The Star of India is an iron-hulled merchant sailing ship built in England in 1863. On display at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, she is billed as “the world’s oldest active sailing ship”. In 1863, the Gibson, McDonald & Arnold shipbuilding company, on the Isle of Man, began work on a three-masted sailing barque … Continue reading Sailing Ship “Star of India” →

Today, we remember the First World War as a long drawn-out stalemate that resulted in four years of blood but no gains by anybody—and a peace treaty that did nothing but cause another World War twenty years later. But less often remembered is the fact that the war was one of the most unpopular in … Continue reading World War One Trench Songs →

The first backpacker to thru-hike the entire 2100-mile Appalachian Trail in one trip was a troubled WW2 veteran who did it as a kind of therapy. For most of human history, people got around from one place to another by walking. Although Rome pioneered an extensive network of paved roads, and these were used through … Continue reading The First Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker →

Project Mercury was America’s entry into the Space Race and was intended to put a human into space before the Soviet Union did. The Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite in October 1957 caused a near-panic in the United States and led to desperate calls to “catch up”. President Eisenhower responded by establishing the National … Continue reading Project Mercury →