpetuity, with an offering table.
Ancient Egyptians also buried pits full of boats around these monuments to help ensure smooth sailing into the afterlife. One of the more impressive boats was uncovered in 1954 next to the Great Pyramid of Khufu — sometimes referred to as just the Great Pyramid. The 144-foot-long, 4,600-year-old ship was buried in more than 1,200 pieces stashed underneath stone blocks.
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The Great Pyramids of Giza Created Whole Cities Around Them
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Building pyramids as large as the Great Pyramids of Giza was a major undertaking, and required a lot of labor — especially the Great Pyramid of Khufu which, at 481 feet high, was the tallest building in the world for thousands of years. (The date of its construction is debated, but may have begun around 2550 BCE.)
Archaeologists have uncovered two "towns" around the Great Pyramids that not only housed pyramid-builders, but bakers, carpenters, weavers, stoneworkers, and others that supported day-to-day life. Some lived in family dwellings with their own courtyards and kitchens, while others, likely itinerant workers, slept in something more like a barracks. There is so much we don’t know about these areas, but one thing’s for sure: Based on animal bones and pottery found around the site, everyone there was very well-fed… and had plenty of beer to drink.
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The First Known Pyramid Is 4,700 Years Old
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Djoser’s Step Pyramid, built sometime between 2667 and 2648 BCE, is considered the oldest pyramid, although it doesn’t have the smooth sides we associate with Egyptian pyramids today. Previously, pharaohs had been buried underneath mastabas — structures that look like single plateaus. The Step Pyramid stacked multiple mastabas on top of one another, creating the tapered effect. It’s located Saqqara, a necropolis about 15 miles south of Cairo.
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Pyramids in Egypt Used to be Bright and Shiny
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We picture pyramids now as immense buildings of sandy-colored stone, but when they were originally constructed, they were adorned in polished limestone. These casing stones needed to be individually cut to a specific angle and sanded until they shone. Many of these outer layers were knocked loose by an earthquake or dismantled for building other things.
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Sudan Has More Than 200 Pyramids
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Egypt has around 140 pyramids that we know about, but to the south, present-day Sudan has more than 200 of them.
Until the mid-20th century, many archaeologists viewed these sites as extensions of Egypt, rather than part of a unique cultural heritage. But Sudan’s pyramids, most of them located in Meroe, are much smaller and steeper, surrounded by their own collections of chapels and monuments, and are unique to Nubian culture.
For what it’s worth, Egyptian-style pyramids are all over the place, including Italy and Greece. Pyramids more broadly, however, take many different forms.
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The Americas Contain More Pyramids Than the Rest of the World Combined — Including the Biggest One of All
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In ancient Mesoamerica, a region spanning from much of modern-day Mexico through most of Central America, peoples such as the Inca, Aztec, Maya, and Olmec had their own style of pyramid dating back to about 1000 BCE — and they built a lot of them. Unlike Egypt, they weren’t used exclusively for tombs.
The most well-known Mesoamerican pyramids are the ones in Teotihuacan, an Aztec city near present-day Mexico City. The Pyramid of the Sun, the largest of the structures, and nearby Pyramid of the Moon were both constructed by putting rubble inside a set of retaining walls, building adobe brick around it, then casing in limestone. The Pyramid of the Sun hides an extra secret: another pyramid, accessible through a cave underneath. These pyramids were built between 1 and 200 CE, although the pyramid inside the cave is even older.
The Great Pyramid in La Venta, an ancient Olmec civilization by present-day Tabasco, Mexico, is much different: It’s essentially a mountain made of clay. Later Olmec pyramids were also earth mounds, only faced with stone in a stepped structure.
The largest pyramid on the planet by volume, not height, is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, or Tlachihualtepetl, in Mexico. It dates back to around 200 BCE, and is essentially six pyramids on top of one another. Later civilizations expanded on previous construction, taking care to preserve the original work. It’s made of adobe bricks and, whether accidentally or through a deliberate effort from the locals, eventually became covered in foliage and was later abandoned. When Spanish invaders, led by Hernan Cortez, came through, murdered 3,000 people, and destroyed more visible structures, they thought Tlachihualtepetl was part of the natural topography and let it be.
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We’re Still Finding New Stuff Inside Pyramids
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, the tallest of the Great Pyramids, has been the topic of rigorous study for more than a thousand years — but we’re still finding out what’s inside, including whole new chambers. The Scan Pyramids project, a collaboration between Egyptian, French, and Japanese research institutions that started in 2015, uses updated cosmic ray technology for a noninvasive peek inside.
