MetaFilter posts tagged with history and brokenlink

The spoken, then sung monologue of a prostitute

tellurian — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:17:21 -0800

The Nickel Under The Foot is one of the most important songs in the history of the American theatre. The back story.

Countess Dracula

sluglicker — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 16:39:56 -0800

Elizabeth Báthory is hot. I'd do her. The thing is she holds the world record (according to GWR) for being the most prolific serial killer in history. Supposedly, she may have tortured and killed as many as 2000 young girls, which probably makes her bi or lesbian (not that there's anything wrong with that). Some say she is the real inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Oveta Culp Hobby and the Women's Army Corps

PenguinBukkake — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 08:15:50 -0800

Oveta Culp Hobby and the Women's Army Corps. Early in 1941 Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts (the first woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives) met with General George C. Marshall, the Army's Chief of Staff, and informed him that she intended to introduce a bill to establish an Army women's corps, separate and distinct from the existing Army Nurse Corps. Rogers remembered the female civilians who had worked overseas with the Army under contract and as volunteers during World War I: serving without benefit of official status, they had to obtain their own food and quarters, and they received no legal protection or medical care. Upon their return home they were not entitled to the disability benefits or pensions available to U.S. military veterans. Rogers was determined that if women were to serve again with the Army in a wartime theater they would receive the same legal protection and benefits as their male counterparts. After a long and acrimonious debate, the following year the bill was finally approved by Congress and signed into law by FDR. Oveta Culp Hobby, chairman of the board of the Houston Post, was appointed as Director of the WAAC. (more)

A Brief History of the Laughing Record

gilgamix — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 13:42:35 -0800

What's s o f u n n y?

My favorite government agency

the Real Dan — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:27:47 -0800

More than 16,000 photos related to the USGS from the years 1868 through 1992 are now available online where they may be easily searched, viewed, and downloaded free of charge. These are old stereo pairs, sites drowned by dams, geologists and surveyers in horse drawn wagons, petroglyphs, national parks, Mount St. Helens, John Wesley Powell, hoodoos, arches, ruins, mines...

Origins of meteorology

mediareport — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 21:44:55 -0800

Weathering the Weather: The Origins of Atmospheric Science A "glorious selection" of strikingly beautiful pages from classic publications about meteorology. [via plep].

Hallelujah

miss lynnster — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 17:22:45 -0800

"Precious Lord" sung by Mahalia Jackson (mp3)
No artist brought more acclaim to gospel music than Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972). Beginning in 1950, her divine (.wav) talents were featured weekly on Studs Turkel's radio program, and through her music and gentle personality she became so beloved worldwide that her funeral rivaled that of royalty. Mahalia sang "Precious Lord" at Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral -- at Mahalia's funeral, Aretha Franklin did the honors. Mahalia was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 1997. Word has it she also made a mean okra gumbo.

Everything Old is Cool Again

anastasiav — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 07:10:53 -0800

Vintage Technology :: I like the bric a brac best.

Nepal Current Events and Historical Background

plep — Sat, 09 Oct 2004 08:56:58 -0800

What's it like to live in a war zone in Nepal? 'What happened to us happens to the people of Bajura every day, and they get it from both sides ' Some stories of the disappeared. From the consistently high quality Nepali Times, along with articles about Maoist radio and the human rights of the Kumari 'living goddess'.
Some background : Who are the Nepalese Maoists? (Q & A); the royal massacre of 2001; historical background to Nepal's democracy - the democratic revolution of 1989-91 and subsequent events; the kings of Nepal (note that dates are given using the local calendar); a potted history of Nepal referring to the role of the Rana family of hereditary ministers, who acted as a conservative 'shadow monarchy' over successive weak kings, from the Kot Massacre of 1846 which eliminated all rival claimants, until about 1950 (when King Tribhuvan famously famously took refuge in the Indian embassy - by a twist of fate, his infant grandson briefly crowned king by the Ranas - Gyanendra was again crowned king after his brother was killed in the 2001 royal massacre); a Nepal timeline; how ethnicity and caste fit into Nepalese society (discrimination in Nepal); Bhutanese refugees in Nepal; the Indian Naxalites and the Maoists.

I Hear A New World

LinusMines — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 11:31:52 -0800

Meeksville centers around Joe Meek, Britain's first independent record producer, whose DIY engineering wizardry would transform record-making during the Sixties. Five years after an international #1 hit in the Tornadoes' space-age Telstar (Windows Media or RealPlayer), he would self-destruct, in an end not without tragedy or speculation. His works--along with his trademarked name--live on.

A little lesson on the superpower of the 17th-18th centuries

jb — Sun, 22 Aug 2004 14:01:01 -0800

And when an American mouths off about French military history, he's not just being ignorant, he's being ungrateful. The War Nerd provides a little historical perspective. [via monkeyfilter]

Er ... what?

magullo — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 15:42:34 -0800

Because you never know when you might need to purchase some historic(al) hair

Aristophanes: the Michael Moore of his day.

stbalbach — Sun, 18 Jul 2004 11:18:26 -0800

Aristophanes: the Michael Moore of his day.

