Archive for 'Myth or History'
The Taxman Cometh: U.S. v. Alphonse Capone
Al Capone—the quintessential American gangster—headed the nation’s most notorious organized crime syndicate for more than a decade during Prohibition. Through smuggling, bootlegging, and a variety of other criminal operations, his “Chicago Outfit” was able to dominate America’s illegal liquor trade throughout the 1920s. But did you know that Al Capone was never convicted of violating [...]
Posted by Gregory Marose on July 26, 2011, under Myth or History, Unusual documents.
Tags: Al Capone, Alcatraz, IRS, National Archives at Chicago, National Prohibition Act, Prohibition, tax evasion
Comments: none
A record of valor
If you have watched the movie Glory, you saw a recreation of the assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, by the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry. But a real-life hero from that battle was Sgt. William Harvey Carney, who was awarded the Medal of Honor on May 23, 1900—37 years after the assault on Fort Wagner. The Medal of Honor is [...]
Posted by Hilary on May 24, 2011, under - Civil War, Myth or History, Unusual documents.
Tags: 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry, Fort Wagner, Glory, Medal of Honor, Sgt. William Harvey Carney
Comments: none
“The pole at last!”
When Robert Peary wrote “The pole at last!!!” into his diary on April 6, 1909, he had no idea that his claim would be disputed for the next several decades by experts who doubted that he and Matthew A. Henson were the first men to reach the North Pole. Marie Peary Stafford had no such doubts, [...]
Posted by Hilary on April 6, 2011, under - Exploration, Myth or History, Rare Photos, Uncategorized.
Tags: greenland, marie peary stafford, North Pole, peary, polar exploration, Prologue, Robert Peary
Comments: none
Reverse the (Zero) Curse
When Ronald Reagan survived the attempt on his life on March 30, 1981, and went on to serve two full four-year terms, he broke what some people call “the year-ending-in-zero” curse. It goes like this: Every President elected in a year ending in zero since 1840 had died in office. William Henry Harrison, elected in [...]
Posted by Jim on March 30, 2011, under - Presidents, Myth or History.
Tags: abraham lincoln, andrew johnson, assassination, Calvin Coolidge, Chester A. Arthur, death, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, Harry S. Truman, James A. Garfield, John F. Kennedy, John Tyler, John Wilkes Booth, Lyndon B. Johnson, millard fillmore, Presidents, Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, William Henry Harrison, William McKinley, year-ending-in-zero curse, Zachary Taylor
Comments: none
The silver screen, the stylish paperwork
Errol Flynn may not have changed his name to become a famous movie actor, but his declaration of intention (a form that starts the process to being naturalized as a U.S. citizen) is surprisingly complex. In 1938, he listed four countries and two nationalities on one form. Flynn was born in Australia, but on his [...]
Posted by Hilary on February 23, 2011, under - World War II, Myth or History.
Tags: Alfred hitchcock, Australia, declaration of intent, emigrate, Errol Flynn, Mexico, Peter Lorre, the National archives at Laguna Nigel
Comments: 2