So far, they’ve found two previously unidentified areas: a corridor on the north face of the pyramid and a “big void” above the Grand Gallery. The void is at least 100 feet long and has a similar cross-section as the Grand Gallery, which connects various areas of the pyramid, including the burial chamber.
A team of American researchers hopes to use even more advanced technology to try to get a full three-dimensional image of the big void. Whether it’s a structural element or a whole new chamber, it could provide a wealth of information on how the pyramids were built.
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Thanks to History Facts
The Most Successful Ad Campaigns of All Time
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In a world inundated with ads, it’s rare for one to become an indelible part of the cultural landscape. As modern advertising evolved from its 17th-century print origins, it grew into an art form that entrenched itself in popular culture and changed the relationship between company and consumer. Yet amid the sea of print ads, commercials, and social media campaigns that have launched over the years, a few outliers have managed to stand out from the crowd, lodging themselves in the collective consciousness and successfully changing the conversation. These five iconic ads are generally considered among the most successful ad campaigns of all time.
Nike: “Just Do It”
In 1988, the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy debuted the “Just Do It” campaign, and catapulted Nike into the realm of cultural iconicism. Written by agency co-founder Dan Wieden, the slogan debuted in a TV spot for what was then a relatively small sportswear company. The empowering catchphrase was intentionally open-ended, and sought to capitalize on the decade’s enthusiasm for self-determinization and personal achievement. The idea for those three little words has a darker origin, however. The phrase was adapted from the last words uttered by convicted killer Gary Gilmore, who, shortly before his execution by firing squad, said, “Let’s do it.” Wieden and his collaborators swapped out a word, and the rest is history.
California Milk Processor Board: “Got Milk?”
In response to reports of flagging milk sales, ad agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners held an unconventional focus group. Participants were asked to not consume any milk for a week before convening, and the respondents reported frustration at the absence of the beverage. This inspired an advertising angle that differed from most 1980s campaigns that had focused on dairy’s health benefits. Instead, “Got Milk?” hinged on how people tend not to think about milk at all until they need it and it isn’t there. The first TV commercial, directed by Michael Bay, premiered in 1993. Two years later, Naomi Campbell starred in the first celebrity-fronted “Got Milk?” print ad, sporting the now-iconic milk mustache.
Volkswagen: “Think Small”
Considered one of the best advertisements of the 20th century, Volkswagen’s “Think Small” ad changed the game by injecting humor and self-awareness into advertising. Developed by DDB (Doyle, Dane, Bernbach) art director Helmut Krone and copywriter Julian Koenig, the print ad was released in 1959 and was the first to shirk the ad industry’s emphasis on mass consumerism. With a focus on the vehicle’s utility and the brand’s acknowledgment of its aesthetic shortcomings, the campaign was a welcome departure from traditional sensationalist car ads. It also marked the start of the ad industry’s creative revolution, ushering in the golden age of advertising (an era beautifully depicted in the 2007 television series Mad Men).
De Beers: “A Diamond Is Forever”
Before the 1930s, diamond engagement rings were reserved for the wealthy. Then in 1938, the ad agency N.W. Ayer was enlisted by De Beers heir Harry Oppenheimer to rebrand the jewel as something worth splurging for. Copywriter Frances Gerety succeeded when she coined the slogan “A Diamond Is Forever” in 1947. The ad likened the diamond to the permanence of marriage and made the ring an engagement staple, effectively increasing demand for the precious gem. The campaign was launched nationally before expanding worldwide, and was so successful that in 1999, Ad Age magazine named it the No. 1 slogan of the century.
Dove: “Campaign for Real Beauty”
Dove debuted the “Campaign for Real Beauty” in 2004 as a challenge to traditional beauty advertising. The ad was launched in response to the results of “The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report.” The company’s emphasis on diversity stemmed from the report’s findings: Only 2% of women polled described themselves as “beautiful,” yet 80% of participants agreed that all women have something beautiful about them. Led by Joah Santos of the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, the campaign began as a series of billboards before expanding to TV slots featuring copy such as, “Wrinkled or Wonderful?” and “Grey or Gorgeous?” The shift in narrative made its mark, and within six months, sales of Dove products rose 700%.
Old Spice: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”
A simple statistic inspired the launch of Old Spice’s 2010 “Smell Like a Man” campaign. Wieden+Kennedy learned that 60% of all body wash purchases were made by women, so creative directors Eric Baldwin and Jason Bagley came up with a campaign that appealed directly to them. Enlisting actor Isaiah Mustafa to embody the man “yours” could be, the campaign featured a shirtless hunk addressing the camera directly while navigating a variety of over-the-top situations. Shot in one take and with social media traction in mind, the ads quickly went viral and parlayed Old Spice from a baby boomer relic to a must-have for the 18-to-34 age demographic.
