Tag Page history

America's Worst School Tragedy: The Event that Stunned A Nation

On May 18, 1927, Bath Township, Michigan, became the site of one of the worst school massacres in history. The man responsible was Andrew Kehoe, a fifty-five-year-old farmer, electrician, and school board treasurer. Known for his mechanical skill and stern temperament, Kehoe was respected publicly but feared privately for his temper and control. Years of financial struggle and anger over rising taxes used to fund the new Bath Consolidated School pushed him over the edge. When foreclosure loomed over his farm, his bitterness turned into a detailed plan for revenge against his own community. Over several months, Kehoe began purchasing explosives under the pretense of clearing land. He bought dynamite from local hardware stores and pyrotol, a World War I surplus explosive, from a government outlet that sold it cheaply to farmers. Using his school access, he planted hundreds of pounds of dynamite and pyrotol beneath floors and in the basement, wiring them to clocks, batteries, and detonators to explode during classes. At home, Kehoe set another trap. He wired his barn and house with explosives, killed his wife, and set the property on fire. As neighbors ran to help, the first blast tore through the Bath Consolidated School at 8:45 a.m. The north wing disintegrated in a roar heard for miles. Parents raced toward the school, shouting their children’s names through smoke and debris. While rescuers searched for survivors, Kehoe drove up in a truck loaded with dynamite, gasoline, and scrap metal. He called the superintendent over, then detonated it, killing himself, the superintendent, and several others. In the ruins, investigators found another three hundred pounds of unexploded dynamite wired beneath the school’s south wing. In total, thirty-eight children and six adults died, and more than fifty were injured. The Bath School disaster remains one of the deadliest school attacks in American history. #History #USHistory #America #USA #HistoryNerd #Michigan

The SS United States: America’s Biggest and Fastest Ocean Liner The SS United States was the largest passenger ship ever built in the United States and a flagship example of mid century American industrial strength. Completed in 1952 at Newport News Shipbuilding, the vessel measured about 990 feet in length and displaced more than 53,000 tons. Its design used unprecedented quantities of aluminum in bulkheads, deckhouses, and framing to reduce structural weight and increase power to weight efficiency. Construction required more than 2,000 workers, extensive precision welding, and strict quality controls because the ship’s engines were adapted from classified naval propulsion systems. These turbines produced more than 240,000 shaft horsepower, giving the vessel unmatched acceleration and sustained high speed capability. On its maiden voyage the SS United States seized the Blue Riband, covering the westbound Atlantic in just over three days with an average speed above 35 knots. No passenger liner has surpassed this performance. The ship carried more than 1,900 passengers and nearly 1,000 crew and was built to convert rapidly into a troop carrier able to transport more than 14,000 personnel. The dual purpose design, compartment layout, and material choices, including fire resistant furnishings and reinforced decks were intended for heavy military loads. The liner operated from 1952 to 1969 before withdrawal due to rising operating costs and competition from jet aircraft. Since retirement it has remained laid up yet structurally sound, supported by preservation campaigns that emphasize its engineering significance. The SS United States remains the largest and fastest ocean liner ever produced in America and a benchmark in high performance civilian shipbuilding. #History #USHistory #America #USA #Shipbuilding

This is what people called "a day at the beach" back in 1900.

Can you even imagine trying to swim in a heavy, scratchy wool dress? #TheWayWeWere #History #Vintage #BeachLife #1900s #SummerVibes #RetroVibes

WWII Walking Wonder: The Untold Story of the Slinky In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was working in his Philadelphia workshop on tension springs meant to stabilize sensitive instruments aboard battleships during World War II. While adjusting a spring, it slipped from his hands and “walked” across the floor in a mesmerizing motion. James was astonished. He and his wife, Betty, immediately realized this accidental movement could be the basis for a playful invention. They experimented with dozens of prototypes, measuring how far springs could travel, how many flips they could make, and how quickly they could complete a descent. After testing hundreds of coils, they determined that a spring 2.5 inches in diameter made from high-grade Swedish steel produced the most consistent walking effect. Slight variations in coil thickness, tension, and length drastically changed the motion, and only about 2% of springs tested achieved the ideal “walk.” The war influenced materials and timing: steel was rationed, making their carefully sourced Swedish steel highly valuable, and small-scale production required meticulous hand-winding and testing. Post-war America’s shift to consumer goods in 1945 created the perfect market moment, allowing the Jameses to bring their invention to stores. Each original Slinky sold for $1, equivalent to roughly $17 today. Finally, they revealed the creation to the public: at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia, 400 units were displayed, and all sold within 90 minutes. By the early 1950s, Slinky was sold in over 30,000 stores nationwide, and more than 50 million units were purchased by 1960. Today, over 300 million Slinkys are sold annually worldwide, including metal, plastic, glow-in-the-dark, and themed editions like Disney and Star Wars. The toy also serves as an educational tool, demonstrating wave motion, gravity, and momentum in classrooms across the globe. #WWII #WWIIHistory #USHistory #History #America #USA #Military #Toys