History
General history issues, although a lot will be about WW2
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Last night, during the Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations in London, Prince William delivered a heartfelt tribute to his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, in a moving speech. I wasn’t aware of his paternal great-grandmother’s involvement in the Holocaust. Princess Alice of Battenberg, a member of the British royal family and mother of Prince Philip, Duke…
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The Paris Peace Accords and the End of the Vietnam War The Paris Peace Accords, officially titled the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam, were signed on January 27, 1973, marking a pivotal moment in one of the most contentious conflicts of the 20th century—the Vietnam War. Negotiated over nearly five…
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Audie Leon Murphy was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism on January 26, 1945, near Holtzwihr, France. The Medal of Honor citation describes actions that exemplify remarkable bravery, leadership,…
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Earlier this week, I wrote a blog post featuring quotes from Holocaust survivors. Among them, I came across a powerful statement by Simon Wiesenthal: “For your benefit, learn from our tragedy. It is not a written law that the next victims must be Jews. It can also be other people. We saw it begin in…
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My tribute to my Mother and Hero, who passed away on January 26,1996. a day that forever changed my life. My tribute is in Dutch, English and Frisian. Dutch Mama, deze foto van jou is typisch zoals mensen zich jou zullen herinneren. In de keuken, koffie aan het maken, klaar om soep en botherhammen te…
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Two lives so brief, their stories untold,In shadows of darkness, their fates took hold.Nehemia Levy Cohen, born with winter’s breath,In Amsterdam’s arms, unaware of death.Roosje van der Hal, spring’s gentle child,From Groningen’s heart, her laughter wild. On January’s day, the cold tracks groaned,Two babes were taken from the love they’d known.To Westerbork’s gates, where the…
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On Monday, January 27, we will remember the millions of victims of the Holocaust. This year, let’s not just say “Never Again,” but let’s mean it. These are some quotes of Holocaust survivors, use them as inspiration for now and the future. “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering…
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Betje Bierman was the second child of Levie Bierman and Sara Italiaander. She was born in Amsterdam on September 8, 1897, and married there on April 10, 1918, to diamond cutter Abraham Katwijk, the son of Jacob Katwijk and Sara Gobes, who was also born in Amsterdam on May 1, 1894. After Betje and Abraham…