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 5
1864 – The forces of Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee clash in the Wilderness, beginning an epic campaign. Lee had hoped to meet the Federals, who plunged into the tangled Wilderness west of Chancellorsville, Virginia, the day before, in the dense woods in order to mitigate the nearly two-to-one advantage Grant possessed as the campaign opened. The conflict quickly spread along a two-mile front, as numerous attacks from both sides sent the lines surging back and forth. The fighting was intense and complicated by the fact that the combatants rarely saw each other through the thick undergrowth. Whole brigades were lost in the woods. Muzzle flashes set the forest on fire, and hundreds of wounded men died in the inferno. The battle may have been particularly unsettling for the Union troops, who came across skeletons of Yankee soldiers killed the year before at the Battle of Chancellorsville, their shallow graves opened by spring rains. By nightfall, the Union was still in control of the major crossroads in the Wilderness. The next two days brought more pitched battles without a clear victory for either side. Grant eventually pulled out and moved further south toward Richmond, and for the next six weeks the two great armies maneuvered around the Confederate capital.
1916 – U.S. marines invaded the Dominican Republic. The occupation began gradually. The first landing took place on May 5, 1916 when “two companies of marines landed from the U.S.S. Prairie at Santo Domingo.” Their goal was to offer protection to the U.S. Legation and the U.S. Consulate, and to occupy the Fort San Geronimo. Within hours, these companies were reinforced with “seven additional companies.” On May 6, forces from the U.S.S. Castine landed to offer protection to the Haitian Legation, a country under similar military occupation from the U.S. Two days after the first landing, constitutional President, Juan Isidro Jimenes resigned.
1945 – In Lakeview, Oregon, Mrs. Elsie Mitchell and five neighborhood children are killed while attempting to drag a Japanese balloon out of the woods. Unbeknownst to Mitchell and the children, the balloon was armed, and it exploded soon after they began tampering with it. They were the first and only known American civilians to be killed in the continental United States during World War II. The U.S. government eventually gave $5,000 in compensation to Mitchell’s husband, and $3,000 each to the families of Edward Engen, Sherman Shoemaker, Jay Gifford, and Richard and Ethel Patzke, the five slain children. The explosive balloon found at Lakeview was a product of one of only a handful of Japanese attacks against the continental United States, which were conducted early in the war by Japanese submarines and later by high-altitude balloons carrying explosives or incendiaries. In comparison, three years earlier, on April 18, 1942, the first squadron of U.S. bombers dropped bombs on the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Kobe, and Nagoyo, surprising the Japanese military command, who believed their home islands to be out of reach of Allied air attacks. When the war ended on August 14, 1945, some 160,000 tons of conventional explosives and two atomic bombs had been dropped on Japan by the United States. Approximately 500,000 Japanese civilians were killed as a result of these bombing attacks.
1961 – From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA was established in 1958 to keep U.S. space efforts abreast of recent Soviet achievements, such as the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite–Sputnik 1–in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the two superpowers raced to become the first country to put a man in space and return him to Earth. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet space program won the race when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into space, put in orbit around the planet, and safely returned to Earth. One month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight restored faith in the U.S. space program. NASA continued to trail the Soviets closely until the late 1960s and the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a giant leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them to Earth. On February 5, 1971, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
O’DONOGHUE, TIMOTHY
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy, Born: 1841, Rochester N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served as boatswain’s mate on board the U.S.S. Signal, Red River, 5 May 1864. Proceeding up the Red River, the U.S.S. Signal engaged a large force of enemy field batteries and sharpshooters, returning the fire until the ship was totally disabled, at which time the white flag was raised. Serving as gun captain, and wounded early in the battle, O’Donoghue bravely stood by his gun in the face of enemy fire until ordered to withdraw.
PATTERSON, JOHN H.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 11th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., 5 May 1864. Entered service at: New York. Birth: New York. Date of issue: 23 July 1897. Citation: Under the heavy fire of the advancing enemy, picked up and carried several hundred yards to a place of safety a wounded officer of his regiment who was helpless and would otherwise have been burned in the forest.
RICH, CARLOS H.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company K, 4th Vermont Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., 5 May 1864. Entered service at: Northfield, Mass. Birth: Canada. Date of issue: 4 January 1895. Citation: Saved the life of an officer.
SWAP, JACOB E.
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 83d Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., 5 May 1864. Entered service at: Springs, Pa. Birth: Calnehoose, N.Y. Date of issue: 19 November 1897. Citation: Although assigned to other duty, he voluntarily joined his regiment in a charge and fought with it until severely wounded.
