I'm 'Enery the Eighth, I am,'Enery the Eighth I am, I am!I got married to the widow next door,She's been married seven times beforeAnd every one was an 'EneryShe wouldn't have a Willie nor a SamI'm her eighth old man named 'Enery'Enery the Eighth, I am! I was not even alive in the 1960's, but … Continue reading I’m Henry the VIII, I Am…

It's one of the most iconic sights in our nation's capital. A 555 feet and 5-1/8 inches obelisk that--per Washington D.C. law--is the tallest structure in the city. The Washington Monument. But did you know this testament to our first president was decided upon before he became our first president? In 1783, the Continental Congress … Continue reading The Obelisk that Almost Wasn’t

At 10:48 a.m. on Sunday, February 7, 1904, a fire was reported at the John Hurst and Company building on West German Street at Hopkins Place in downtown Baltimore. Supposedly, someone had tossed a smoldering cigarette into the basement. Although the city had a professional and well-trained fire department, by the time they arrived, the … Continue reading The Great Baltimore Fire

This is a story that starts with one war and ends with another. Or, rather, ends with a war that, for one man, didn't end. But let me back up. In February 1895, Cuba began its fight for independence from Spain. Though largely isolationist, there was growing demand for U.S. intervention in the crisis...a crisis … Continue reading The Forgotten Soldier

Chances are, if you're a reader of romance, you've heard of the name Elizabeth Barrett. Or, if you haven't heard her name, you've at least heard a line or two of her most famous poem. It goes a little like this: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." See, I told you … Continue reading A Literary Love Story

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." You and I may not have a lot in common, but I'm guessing you (as well as I) know exactly where that quote comes from. It's spoken by Zuzu Bailey at the end of It's A Wonderful Life, the seminal Christmas classic starring Jimmy Stewart … Continue reading The Story No One Wanted

Beware the 8th of November might have been a sentiment to be heeded by one of history's most evil men. As it turns out, the date was one of particular bad luck--or perhaps good--for none other than Adolph Hitler. By November 1923, the Nazi Party, fueled by German unrest heightened by post World War-I reparations, … Continue reading Beware the 8th of November

In 1822, construction began on a new structure outside of Philadelphia, on ten acres of elevated farmland known as Cherry Hill. Made of massive stone blocks, it would be, for a time, the largest and most expensive building in the United States. Architect John Haviland designed the building to resemble a gothic castle, saying he … Continue reading The Gothic Prison and Cries No Human Ear Can Hear

Over 150 years ago, every community in the United States set its clocks to noon based on when the sun reached its highest position in the sky; as a result, when it was noon in Washington, D.C., it was closer to 12:30 in New York, only 11 in Philadelphia. Before 1883, there were 144 local … Continue reading What TIME is it?!