LiveScience has compiled an interesting list of “History’s Top 10 Most Overlooked Mysteries“ which includes:

Lost City of Helike

Greek writer Pausanias gave an account of how, in one night, a crushing earthquake destroyed the city of Helike, followed by a massive tsunami that swept away what remained of the once-flourishing metropolis. The Achaean league capital was a worship center devoted to earth shaker and God of the sea, Poseidon. No trace of the legendary society existed outside of ancient Greek texts until 1861 when an archeologist found Helike loot - a bronze coin with the unmistakable head of Poseidon. In 2001, a pair of archeologists located the ruins of Helike beneath mud and gravel and is currently trying to uncover the rise and demise of what some consider the “real” Atlantis.

Who Was Robin Hood?

The existence of a forest-dwelling altruistic bandit might seem more plausible then a legendary king with a magical sword. However, the hunt for the real-life Robin Hood has turned up entire scrolls of suspects. For example, candidates include a fugitive in Yorkshire by the name of Robert Hod, who went by Hobbehod as well as a Robert Hood of Wakefield. The growing list of names is further complicated as the name “Robin Hood” soon became synonymous with being an outlaw as in the case of William Le Fevre who’s surname was later changed to RobeHod, according to medieval court records. His possible identity gets cloudier as later authors of the tales wove more characters such as Prince John and Richard the Lionheart into the story.

Some of these have been the subject of television specials; all are interesting and worth a read.

Everyone knows that the “dog days of summer” occur during the hottest and muggiest part of the season. Webster defines “dog days” as the period between early July and early September when the hot, sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere. But have you ever wondered where the term originated? Why do we call the hot and muggy days of summer “dog days”?

Well, according to Jerry Wilson, in ancient times, when the night sky wasn’t obscured by smog and artificial lights, people drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars. The images were dependent upon the culture: The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different images than Europeans. We know these star pictures, mapped by our European ancestors, as constellations.

Most of us are familiar with the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the bears; Gemini, the twins; Taurus, the bull: and, among others, Canis Major and Canis Minor, the dogs. The brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which is also the brightest star in the night sky. In fact, it is so bright that the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it. Look for it in the southern sky (viewed from northern latitudes) during January.

In the summer, however, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the sun’s heat, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star.

The conjunction of Sirius with the sun varies somewhat with latitude. And the “precession of the equinoxes” (a gradual drifting of the constellations over time) means that the constellations today are not in exactly the same place in the sky as they were in ancient Rome. Today, the “dog days” occur between July 3 and August 11. And although it’s certainly the warmest period of the summer, the heat isn’t caused by added radiation from a far-away star as the ancients believed, but by the earth’s tilt.

So, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, today marks the end of the “dog days” of summer. Thanks, Michael, for reminding me. I feel cooler already!

Today is Lughnasadh, or Lammas, half-way between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox. For many it represents “sweet corn harvest time… when Summer leans back and watches her abundance roll out.”

Michael says it’s “from the Old English hlaf (loaf)  and maesse (mass or feast) and is very old indeed.” It derives, he tells me, “from the ancient English festival the Gule of August, which marked the beginning of the harvest, traditionally August 1. The early English church kept this pagan dedication of the first fruits but converted it to Christian usage. Through the centuries, loaf-mass became corrupted in spelling and pronunciation to Lammas. On Lammas Day, loaves of bread were baked from the first-ripened grain and brought to the churches to be consecrated.”

In Scotland, “Lammastide fairs became famous as the time when trial marriages could be made. These marriages could end after a year with no strings attached.” Wilson’s Almanac offers a lot more information and history if you’re so inclined.

Whatever its origin, it’s celebrated by relatively few in this country. I’m thinking we should follow the Scots’ lead and celebrate with good food, good drink and good fellowship. And maybe some dancers. And that “trial marriage” thing might be a nice touch…

“Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” - Proverbs 17:6

Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day has a modern origin. The idea came to Mrs. John Dodd as she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1910. Her father, William Smart, had raised his children alone on his Washington farm after his wife died giving birth to their sixth child.

Mrs. Dodd proposed to the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA that they celebrate a “father’s day” on June 5, her father’s birthday. The idea received strong support, but the good ministers of Spokane asked that the day be changed to give them extra time to prepare sermons on the unexplored subject of fathers. The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, and soon other towns had their own celebrations.

