Alfred Anderson, the last surviving witness to the 1914 Christmas truce on the Western Front of World War I, passed away on Monday, the 21st. Nearly a year ago in The Observer Anderson reflected on his World War I experiences: On 24 and 25 December, Anderson’s unit was billeted in a dilapidated farmhouse, away fromContinue reading “On Alfred Anderson”
Category Archives: History
On Veteran's Day
Today is Veteran’s Day, commemorating the armistace that ended the fighting in World War I nearly ninety years ago. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead.Continue reading “On Veteran's Day”
On Peter Jennings
Peter Jennings, anchor for ABC’s World News Tonight, died on Sunday. He was 67. Jennings had left the World News Tonight program in April with the announcement that he was fighting lung cancer. I always admired the quiet professionalism Jennings showed. He will be missed.
On Tartan Day
March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, when Americans of every stripe celebrate the nation’s Irish heritage. Today, April 6th, is Tartan Day, when Americans of every stripe celebrate the nation’s Scottish heritage. Wait, you haven’t heard of Tartan Day? Truth to tell, neither had I, until last year when buying Guinness for St. Patrick’s DayContinue reading “On Tartan Day”
First Invasion: The War of 1812
The History Channel showed tonight a documentary entitled First Invasion: The War of 1812. Being something of an enthusiast on the subject of America’s forgotten war, I tuned in, curious how they would distill the war, its causes and its effects, into two hours. I needn’t have bothered. The cause of the war? Impressment. WhatContinue reading “First Invasion: The War of 1812”
Comic Literary Footnotes
Thursday, March 6th, marked the anniversary of the death of English playwright Francis Beaumont, died in 1616. From the Forgotten English calendar of that day: One evening in a tavern, Mr. Beaumont and his writing partner, John Fletcher, were hammering out the details of either The Maid’s Tragedy or another of their tragic plays whenContinue reading “Comic Literary Footnotes”