Money does not exist. Only its value does. Go to the bank and ask to see the $1,000 in your

Why Are High Schools Graduating Illiterate Seniors? If you really want to know what is happening in America’s schools, do

Coming Out of the Water Dry (The 1838 Missouri Extermination Order) “The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must

When Detective Heinz Noonan arrives in Spokane to investigate a simple case of double obituaries, he has no idea he’s

Detective Heinz Noonan, the “Bearded Homes,” is sent to Virginia Beach, North Carolina, to find 30 antique Christian crosses that

Why would anyone steal something that has no value? And then stick the insurance company for a ten-million-dollar loss? That’s

How can $2 million in diamonds vanish? First, the diamonds were assessed to make sure they were authentic. Then, in

The Alaska Gold Rush is the least studied era of United States history. If you pull up Alaska Gold Rush

Latest Posts

“Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.”

“Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.”

This is a photograph of a ship somewhere along the Mississippi before the Civil War.

“Who invented the telephone booth?

“Who invented the telephone booth?

Thomas Watson, Alexander Graham Bell’s assistant. His landlady complained about the excessive noise he was

Not that one!  This one!

Not that one!  This one!

In the 1950s, American engineers working in the Middle East – where liquor was frowned

Nothing is worse than a missed opportunity

Nothing is worse than a missed opportunity

Petroleum as a fuel source is on the wane.  We will not have another century

“62 days on the road and for what?!”

“62 days on the road and for what?!”

During the summer of 1919, a United States Army Major was assigned to a transcontinental

“He’s cccrrraaazzzyyyyy!”

“He’s cccrrraaazzzyyyyy!”

It was said that the Roman Emperor Caligula once declared war on Neptune, the God

No, what you are seeing is history, not fantasy.

No, what you are seeing is history, not fantasy.

Charles VI of France (1368-1422) was daffy. He thought he was made of glass and

“Talk about luck!!!”

“Talk about luck!!!”

There’s been a lot of talk about who was on the Titanic. How about the

More Posts/Stories You Might Like

“Step aside or be crushed”

“Step aside or be crushed”

This is a juggernaut, the origin of the term for a huge, powerful, and overwhelming

One hundred and 13 years ago

One hundred and 13 years ago

One hundred and 13 years ago, my 19-year-old grandfather arrived in San Francisco on his

Not that one!  This one!

Not that one!  This one!

In the 1950s, American engineers working in the Middle East – where liquor was frowned

“They don’t look like white supremacists to me.”

“They don’t look like white supremacists to me.”

They’re not. They are Lumbee Indians from North Carolina. On January 18, 1958, James W.

Artificial Intelligence is the new Industrial Revolution

Artificial Intelligence is the new Industrial Revolution

Within the last week a LinkedIn post showed a block building being constructed by a

“The gift of a split second.”

“The gift of a split second.”

One of the great gifts of the internet is what I call “The Gift of

“Women can be successful business people?”

“Women can be successful business people?”

Far too often people have a Hollywood version of history. In Western movies, the streets

“It’s a what?!”

“It’s a what?!”

Until 1933, there was no standard American currency.  Even though there were American coins in

The Matter of the Fortune Cookie Waterfall

The Matter of the Fortune Cookie Waterfall

Two eccentric prospectors vanish in Kotzebue, each claiming to kidnap the other for a million dollars, until Captain Noonan answers with a perfectly legal prank.
April 1, 1987

April 1, 1987

On April 1, 1987, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 had a mid-air colli­sion with a

READ YOUR HISTORY!

READ YOUR HISTORY!

This scene, which happened in Anchorage, Alaska, happened all across the country in the 1920s

“What happens if  you cannot assert your rights?”

“What happens if you cannot assert your rights?”

During the Alaska Gold Rush, George Hinton Henry, the “Father of Alaska Journalism,” kept printing

“You want to build a bridge in the Alaska Gold Rush of what??!!”

“You want to build a bridge in the Alaska Gold Rush of what??!!”

In the teens, someone who was incredibly stupid was known as being “as cunning as

History is not the story of the past

History is not the story of the past

History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future.

Creative Thinkin’

Creative Thinkin’

[huge_it_video_player id="4"] The single most important survival ability in any field is creative thinking.  Anyone

Carrying guns and the Wild West

Carrying guns and the Wild West

Next time someone talks about ‘everyone having guns in the Wild West,’ remind them that

“What does an Indian do if he has not horse?”

“What does an Indian do if he has not horse?”

The single, most important reason to read history – ANY HISTORY – is because things

Authentic “Western” Sound!

Authentic “Western” Sound!

Here’s a glimpse of the authentic “Western” sound!  Not a guitar or banjo to be

OK. This is photoshop

OK. This is photoshop

Ok. This is photoshop. It was done in the 1940s to stimulate the Alaska sea

A barabara?

A barabara?

Nome has no forests so if you need to build a home with local material,

Acronyms, Legends and Heroes

Acronyms, Legends and Heroes

Every historical era has its acronyms, legends and heroes. If you are a millennial, it

the Most Spectacular Eruption

the Most Spectacular Eruption

From June 6th to 9th, 1912, the most spectacular eruption in recorded history and the

“Stop thinking that the women only ‘got the right to vote’ with the 19th Amendment.”

“Stop thinking that the women only ‘got the right to vote’ with the 19th Amendment.”

In many parts of the US, women were voting long before August 20, 1920.  In

“Sacre Bleu! What kind of a man paints a woman like THAT?!!”

“Sacre Bleu! What kind of a man paints a woman like THAT?!!”

Henri Matisse did, as a matter of fact.  Of his wife. In 1905. When he