This Day In History: November 16, 1957 On November 16, 1957, notorious murderer Ed Gein killed hardware store employee Bernice Worden. Gein is said to have provided the blueprint for Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs, Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Norman Bates in Psycho. (See: The Secrecy of Psycho.) Since Ed reportedly liked to […]

This Day In History: November 13, 1687 Nell Gwynne was that rarest of creatures – a royal mistress who was as popular with the people as she was with her exalted lover. Although England’s Charles II had many mistresses throughout his lifetime, his “pretty, witty Nell” held a special place in his affections. Born on Feb. 2, 1650, probably in […]

This Day In History: November 10, 1865 On November 10, 1865, Henry Wirz, the commander of Andersonville prison in Georgia (a.k.a. Camp Sumter), was executed for his actions during the Civil War. A Swiss immigrant, Wirz was the only Confederate officer convicted and put to death for war crimes. (Even Confederate President Jefferson Davis ultimately got off more or less […]

This Day In History: November 9, 1520 The situation in Sweden in 1520 was chaotic. The point of contention was Swedish sovereignty. The pro-union faction that championed allegiance to King Christian II of Denmark was headed by Archbishop Gustavus Trolle. The supporters of Swedish independence were led by Sweden’s Regent Sten Sture the Younger. King Christian II had already stepped […]

This Day In History: November 6, 1479 On November 6, 1479, Juana, the third child and second daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, was born. All of their daughters were raised to marry foreign royalty and spread Spain’s influence across Europe (Juana’s sister Catherine married King Henry VIII of England.) Juana had been promised since birth to the Holy […]

This Day In History: November 4, 1879 William Penn Adair Rogers, “Oklahoma’s Favorite Son,” was born on November 4, 1879 at his family’s ranch in present day Oklahoma (becoming the 46th state in the United States in 1907). Rogers was the youngest of eight children of his parents, Clement and Mary Rogers, who were part Cherokee. Precocious, intelligent, and personable, […]

This Day In History November 2, 1772 “.. an attack on the liberties of one Colony was an attack on the liberties of all.” – Sam Adams The Sons of Liberty were always busy organizing new public protests and resistance strategies against unpopular British policies. They continually looked for new ways to educate the citizens about the pressing issues of […]

This Day In History: October 30, 1944 Most people are familiar with the tragic story of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl forced into hiding with her family when her older sister Margo received a call-up notice from the Central Office for Jewish Emigration to report to a labor camp in 1942. At the time, the family was living in […]

This Day In History: October 29, 1901 Jane Toppan was born Honora Kelley, daughter of Irish immigrants by the names of Peter and Bridget Kelley. Unfortunately for her, when she was just a few years old, her mother died of tuberculosis, leaving her in the care of her alcoholic and allegedly abusive father. Accounts are conflicting as to whether Peter […]

This Day In History: October 27, 1659 Although the Puritans partially came to America to escape religious persecution, there was an abundance of it to be found in the Massachusetts Bay Colony… except it was them doling it out this time. On the receiving end were the Quakers- members of the Religious Society of Friends, a group that the Puritan […]

This Day In History: October 23, 1091 Tornadoes aren’t the first thing to leap to mind when picturing Merry Olde England, but a whopper of a twister tore through London on October 23, 1091. It is thought to be the largest known tornado in the UK, as well as the earliest – at least that we know about. From contemporary […]

This Day In History: October 22, 1934 One of America’s most colorful folk bandits was Charles Arthur Floyd, also known as “Choc” Floyd or “Pretty Boy.” Hailing from Oklahoma, he became one of the country’s most notorious criminals, immortalized by Woody Guthrie and in John Steinbeck’s novel Grapes of Wrath. More of a Robin Hood figure to most than a […]

This Day In History: October 20, 1882 Be’la Ferenc Dezso Blasko, aka Bela Lugosi, was born on October 20, 1882, in Lugos, Hungary. At the outbreak of World War I, he volunteered for service and was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant. During the war, he was seriously wounded three times, with the treatment of his injuries facilitating a morphine addiction […]

This Day In History: October 19, 1985 In the early 1980s, video rental stores were small-time operations that offered a very limited selection of titles. At a time when buying pre-recorded VHS movies was prohibitively expensive for many people, renting them was the perfect solution for the dedicated movie fan or couch potato. (See: The Origin and Trademarking of “Couch Potato”) […]

This Day In History: October 16, 1931 Winnie “Ruth” Judd was the 26-year-old wife of a physician who spent much of his time away from home, including leaving Ruth in Phoenix while he was off in L.A. To kill time, Ruth kept company with 44-year-old “Happy Jack” Halloran, an influential – and also married – businessman. According to a Phoenix […]