Franz Ferdinand’s Forbidden Fantasy
byPerhaps people are more familiar with Franz Ferdinand due to his assassination, which sparked World War I, yet, his life was full of controversial events.1 But actually, his marriage was…
Social History
Columbia University Protest of 1968: Over 700 Students Arrested
byIn the year 1968, across the globe, many college campuses cried out for change as the civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, and the draft inflamed the passions of college…
Teaching Us R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
byShe possessed one of the strongest and most memorable voices in the history of music. She captivated her audiences, then and now. Her amazing talent and ability earned her the…
Becoming Christine: Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty
byOn December 1, 1952, the headline Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty dominated the front page of New York’s Daily News.1 This was the first introduction many Americans had to Christine Jorgensen,…
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” Serves Up Racial Equality
byThe moment of truth was finally at hand for Stanley Kramer. Flashing camera lights could only capture his calm reflection, but underneath his tailored tuxedo, carefully styled hair, and beaming…
The United States Exposed: Ron Ridenhour Reveals the My Lai Massacre
byWhen one hears the word “Pinkville,” one imagines a cute, quaint village, right? However, the real Pinkville is the exact opposite of this perception. Pinkville was a term U.S. soldiers…
“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”: Folsom Prison, Much More than a Performance.
by“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” These famous words once echoed within the walls of a prison that earned its fame through a song. The performance, though, was much more that just…
Trouble in Fantasyland: Walt Disney’s Cartoons in Combat
byFamilies throughout the United States faced hard times during the late-1930s. People were still recovering from the effects of the Great Depression, unfulfilled promises from President Roosevelt’s New Deal, and unemployment.1…
Our Heroes Aren’t Cowards: The Evolution of Shell Shock to PTSD
byCharles Meyers, a Medical Officer, introduced the term “Shell Shock” to explain symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) displayed by military after combat in World War I (WWI). Soldiers…
Tulsa, Oklahoma 1921: The Burning of Black Wall Street
byToday Americans still debate what occurred between Dick Rowland and Sarah Page in the Drexel building elevator on downtown of Tulsa’s Main Street on May 30, 1921. Dr. Scott A….
Pablo Escobar, Robin Hood or Drug Dealer?
byDrugs, money, girls, power. That’s what a majority of people think of when they hear of Pablo Escobar. Many have heard of Escobar through stories and articles, but what people…
The End of an Era: The Riots After the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
byWhen news broke that civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had been killed on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, people couldn’t help but feel anger and outrage. King,…
Médecins Sans Frontières: How Politics Created a Global Humanitarian Organization
byAs you make your rounds through the makeshift hospital your group has hastily set up, you pause and take a moment to process your surroundings and comprehend your situation. You…
Bodie: The Ghost Town that Never Dies
byDust blows across an empty gravel road. Abandoned wooden buildings stare up at an empty bluff. Down the town’s long road, just past the church and collapsed bank, is an…
Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: Accident or Negligence?
byOn the evening of January 27th, 1986, an engineer at a little-known company told his wife, “It’s going to blow up.” That man was Bob Ebeling, an engineer for Morton…
John Allen Muhammad & Lee Boyd Malvo: The DC Snipers
byThe shootings that took place in October 2002 led to a surge of panic, fear, and terror, creating one of the most chaotic months that the Washington DC metropolitan area…
Donald Gray Triplett: The First Person Diagnosed with Autism
byHave you ever thought you were different or had people tell you you were different? Have you ever done things that seemed weird to others? As the first person diagnosed…
Our Vote is Our Voice: A Tribute To Willie Velásquez
byFor decades, Latinos in the United States did not have a political voice. At the age of twenty-three, Willie Velásquez decided to change this. He worked to ensure the empowerment…
El Chapo: His Great Escape from Prison
byHave you ever imagined being a billionaire? How about being a fugitive? Well, El Chapo was both a billionaire and a fugitive. Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman became the leader of…
Emmett Till: A Civil Rights Icon
byImagine sending your son to visit relatives, thinking you would see him again in a few weeks, only to learn two weeks later that he was murdered. Emmett Louis Till…