Since Ken Burns’ documentary The US and the Holocaust made it timely – I decided to consolidate my old posts on the American fascist movements of the ’30s and ’40s under a comprehensive tag. I have been very proud of … Continue reading History Thread: A Brief History of American Fascism
Tales of giant squid and outsized octopuses have haunted mankind since ancient times. The fact that enormous beasts lurk beneath the ocean waves is no secret, and the discovery of a creature with tentacles the length of a football field … Continue reading History Thread: The Squid That Eats Man
In his time, King Edward VIII was a romantic figure who abdicated the British throne in December 1936 for the sake of the woman he loved. For years, this romantic explanation that generally held; he (now reduced to the Duke … Continue reading History Thread: Philip Ziegler’s King Edward VIII (1991)
Richard J. Evans focused primarily on the history of German feminism and social movements before his involvement in David Irving’s libel action against Deborah Lipstadt, where he systematically demolished Irving’s Holocaust denial (an experience recounted in his book, Lying About … Continue reading History Thread: Richard J. Evans’ Third Reich Trilogy
In Western culture, the symbol of the swastika – the four-armed, hooked cross – remains an obvious visual shorthand for ideological evil. Nazi Germany’s adoption of the hakenkreuz beneath which they waged the Second World War and the attempted extermination … Continue reading History Thread: How the Swastika Became a Hate Symbol
According to Wikipedia, thirty-one years ago today the World Wide Web was opened to the public. On the one hand, we on this site wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for that milestone in human achievement. On the other, … Continue reading The Internet History Thread
There’s an old quote, generally attributed to Mark Twain, that “history doesn’t repeat itself but sometimes it rhymes.” That nostrum seems especially appropriate on August 9, 2022. This marks the 48th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s resignation, which seems singularly appropriate … Continue reading History Thread: The Watergate Scorecard
For those of you who pay attention to such things, there’s been quite the kerfuffle on History Twitter over the past week. A short version, along with some pertinent tweets and commentary. Jonathan M. Katz, a journalist and historian, published … Continue reading History Thread: Attack of the Pod Bros
Today marks the anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, the 1848 gathering of early American feminists which helped launch the Women’s Rights Movement in that country. Spearheaded by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the convention issued an eloquent appeal … Continue reading The Seneca Falls History Thread
Herbert Block (aka Herblock) was one of the most famous political cartoonists of the 20th Century. For almost seven decades his caricatures of political events and public figures graced the Washington Post, earning him a Pulitzer Prize, a spot on … Continue reading History Thread: The Guns of Herblock
After a brief hiatus the History Thread is back! Discuss history or what have you! Continue reading The History Thread Returns!
Didn’t have time for a proper write-up this week, but it’s the anniversary of John Wilkes Booth’s death at the hands of Boston Corbett, himself a noted lunatic who castrated himself after a flirtation with prostitutes, survived several years of … Continue reading A Demented History Thread
Jamison “Jam” Handy was a remarkable man. Born in Philadelphia, Handy relocated to Chicago in his teen years where he worked variously as a reporter, cartoonist and advertising man. In his youth, Handy was an accomplished swimmer and athlete; twenty … Continue reading History Thread: A Brief History of Coily the Spring Sprite
I didn’t have time to put together a proper header this week, which is just as well. The next few weeks will be busy in Agnewland, so I’ll need some Avocado help maintaining the thread! On two of the next … Continue reading The History Thread Looks Ahead
In October 1888 Ambrose Bierce published a short story, “Charles Ashmore’s Trail,” in the San Francisco Examiner. Bierce’s tale concerned a sixteen year old boy from Troy, New York who left home one snowy evening in 1878 to retrieve water … Continue reading History Thread: Three Missing Olivers
Puella Magi Madoka Magica was a brilliant, groundbreaking anime series. It was also incredibly popular. Inevitably, it spawned mountains of merchandise, official art, video games, stage musicals, public service announcements, art exhibits, pachinko machines and a seemingly endless ream of … Continue reading The Madoka Project: The Neverending Spin-Off Story
I did not have time for a detailed write-up this week but I came across a fascinating article investigating (and debunking) one of the most famous ghost photographs of all time: the ghosts of the SS Watertown. If, like me, … Continue reading History Thread: The Case of the Phony Sea Specters
Inevitably, a series as popular as Madoka Magica inspires film adaptations. In October 2012, SHAFT released two theatrical compilation films, Beginnings and Eternal. These movies do a creditable job paring the twelve episode series into a four hour narrative, but … Continue reading The Madoka Project: The Rebellion Story
Military incompetence is a common subject for popular history. Humans are nothing if not fallible, and studying our failures can be more illuminating than tired, propagandized tales of glorious victory. Hence well-received, engaging books like Cecil Woodham-Smith’s The Reason Why (1953), Russell … Continue reading History Thread: Charles Fair’s From the Jaws of Victory (1971)
As we reach the end of Madoka Magica, it’s useful to remember how Goethe’s Faust served as a major touchstone. We’ve touched on the show’s religious symbolism, which is easy enough to read into Madoka’s transcendence into Godhood or Buddhahood … Continue reading The Madoka Project: My Very Best Friend
In 1920 Chicago was a city of 2.7 million souls, swollen with returning Great War veterans, Eastern European immigrants and Black migrants from the South. The city gained a reputation as an area of tumult, corruption and violence. In July … Continue reading History Thread: Tracking The Ragged Stranger