In spite of widespread support, Father’s Day did not become a permanent national holiday until 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a law declaring that it be celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June.

Thanks Michael! All fathers, I’m certain, remember days just like this with a smile, and none of us would trade the experience for anything in the world.

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress approved the design of a national flag - the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory.  Here’s a very condensed history of why we celebrate our flag today:

Since 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14, Americans have commemorated the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by celebrating June 14 as Flag Day. Prior to 1916, many localities and a few states had been celebrating the day for years. Congressional legislation designating that date as the national Flag Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1949; the legislation also called upon the president to issue a flag day proclamation every year.

According to legend, in 1776, George Washington commissioned Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross to create a flag for the new nation. Scholars debate this legend, but agree that Mrs. Ross most likely knew Washington and sewed flags. To date, there have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag, but the arrangement of the stars varied according to the flag-makers’ preferences until 1912 when President Taft standardized the then-new flag’s forty-eight stars into six rows of eight. The forty-nine-star flag (1959-60), as well as the fifty-star flag, also have standardized star patterns. The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960, after Hawaii became the fiftieth state on August 21, 1959.

On Flag Day and during Flag Week we celebrate and show respect for our flag and the people who designed and created it. Our flag represents our independence as Americans and our unity as a nation - we fly it proudly. We’re proud of our nation, our culture, our people and the flag that represents them.

Take a look on the American Memory: Library of Congress site under American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936-1940, and search “Flag Day”.  You’ll find, among other things, this entertaining exchange between two gentlemen that is today as indicative of how we Americans feel about our flag as it was then:

“Why ain’t you got your flag out?” says Mr. Richmond, entering the gas station in which he spends much of his time these days. “You know today is flag day, don’t you?”

“I guess the boss forgot to buy a flag, George,” says Mr. Davis, the station attendant. “And even if we had one, we ain’t got no place to put it.”

Mr. Richmond: “That’s a fine state of affairs, that is. Here they are tryin’ to bring home to you people the fact that you’re livin’ in one of the few countries where you can draw a free breath and you don’t even know it. You’re supposed to have flags out all this week. Don’t you know that? This is Flag Day and this is Flag Week. Where’s your patriotism?”

Mr. Davis: “What the hell are you hollerin’ about, George? You’re always runnin’ the country down. They can’t do anything to suit you. You’re worryin’ about taxes and future generations and all like that. Where’s your patriotism?”

Mr. Richmond: “Well, that’s different. A man got a right to criticize. That’s free speech. Don’t mean I ain’t patriotic. …”

Remember to fly Old Glory today and the rest of the week. Take a few minutes to reflect upon its proud history and what it symbolizes. It’s a grand old flag and it stands for all that is America.

Check out the other Patriotic Journeyers… JimK, Scott,  Larry, Drumwaster, and Cosmicbabe.

Today marks the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, an epic event in the history of our nation and the world. As the sons and daughters of democracy, we must remember this historic day and honor those brave liberators who defended freedom in Europe and around the world.  And we must resolve never to forget such hallowed words as Anzio, Nettuno, Salerno, Normandy. These names speak of the sacrifices of our parents and the freedom of their children and grandchildren.

Twenty three years ago, on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, President Reagan delivered a moving speech during the Normandy Invasion Ceremony at the Omaha Beach Memorial at Omaha Beach, France. I’ve linked to the entire speech, but here are a few of his words that remind us why we acknowledge D-Day and honor the brave soldiers who so valiantly stormed the beach that day.

“No speech can adequately portray their suffering, their sacrifice, their heroism. President Lincoln once reminded us that through their deeds, the dead of battle have spoken more eloquently for themselves than any of the living ever could. But we can only honor them by rededicating ourselves to the cause for which they gave a last full measure of devotion.

Today we do rededicate ourselves to that cause. And at this place of honor, we’re humbled by the realization of how much so many gave to the cause of freedom and to their fellow man.”

These champions climbed the cliffs, took the beaches, braved the machine gun nests, took out the gun batteries, did the unthinkable – the unimaginable. Their deeds that day define their valor and deserve our deepest gratitude and respect. They are the heroes we honor today.

