Holy Cow History
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Hollywood calls the Hereafter

The spookiest time of the year was upon us once more last week. Our attention turned to jack-o-lanterns, black cats and things that go boo in the night. It was also the time when the widow of … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Unsinkable Sam, the world’s luckiest cat

You’ve heard about the Unsinkable Molly Brown, the brassy, nouveau riche millionaire miner’s wife who made it safely off the sinking Titanic. As incredible as that was, she had nothing on … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Urban myths and a boy called Beaver

Exactly 68 years ago this month, Americans were introduced to an everyday kid. While TV viewers loved Lucy, the same eventually proved true for plain, impish Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver. … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: How 1 cannon shot changed history

Of all the forgotten tales brought back to life in this column, this one may be the most obscure of all. You’ll have to dig deep into the history books to find it. Though forgotten today, it … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: The deal of a (very long) lifetime

Everyone loves a bargain, a bit of financial good fortune to the buyer’s advantage. When it’s exceptionally good, we call it the deal of a lifetime. Sixty years ago, a lawyer made an … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: When Hitler invaded England… in 1974

History is littered with possibilities. The only thing historians love more than bickering among themselves is speculating about what might have happened if the past had played out differently. … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: It was a lunch money miracle

I learned to appreciate old coins at a young age. My father was a serious and avid collector. He taught me early on to always keep an eye on the dates of all coins that passed through my hands. One … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Daring Jules’ gift to clothing and song

From the moment he learned to walk, Jules was a daredevil, always pulling off feats of derring-do. He came by it naturally. His father was a gymnastics instructor who also operated a swimming pool in … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: 2 trains, 1 track, big problems

Back before streaming films on Netflix or watching them on cable, before TV or radio or records or movies—in fact, before any type of electronic entertainment—folks took pleasure in the … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Why a store kicked out a royal

Talk about a royal mess! The saleslady had simply had enough. As a clerk at the highly fashionable—and very expensive—fashion boutique, she had seen the type too many times to count. … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: The return of Room 8, the school cat

A collective funk is descending upon some of America’s children these days. Moms are outfitting kids with new clothes. That means only one thing: the back-to-school blues are here again for … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Bread’s big break

We must confess, right at the start, this summer has been overflowing with so much big news that we missed it. We just plain missed it. Sliced Bread Day has come and gone. It probably … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Hitting the road with Henry, Harvey and Tom

The summer vacation season is in full swing. Millions of Americans are heading to the wilderness to get away from it all. Imagine this: You’ve pitched your tent and set up camp along a … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Who was John Wilkes Booth’s 'Mysterious Beauty?'

On Good Friday, 1865, a man entered his room in Washington’s National Hotel. He’d be leaving on a one-way trip in a few hours. He filled one pocket with things you’d expect: a … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Happy July something!

For the 249 th time, we’re getting ready to haul out the hot dogs and fire up the fireworks for America’s big birthday bash. It’s a star-spangled party, the highlight of summer … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: The 1st march on Washington

The American lexicon was once filled with dozens, hundreds of charmingly quaint phrases that have now gone the way of the dodo. A particular favorite was, “There was enough food to feed … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: A tardy student turned genius

Always be on time, we are taught. Promptness is, after all, a virtue. But one time, being late paid off spectacularly for one tardy student, and we are all the better today for it. Here’s how … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: A soldier’s big secret

At first glance, there was nothing unusual about Private Lyons Wakeman. The service record in the National Archives reads the same as countless other Civil War soldiers. Age: 21 Height: 5 … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Titanic’s ill-fated kid sister

As the 20th century dawned, the owners of Britain’s White Star Line were thinking big. Really big. They envisioned three luxury ocean liners that would be larger and far more luxurious than … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: It took a Rose to save frozen pizza

Chances are good there’s a frozen pizza in your refrigerator. Or two. Americans feast on more than 350 million of them annually, ringing up $5.5 billion in sales. In fact, the average family … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Why the president drank

Historians love ranking presidents. You’ve seen the lists. There are the Greats, the Near Greats and the Mediocre. Then there are the Failures: Andrew Johnson, Herbert Hoover and the … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: A tale of two trains, when Friendship rode the rails

Eighty years ago this spring, Europe was finally quiet. Planes no longer dropped bombs, tanks sat stationary, rattling machine guns fell silent. After six bloody years, World War II was at last over … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: How a sweet tooth educated children

Milton didn’t like farm work. Milton wasn’t lazy. Quite the opposite. He just wanted to do something different. That was common among young people in the late 1800s. When he was 13, … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: The Centenarian White House correspondent

Springtime in Washington is famous for two things: the Japanese cherry blossoms and the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. It’s one of D.C.’s biggest bashes of … more
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HOLY COW! HISTORY: Who blabbed to Ben Franklin?

Washington loves a leaker—an “unidentified source” who’s willing to spill the beans and dish on his boss or colleagues. Sometimes the motivation is revenge, settling the score … more
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