Originally known as Armistice Day, the first Veterans Day was celebrated on November 11, 1938 - the twentieth anniversary of the effective end of World War I.  Starting in 1954 the scope of the holiday was expanded to commemorate all those who fought and served for the United States. I don't have any stirring essays in me, so my small tribute to our armed forces is a small collection of images portraying the history of American military conflict.  Thank you all for your ... Read on, Daddy-O

And so we've come to the final installment of our second trip through time, via View-Master.  So hop on the tour bus and take a ride to Washington Square... Located in the famous Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, Washington Square Park has an interesting history.  It was the site of a Native American village until it was taken by force by the Dutch; they in turn gave the land to freed slaves, earning it the nickname "Land of the blacks." These former slaves ... Read on, Daddy-O

While the signs have changed many times over the years, Times Square is just as identifiable today as it was in 1952.  Of course what seems to have changed is the sheer volume of lights - this image looks positively subdued compared to the garish displays of consumerism seen in the Square today, but I imagine it was still pretty impressive back then. There's some businesses I can't make out, but others are hard to miss.  The ones I can get are: Chevrolet (dead ... Read on, Daddy-O

Our journey through Ye Olde New Yorke continues - from the air!  This image, quite obviously taken from a shiny prop plane, is of the departure of the famed cruise ship RMS Queen Elizabeth.  The really cool thing about this photo is the scale.  You can get a good sense of just how huge this ship was when compared to not only the other boats around it, but even the buildings on the shoreline.  Incidentally, the ship held the record as the ... Read on, Daddy-O

For some reason I've always found it more interesting to see why things like businesses fail than to read about success stories.  It's not even that I take any glee in their failure, so maybe it's an underdog thing?  Anyway, in the first entry of yet another series I'll likely abandon at some point, we will take a brief look at some of the more prominent businesses/entities to disappear from existence.  Up first is one that was the premiere example of its ... Read on, Daddy-O

March 24, 1989: The Exxon tanker Valdez accidentally hits the state of Alaska, spilling about 11 million gallons of oil. Capt. Joseph Hazlewood was later convicted of negligent discharge of oil and failing to leave a note at the scene of an accident. What's scary is that it's not even one of the 50 worst oil spills of all-time. March 27, 1884: The first long-distance telephone call takes place, between New York and Boston. Contrary to urban legend, the content ... Read on, Daddy-O