Tidbits
Because History Matters
July 25, 1945 – U.S. Announces Super Weapon to Soviet Union
President Harry Truman tells Joseph Stalin about a new super weapon. Stalin did not seem that impressed. The reason was because he already knew about it. Russia had its
spies in the United States. Their idea was to get into the Pacific War, but since Stalin already knew what the outcome would be, it was an easy decision for him. The Soviet Union’s entry into the second World War also helped Japan decide to surrender. Japan hated the Russians more than they hated the United States and they didn’t want any Soviet troops setting foot on Japanese soil.
July 26, 1947 – The National Security Act Becomes a Reality
President Harry Truman signs the National Security Act. Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union, and the United States were in a struggle to control Europe. A couple of significant parts of the National Security Act was the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the implementation of the Marshall Plan
which gave billions of dollars to Western Europe to rebuild itself, after World War II.
July 26, 1908 – The FBI is Created
In 1908, the Department of Justice hired former Secret Service employees to expand the office of the Chief Examiner. These new agents reported for duty on July 26, 1908. In 1909, the
Office of the Chief Examiner was renamed the Bureau of Investigation and had 34 agents.
In 1917, J. Edgar Hoover joined the Department of Justice and became part of the Bureau of Investigation. Hoover set up a card system list of every radical leader, organization, and publication in the United States. By 1921, he had 450,000 files on these organizations and individuals. Remember,
this is the long before computers. All these files were created by hand work.
On May 10, 1924, Hoover became acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1935, the Bureau of Investigation became the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the FBI and its agents were nick-named the G-men.
July 27, 1949 – The First Jet Propelled Airliner Makes Its Debut
The plane was the DeHavilland Comet. The British built plane had 44 seats and could fly 480 miles an hour: A new speed record for an airliner at the time. The problem was that the Comet suffered metal fatigue and a series of crashes forced them to ground the airplane.
What the Comet did do, was to force American manufacturers, Boeing and Douglas in particular, to get busy and build jet airliners, or be wiped out of the market.
July 28, 1914 – World War I Starts
Austria-Hungry declares war on Serbia, hastening the start of World War I. Before World War I was over, there
were 40 million casualties, and the map of Europe was changed forever.
July 30, 1619 – America’s First Legislators
The House of Burgesses, America’s first legislative assembly convenes in Jamestown, Virginia
July 31, 1777 – An Unpaid U.S. General
The Marquis de Lafayette became a major general in the Continental Army. He received no pay.
July 31, 1975 – Jimmy Hoffa Turns Up Missing
Hoffa was the organizer in the Teamsters Union and became president of the Teamsters in 1957. He worked tirelessly to expand the teamsters throughout the United States and was very popular. He was a successful leader, although sometimes his methods were considered a little on the shady side. People have been looking for Jimmy Hoffa’s body for ages since he disappeared. You aren’t ’gonna find it. My guess is that his body was ground up and became part of a cement
footing in some unknown place, never to be found.