WILKES, PERRY
Rank and organization: Pilot, U.S. Navy. Entered service at: Indiana. Born: 6 June 1830, Indiana. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served as pilot on board the U.S.S. Signal, Red River, 5 May 1864. Proceeding up the Red River, the U.S.S. Signal engaged a large force of enemy field batteries and sharpshooters, returning their fire until the ship was totally disabled, at which time the white flag was ordered raised. Acting as pilot throughout the battle, Wilkes stood by his wheel until it was disabled in his hands by a bursting enemy shell.
FICHTER, HERMANN
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action.
MILLER, DANIEL H.
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at:——. Birth: Fairfield County, Ohio. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action.
MOTT, JOHN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at:——. Birth: Scotland. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action.
YOUNT, JOHN P.
Rank and organization: Private, Company F, 3d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Whetstone Mountains, Ariz., 5 May 1871. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Putnam County, Ind. Date of issue: 13 November 1871. Citation: Gallantry in action with Indians.
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Once USN, always USN!
Thanks to Mike
Thought you’d enjoy this…
https://www.facebook.com/theaviatorscafe18/videos/386833578889284
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The Polish Air Forces and army in exile were larger than the combined forces of France, Holland, Belgium, Norway and Czechoslovakia during WWII.
Yet, the Poles were not invited to participate in the huge victory parade in London in June 1946 because it might offend the Soviets. Poland was on the winning side but was given to the Soviets and lost territory to the Soviets.
Stan Golanka
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“This Day in Aviation History” brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
This Week in Aviation Heritage
May 5, 1917
Secretary of War Newton D. Baker agreed to a proposal from the Secretary of the Navy concerning the establishment of a joint board for the purpose of standardizing the design and specifications of aircraft. The board subsequently established was initially called the “Joint Technical Board on Aircraft, Except Zeppelins.”
May 6, 1914
A Curtiss AH–3 hydroairplane, flown by Lt. P. N. L. Bellinger and Lt. R. C. Saufley of the Navy in a reconnaissance mission over Mexican positions near Vera Cruz, became the first U.S. airplane hit by hostile ground fire. Bellinger was Daedalian Founder Member #2101. Saufley was #13307.
May 7, 1958
Maj. Major Howard C. Johnson, the operations officer of the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron based at Hamilton AFB, California, zoom-climbed a Lockheed F-104A Starfighter, serial number 55-2957, to an altitude of 91,243 feet over Edwards AFB, establishing a new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale altitude record. Major Johnson was part of a group of engineers and pilots awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association in 1958 for “the greatest achievement in aeronautics” because of their involvement in the Lockheed F-104 program.
May 8, 1911
The Navy ordered its first airplane, an A–1 amphibian, from Glenn Curtiss. By July the service was flying this aircraft at Hammondsport, New York.
May 9, 1932
Capt. Albert Francis Hegenberger, Air Corps, United States Army, flew the first solo instrument approach and landing, using a system which he had developed, at McCook Field, Ohio. The Hegenberger system, which was adopted by both civil and military aviation authorities, used a series of non-directional radio beacons and marker beacons on the ground, along with a radio-compass and other gyroscopic instruments and radio receivers aboard the aircraft, a Consolidated NY-2 biplane. This flight was the first solo blind instrument flight, approach and landing. (Lt. James H. Doolittle had made a blind instrument flight in 1929, but he carried a safety pilot aboard.) For his accomplishment, Captain Hegenberger was awarded an oak leaf cluster (a second award) for his Distinguished Flying Cross, and received the Collier Trophy, an annual award for the greatest achievement in aeronautics in America. He was Daedalian Founder Member #3827.
May 10, 1911
Lt. George Kelly becomes the first Army pilot to die in an airplane. He crashed to avoid striking encamped soldiers. While Lt. Thomas Selfridge died earlier (Sept. 17, 1908), he was flying as an observer, not as a pilot. Selfridge was the first person, and the first active duty person, to die in an aircraft crash. Kelly was Daedalian Founder Member #575, and Selfridge was #544.
