Jan 2This Day in HistoryJanuary 2nd 1791 — Big Bottom Massacre. This took place in Ohio and was part of the territorial confrontations known as the Northwest Indian wars. The newly formed U.S. government was selling land in Ohio to developers and settlers were moving in also. A coalition of Native American tribes formed…5 min read5 min read
Jan 1This Day in HistoryJanuary 1st 1804 — Haiti gains independence. A colony of France, Haiti was profitable because of slave labor. At the time of the revolution there were 40,000 whites living on the island in the form of plantation owners, teachers and business owners. There were 500,000 slaves of African descent. It…5 min read5 min read
Dec 30, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 30th 1903 — Iroquois Theater Fire. The fire at the Chicago theater remains the deadliest single building fire in U.S. history. The theater had only been open for a month and was hailed for its architectural splendor. It also had been advertised as “absolutely fireproof.” In truth many safety…4 min read4 min read
Dec 29, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 29th 1835 — Treaty of New Echota signed. This treaty ceded all Cherokee land east of the Mississippi River to the U.S. government. The treaty was signed by a minority faction within the tribe, while the majority opposed it. There had been a push for Cherokee land in Georgia…4 min read4 min read
Dec 26, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 26th 1965 — The day after Christmas was a Sunday that year, a cold, grey bleak Sunday. I had just finished my first quarter of college at St. Cloud State and was home in Lester Prairie for the holidays. My college roommate, Rick, also from Lester, called me early…6 min read6 min read
Dec 24, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 24th 1963 — Sunny Southern California was not sunny that day. The sky was a gloomy gray, a fitting compliment to my already downcast mood. The season was certainly a contributing factor to my depression, not to mention my current employment. Christmas and the military were not a good…7 min read7 min read
Dec 22, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 22nd 1849 — Mock execution of Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky had written only one successful novel at this point. He had joined a circle of literary and socialist activists. Members of the group were arrested in April and spent months in prison. In November they were convicted of making abusive…5 min read5 min read
Dec 21, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 21st 1891–1st game of basketball. James Naismith, a physical education teacher, looking for a game that caused less injuries than football and could be played inside in the winter, came up with the idea. He started with a soccer style type of ball and two peach baskets. The baskets…5 min read5 min read
Dec 19, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 19th 1843 — “A Christmas Carol” published. The first edition of the novella written by Charles Dickens sold out in a week, by Christmas Eve. Despite thirteen more editions being released, Dickens made little money from the book, partly because of a corrupt publisher. However in 1849 he embarked…4 min read4 min read
Dec 17, 2022This Day in HistoryDecember 17th 1967 — Harry Holt drowns. Holt was the prime minister of Australia. With some friends and two bodyguards Holt left Melbourne and went to a beach at Portsea, Victoria. The sea swell was high that day and most of the party elected to stay on shore. One other…5 min read5 min read
