Article: Falklands War

30 Year Anniversary

The links below are to articles concerning the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War and the tensions that are again rising in the Falkland Islands.

For more, visit:
– http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304177104577311760059413558.html
– http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iS9bRFi63-ljkVV-eIGnWRT5fHUA
– http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-seismic-shift-30-years-after-the-Empire-struck-back_11163593

Today in History: 20 March 1760

USA: A ‘Great Fire’ of Boston

On this day in 1760, the greatest fire up to that time (in Boston) destroyed a large area of Boston in the United States. Some 349 buildings, including homes and shops were destroyed, and over 1000 people rendered homeless. Though a great tragedy for Boston, this great city suffered from many like disasters, as can be seen in the article linked to below.

For more, visit:
http://massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=86
http://www.kellscraft.com/GreatFireOfBoston/GreatFireofBostonCh02.html
http://www.archive.org/details/godshandproviden00mayh

For an account of the Great Fire of Boston in 1872 (November 9  10), visit:
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofgreatfi00conw
http://www.kellscraft.com/GreatFireOfBoston/GreatFireofBostonContentPage.html

 

Today in History – 17 April 1524

Giovanni da Verrazzano: Discovery of New York Bay

On this day in 1524, navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano, discovered New York Bay. Verrazzano was employed by the French king, Francis I, to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean in order to reach China. After a failed first expedition, Verrazzano in the ‘La Dauphine,’ left France on the 17th January 1524 for the North American mainland. Once in American waters he explored the east coast of North America, including the area from North Carolina to New York. During his journey he came into contact with native American Indians and entered the Hudson River. The area explored by Verrazano was named ‘New France.’

Verrazzano is thought to have been born in 1485, south of Florence in Italy, though more recent research would suggest he was born in Lyon, France. Verrazzano died during a third trip to America, when he was killed and eaten by native Carib Indians on the island of Guadeloupe in 1528.

As with any other day, there was plenty more that happened on this day in history. Among the more important events on this day in the past were:

• In 1492, Christopher Columbus signed a contract with Spain to find the Indies.
• In 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.
• In 1534, Sir Thomas Moore was confined in the Tower of London.
• In 1970, Apollo 13 sucessfully returned to earth.