History Facts

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks at the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at the order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman on August 6 and 9, 1945. The atomic bombs killed thousands of people in a matter of minutes, but it was a necessary action to end the war. To this day, these are the only two instances of attacks with nuclear weapons in history.

Fact #1 - Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan on August 6 and 9 respectively.

These two cities were chosen because they fit a set criteria issued by the Target Committee. They were large cities that had a military presence and were unlikely to be attacked prior to the bombing dates.

Fact #2 - The Manhattan Project was the project to develop the first nuclear weapon (atomic bomb) during World War II by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Born out of a small research program in 1939, the Manhattan Project eventually employed more than 130,000 people and cost nearly $2 billion USD ($24 billion in 2008 dollars based on CPI). I don’t know the history of all weapons, but this most have been the most expensive weapon development project of it’s time. The Manhattan Project was top secret, so the fact that it employed 130,000 people is also impressive.

Fact #3 - The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima was known as “Little Boy” and the bomb dropped on Nagasaki was named “Fat Man.”

Some people say the name “Fat Man” was picked because the bomb looked like Winston Churchill! I don’t believe that though. I think the names for the bombs came from the shapes they were. One was skinny and long, the other was short and fat.

Fact #4 - The atomic bombs killed as many as 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki by the end of 1945.

Since then, thousands of people have died from injuries or illnesses related to radiation.

Fact #5 - The Japanese were warned about Nagasaki.

Truman never intended to drop 2 atomic bombs on Japan. He thought one would be enough. After the Hiroshima bombing, President Truman announced, “If they do not accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the air the likes of which has never been seen on this earth.” Japan refused, and the rest is history.

The Holocaust is the term generally used to describe the genocide of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, as part of a program of deliberate extermination planned and executed by the Nazi regime in Germany led by Adolf Hitler. It is one of most gruesome and dark times in the history of mankind. Today’s post will cover several facts about the Holocaust.

Fact #1 - The Holocaust began with Hitler’s rise to power in January of 1933 and ended on VE (Victory over Europe) Day May 8, 1945.

Before Jews were exterminated, Nazi Germany started by marking them with symbols. A “J” on their passport or a star on their sleeve. In 1939, Hitler said the war would be the “annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe.”

Fact #2 - Statistics now show that two out of every three European Jews had died during the Holocaust by 1945.

Statistics show that there were approximately 9 million Jewish people in Europe before the war. 66% of them were killed. That is just an alarming number. Can you imagine sitting in a classroom or at your office and someone coming in the door and killing off 2 out of every 3 people for no reason? It’s impossible to know what they went through.

Fact #3 - While Jews were Nazi Germany’s primary target for this ‘ethnic cleansing’, gypsies, physically disabled people and Polish nationals also came under the purview of the Holocaust.

Approximate numbers show 500,000 Serbs, 2 million Polish, 500,000 Roma, and another 100,000 mentally ill were killed by Nazis during the Holocaust. And these are just a portion of the population that were targeted. Dozens of ethnic groups were devastated.

Fact #4 - Auschwitz was the largest of Nazi Germany’s concentration camps.

Some Nazis testified that up to 3 million people had died at Auschwitz, however the The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum has revised this figure to 1.1 million. I’ve seen programs on TV that show survivors revisiting Auschwitz and retelling their stories. It is horrific what they went through.

Fact #5 - Oskar Schindler was a Sudeten German industrialist credited with saving almost 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.

Schindler persuaded the Nazis to allow him to move Jews from concentration camps to work in his factories, thus saving them from certain death.

The Hoover Dam is a massive concrete dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. The large resevoir behind the dam is called Lake Mead. The Hoover Dam is not only used for river diversion, but it’s also used to generate power for Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Today’s topic will cover some interesting facts on the Hoover Dam.

Fact #1 - Construction on the Hoover Dam began in 1931 and was completed in 1935, more than two years ahead of schedule.

You have to be impressed with the engineering of the Hoover Damn during the 1930s. They were way ahead of their time. Such a massive structure and complicated project… it’s hard to believe they finished ahead of schedule.

Fact #2 - The Hoover Dam measures 726.4 feet high, 1,244 feet across at the top, 660 feet thick at the base, and 45 feet thick at the top.

That’s a lot of concrete!

Fact #3 - The Hoover Dam cost ONLY $49,000,000 to build.

Sounds like a bargain to me. You can’t even build a shopping center these days for $49 million. Cost effective labor combined with local raw materials resulted in a very cheap project.

Fact #4 - There were 112 deaths associated with the construction of the dam.

There are different death counts floating around out there, but 112 seems to be the most accepted. Some of the deaths associated with heat stroke, were not counted as it didn’t necessarily pertain to the construction of the damn. Others may have died from drowning or falling off towers.

Fact #5 - The Hoover Damn crosses 2 timezones.

There are two clock faces on the intake towers set for Nevada and Arizona time, in the Pacific and Mountain time zones respectively (although because Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, the two clocks show the same time throughout much of the year).

On the 4th day of July, Americans celebrate Independence Day. It is an annual reminder of the day The United States Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress (in 1776), announcing that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were no longer a part of the British Empire. Every year we celebrate we fireworks, cookouts and fun.

Fact #1 - In 1791 was the first recorded use of the name “Independence Day”.

Just a decade or so after the end of the American Revolution, citizens of the United States were calling the 4th day in July “Independence Day”. You have to respect the patriotism Americans had back then. They had just got done fighting a war for their freedom and were very respectful of what they earned.

Fact #2 - The Fourth of July was declared a legal holiday in 1941.

This means most Americans don’t have to go to work or school. Banks and other federal offices are all closed. It’s a day to relax and celebrate our freedom.

Fact #3 - Americans celebrate Independence Day with a barrage of fireworks. Every city will hold a celebration.

Some of the largest firework displays are held over Washington D.C., Boston and New York City. You can hear the boom of an explosion from miles away. People often say “Celebrate your nations birth by blowing up a small portion of it.”

Fact #4 - Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs.

Some of the songs you might hear during a fireworks spectacle include the national anthem (”The Star-Spangled Banner”), “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states.