May 11, 1964
The first prototype North American Aviation XB-70A-1-NA Valkyrie, 62-0001, was rolled out at Air Force Plant 42 near Palmdale, California. More than 5,000 people were there to watch. In August 1960, the U.S. Air Force had contracted for one XB-70 prototype and 11 pre-production YB-70 development aircraft. By 1964, however, the program had been scaled back to two XB-70As and one XB-70B. Only two were actually completed.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 5 THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1910: At Mount Weather Observatory in Virginia, a kite flew to a 23,800-foot world altitude record. (24)
1927: The Patent Office issued a patent on hinged inset trailing edge ailerons, an invention that later became a standard feature on aircraft. (20)
1947: McDonnell’s H-20 Flying Bike, the world’s first ramjet helicopter, completed its first flight. (3)
1948: Fighter Squadron VF-17A, equipped with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, became the first carrier-qualified jet squadron in the US Navy. (16) (24) BOEING FLIGHT-TESTED B-29S MODIFIED FOR AERIAL REFUELING. To install the basic British hose system on the B-29s, Boeing removed all armaments and most armor to install a hose reel, hauling line, more fuel lines, and nylon-lined aluminum fuel tanks in the forward and aft bomb bays. Receiver aircraft had some oxygen equipment removed and fueling lines added. The success of the tests ultimately led the USAF to convert 92 B-29s into KB-29M hose-method tankers. Seventy-four B-29s were equipped to receive aerial refuelings by hose. (18)
1951: KOREAN WAR. A 3 ARS H-5 helicopter rescued a downed F-51 pilot north of Seoul. It encountered small arms fire in the area. (28)
1952: The Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar first flew. It had a swept-wing variable geometry wing.
1954: The USAF issued a requirement for a turbo-jet tanker to support the refueling needs of jet aircraft.
1956: Operation REDWING. Press reports said the first shot in a test series on Eniwetok Atoll had been of a “pocket-size” H-bomb small enough for delivery by a small aircraft or missile. (16)
1961: Navy Lt Cmdr Alan B. Shepard, Jr., became the first astronaut to cross the space frontier in a Mercury-Redstone 3 capsule, Freedom 7. During a 14-minute, 22-second suborbital flight, he reached 116 miles in altitude and 5,100 MPH. After lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Freedom 7 carrried him 302 miles to a landing zone in the Atlantic. He set a FAI altitude record without leaving the Earth's orbit. Cameramen and equipment from Air Photographic and Charting Service’s 1365th Photographic Squadron provided photographic coverage. (7) (9) (18)
1966: USAF A-1E Skyraider pilots flew their first strikes against targets in North Vietnam. (16) (26)
1969: The Smithsonian Institute received X-15 No.1 for display with other aircraft firsts. (3)
1971: The USAF’s sea-launched ballistic missile detection and warning system, called the Pave Phased Array Warning Sytem (PAWS), achieved its initial operating capability. (21)
1981: A B-52H from the 410 BMW at K.I. Sawyer AFB landed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin for two days of public display. This event came after years of negotiating an agreement, signed in March 1981, to let B-52s land in Australia. On 22 June, the bomber flew an operational sortie from Darwin on a sea-search mission. (1)
1987: The last Titan II missile came off alert at Little Rock AFB, marking “the close of a quarter century of uninterrupted service as the vanguard of America's deterrent force.” (16) (26)
1996: Colonel Betty L. Mullis became the first woman to command a flying wing when she assumed command of the 940 AREFW (AFRES) at McClellan AFB. (21)
1999: Operation PROVIDE REFUGE. A DoD-chartered Tower Air Boeing 747 landed at McGuire AFB with the first group of refugees from Kosovar, Serbia’s southern province in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In this operation, up to 3,000 Kosovar Albanians were flown to Mc- Guire and temporary quarters at neighboring Fort Dix until arrangements could be made for permanent resettlement with relatives or sponsors in the US. (22)
2001: The Boeing X-32B flew from Edwards AFB to NAS Patuxent River, Md., to validate the suitability of its direct-lift capability to Navy requirements. (3)
2003: During Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, a Global Hawk AV-3 (Nicknamed “The Grumpy Workhorse” and officially designated an YRQ-4A) flew 19 sorties in 446.6 hours over Iraq to collect some 3,700 surveillance images. While only flying 5 percent of the surveillance sorties in the theater, the Global Hawk gathered more than 55 percent of the data on time-sensitive targets. The vehicle returned to Edwards AFB on this date (image above). During Operation Iraqi Freedom, AV-3's sensors successfully tracked Iraqi Republican Guard forces during a fierce sandstorm in March 2003. While the dust blinded AV-3's optical and infrared sensors, its radar provided information accurate enough for fighters and bombers to attack the enemy successfully with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapons.
In February 2006, it made another spectacular flight by flying autonomously and non-stop from Australia to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Over its career, AV-3 completed 251 flights for 4,891.3 total hours flying time. This total included 195 combat sorties and 4,152.7 combat hours. A remarkable aircraft, AV-3 went on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2008. (Credit: NMUSAF)
2004: Two C-130s from the 146 AW(California ANG), equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System, dropped 21,600 gallons of fire-retardant on Santa Barbara County’s Cachuma fire. (32)
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