Be sure to check out the other Patriotic Journeyers… JimK, Scott, Larry, Drumwaster, and Cosmicbabe.

Early June 1944, the beginning of the final phase of World War II in Europe. Most of the continent is held in the grip of Adolf Hitler’s occupying forces. German garrisons dot the French coast facing the English Channel. On the other side, a massive Allied buildup of men and machines of war has swollen in southern England. As a break in bad weather is finally forecast, the order is given to go on June 6. D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, has begun.

On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded occupied France. Some 175,000 British, American, Canadian, French, Polish, Norwegian and other nationalities participated in the first 24 hours of the Normandy invasion. Here are 15 things, compiled by Don Sweeney for the Sacramento Bee, you may not know about D-Day:

1.  The “D” in D-Day doesn’t stand for anything - it’s just a designation for whichever day a military operation begins.

2.  D-Day planners used holiday postcards of Normandy to help fill in details.

3.  Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the go-ahead for D-Day with the words, “OK, let’s go.”

4.  British Lt. Den Britherage, shot shortly after midnight while storming a machine-gun nest on Pegasus Bridge, was the first allied soldier killed by enemy fire on D-Day.

5.  100 of 355 glider pilots ferrying British troops to Normandy before the beach landings were killed or wounded.

6.  A dog used to listen for enemy movements required rescue when its parachute snagged on a tree.

7.  Midget subs, which surfaced near the coast to flash colored lights as beacons, guided the invasion fleet to Normandy.

8.  D-Day involved 4,126 landing craft.

9.  British and Canadian troops used tanks fitted with revolving flails to clear beach minefields.

10. German Gen. Erwin Rommel was the first to describe D-Day as “the longest day of the century.”

11. A Bible in the breast pocket saved the life of U.S. Staff Sgt. Lou Havard when it stopped a bullet.

12. All but 2 of the 29 amphibious tanks deployed by U.S. forces on D-Day sank.

13. Hollywood director John Ford led a camera crew on Omaha Beach filming newsreel footage.

14. More than 156,000 Allied troops landed at Normandy on D-Day. Total Allied casualties are estimated at 10,000 for the day, with 2500 dead. Total German casualties are not known, but estimates range from 4,000 to 9,000.

15. 27 war cemeteries hold the remains of more than 110,000 dead from both sides during the Battle of Normandy that followed D-Day.

Be sure to check out the other Patriotic Journeyers… JimK, Scott, Larry, Drumwaster, and Cosmicbabe.

Memorial Day began as a spontaneous outpouring of honoring and remembrance for six hundred thousand American soldiers who died fighting the Civil War. Towns and villages in both the North and the South began decorating the grave sites of the war dead with flowers. Decoration Day, as it was then called, became official with General Orders No. 11 issued by General John Logan, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in May 1868.

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She conceived the idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. In 1948,  the United States Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a 3 cent postage stamp bearing her likeness.

Today, in military cemeteries across the Nation and in lands where U.S. soldiers died far from home, men, women and children will gather to remember, reflect and to honor those who gave what Abraham Lincoln called the “the last full measure of devotion.”

I hope you’ll join me today at 3 P.M. in the National Moment of Remembrance. One minute of quiet reflection isn’t too much to ask to honor the supreme sacrifices which continue to make freedom possible. Wear a red poppy with pride in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Remember that  “All gave some and some gave all…” for you.

Hopefully most of you have completed and mailed your tax returns to Uncle Sam by now. Because of our renovation project (we don’t know where anything is!) we requested an extension. But I thought I’d share with you a piece of American history that might make you smile — or grimace, depending on how many forms you needed to complete this year.

In 1913, Wyoming ratified the 16th Amendment, providing the three-quarter majority of states necessary to amend the Constitution. The 16th Amendment gave Congress the authority to enact an income tax. That same year, the first Form 1040 appeared after Congress levied a 1 percent tax on net personal incomes above $3,000 with a 6 percent surtax on incomes of more than $500,000. My how times have changed.

The original form 1040, four pages long including one page of instructions, was a far cry from what we have to read, interpret and complete today to help assure that our government can fund its programs and “redistribute our wealth.” Take a look at the form (in pdf format) — I’d guess most folks completed theirs in short order — and dream of the good ol’ days.