• JFK & PT 109

    On the night of August 1-2, 1943, during World War II, Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, future President of the United States, experienced a defining moment in his military career when his patrol torpedo boat, PT-109, was destroyed in the Solomon Islands. This event not only showcased Kennedy’s leadership and bravery but also became a significant…

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  • The Journeys of Hate

    Every day, I pass by this rail track. Just two lines, heading towards a horizon, an unknown destination. I often wonder about the people who were put on the trains toward what may have been their final destination—heading East on a journey of hate. Hundreds of people, men, women of all ages, often pregnant women,…

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  • 1936 Berlin Olympics

    “The sportive, knightly battle awakens the best human characteristics. It doesn’t separate but unites the combatants in understanding and respect. It also helps to connect the countries in the spirit of peace. That’s why the Olympic Flame should never die.” One could be forgiven for thinking that the words above were uttered by someone with…

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  • I realize this blog post might offend some readers or surprise others — especially those familiar with my usual focus on World War II and the Holocaust. But my site is called History of Sorts for a reason: I occasionally explore other aspects of human history and experience, even lighter or more provocative ones. Please…

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  • Someone send me an Irish Times article recently called “Why exercise is so difficult for people with rheumatoid arthritis” The article was extremely misleading. It was referring to studies carried out on people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Allegedly the studies found out: “In a groundbreaking new experiment involving older women and exercise, researchers found that even…

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  • It was Billy Joel’s 74th birthday on 9 May, and I was thinking about writing a piece about his musical history, going back to the times when he joined a band called “Echoes,” at age 16 to the times when he joined the bands “The Hassles” and “Atilla.” Then I came across a story which…

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  • I have seen so many gruesome images of the Holocaust, but for some reason, the pictures of these smiling and playing children touched me more than any other. I know none of them survived and the only crime they committed was being a child. On the morning of 6 April 1944, members of the Lyon…

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  • Prior to the outbreak of the second world war, Coca-Cola’s only unqualified success on the international scene was its bottling operations in Nazi Germany. Sales records were being set year after year in that venue, and by 1939 Coca-Cola had 43 bottling plants and more than 600 local distributors in that country. Fanta originated as a result of difficulties importing Coca-Cola syrup into Nazi…

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  • The day I die .There is no tunnel of light, no judgment. Just the thud of my soul dropping into a smoky backstage lounge that reeked of leather, stale whiskey, and guitar strings. A man in mirrored sunglasses and bat wings turned around and grinned.“Welcome to the Afterlife, mate,” said Ozzy Osbourne. Beside him, two…

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  • +++++++++++++++WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES++++++++++++++++ The heroes who are often forgotten are those who arrived in the concentration camps with a camera. They took pictures of horrors which nobody should have to witness but yet these were also the pictures that everyone had to witness, because they bore evidence of the evil crimes committed by a…

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