Pontius Pilate contracted his brows, and his hand rose to his forehead...

matteo — Thu, 24 Jun 2004 11:26:17 -0800

"Jesus?" he murmured, "Jesus -- of Nazareth?..." Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea, is the only historical figure named in the Nicene Creed -- Coptic saint or eternally damned, his role in the greatest story ever told has been debated by many of history's greatest minds: St Augustine, Dante Alighieri, Tintoretto, John Ruskin, Mikhail Bulgakov, Monty Python. Unfortunately, there is very little historical evidence about him. His role in the death of a certain charismatic Galilean healer and apocalyptic preacher is still being debated today by theologians and historians alike. He is also, of course, the main character of The Procurator of Judea, the classic short story (complete text in main link) by Anatole France. (France's magnificent story has lately been tragically neglected by publishers, even if the author was one of his era's most acclaimed writers in the world -- he won the Nobel Prize in 1921 over Shaw, Yeats, Joyce, Thomas Hardy, D.H. Lawrence, and Proust, and when he died in 1924, hundreds of thousands of people followed his funeral procession through Paris). These last 2,000 years of fascination with Pilatus can be explained, some argue... (more inside, for those unwilling to wash their hands of this post)

Terrible affair that General Slocum explosion...

Vidiot — Tue, 15 Jun 2004 18:09:07 -0800

One hundred years ago today, 1,358 members of the Kleindeutschland, the German neighborhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, boarded a chartered ferry named the General Slocum for a picnic excursion to Long Island. A fire broke out in the ship's hold while it cruised up the East River, the captain ran the vessel aground on the rocky shores of North Brother Island amid the swift currents of Hell Gate, and when it was all over 1,021 people (mainly women and children) had perished by drowning or from the fire, and it remained the worst single-day New York City disaster until 9/11.

Where is this country headed?

Rastafari — Sat, 12 Jun 2004 06:04:34 -0800

Is U.S. like Germany of the '30s?

Chat Rm 33006

mcgraw — Mon, 10 May 2004 09:59:55 -0800

The Great American Feud. Hatfield - McCoy timeline and photo gallery. 2003 VA news report on a truce between descendants of both families. Also, Congress has appropriated nearly $500,000 to improve feud sites for tourism. You can even help one of the families win a Reunion Marathon this June.

Hanafuda and Go-Stop

hama7 — Sun, 02 May 2004 08:36:43 -0800

Hanafuda, also known as Go-Stop. [more]

Russian Vodka

MiguelCardoso — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 19:02:24 -0800

And Here's A Bottle Of Vodka For The Translator: The English may be hilariously garbled but its flavour is definitely strong and the author, V.V. Pokhlebkin, is vodka's leading historian, although he's quite severe and nationalistic: no vodka without (certain) food(s); no cocktails; no foreign muck. If you can't find his book, this is the next best thing. ( Additional advice for businessmen here.)

Tired of Iraq?

Nyx — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 02:30:38 -0800

Tired of Iraq? Pick your own alternative history - or future, for that matter. Just be careful, okay?

Black ships and Samurai: Japan and the US, 1853

carter — Sun, 14 Mar 2004 07:30:54 -0800

Black ships and samurai In 1853 four ships under Commodore Perry anchored off the coast of Japan against the wishes of the Japanese. According to historian John Dower, "This initial encounter between the United States and Japan was eye-opening for all concerned, involving a dramatic confrontation between peoples of different racial, cultural, and historical backgrounds. We can literally see this encounter of "East" and "West" unfold through the splendid, yet little known, artwork produced by each side at the time." This beautiful exhibition includes many examples of this artwork, juxtaposing scenes of the encounter from Japanese and American artists' points of view. (Part of MIT's open courseware initiative.)

World History Timeline

tetsuo — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 09:41:47 -0800

Reference nuts, here's a great product for you. Good stuff for the wall of your study.

The only problem was that there was two women for every man.

anastasiav — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 15:18:23 -0800

50's Women and Their World
:: via blort and Madamjjj ::

NWOBHM!!

jonmc — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 18:50:18 -0800

The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM to cognoscenti) one of the lesser known but most influential movements of the past quarter century. After the innovators of Metal ran out of steam in the late 70's and were stampeded in the maelstrom of punk, heavy metal (and testosterone-soaked delindquents everywhere) found itself in a quandary). A number of UK acts took some cues from the punks, shortened the songs, reigned in the self-indulgence and speeded up the tempo, and upped the relevance and intelligence of the lyrical content, while still retaining the vocal prowess, instrumental pyrotechnics and young warrior energy that makes it Metal in the first place. Some groups became world famous. Others only big in Europe. Some great ones missed stardom by just a notch. Many of these acts have been cited as inspirations by Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Napalm Death and the thrash/death metal hordes, and even many post-punks. An interesting summary for fans, and a good introduction for non-mans who may have to recalibrate their opinion of the genre after checking some of these bands out.

the language boom

the fire you left me — Sun, 07 Dec 2003 06:48:54 -0800

Language tree rooted in Turkey.