Light rain and lack of history postpones historic walking tour of King of Prussia Town Center until at least next century

Local developer uses 'opera-tunity' 26 times during press conference unveiling redeveloped opera house

Philadelphia--The Opera House on North Broad Street has a new life as the Met Philadelphia: a 3,500-seat theater for all kinds of entertainment. Built in 1908 by Oscar Hammerstein, the theater sits at Broad Street and Poplar Street. Large crowds recently gathered at the site during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "It's such an amazing building," said the local developer in charge of revamping the historic structure. "I looked at it and thought it was such a great opera-tunity." There was a smattering of chuckles across the audience of media members and politicians seated in the gleaming new lobby. "It's such an honor to bring a building such as this one back to life--a real...opera-tunity. The Delaware Valley and beyond will have the opera-tunity to see a wide range of shows at this beautiful facility." The final count of "opera-tunity" reached twenty-six by the time the developer finished addressing the audience.

Statue commemorates not only Lincoln's conquest of public speaking phobia but 'all politicians'

Valley Forge, PA--Abraham Lincoln's severe public speaking phobia was recently highlighted in the New York Times best-selling book Puddle at Gettysburg by David McCullough. Last month, a new statue was erected to honor Lincoln's struggles when addressing large audiences. "The new statue (pictured above), Puddle of Nerves, honors not just the 16th President of the United States, but all politicians that have overcome the fear of public speaking. Many prominent politicians throughout history have suffered from debilitating glossophobia," said Gail Sinclair, Chief Operation Officer of the Valley Forge History Corporation--a for-profit history company.

Man arrested for climbing Brooklyn Bridge to 'snap some cool pics' lands huge endorsement deal with New Balance

The sneaker company denies the climb was a publicity stunt, but a new ad to air in September will feature footage from the hairy ascent.

National Constitution Center set to launch 'Monster Trucks & Apple Pie' exhibition

The exhibit, which will "seamlessly make intelligible the often-debated interconnections between oversized trucks, America's favorite dessert, and the Constitution," is expected to draw huge numbers of visitors from around the world. "We hold these trucks to be self-evident," said one smiling museum official, citing a sister document.  

Battle of Gettysburg 150th Anniversary: Over 8,000 reenactors perish from heat exhaustion

The death toll from the oppressive heat on the sun-drenched battlefield was slightly more than the actual battle 150 years ago. Reenactment organizers stand by their decision to require battle participants to wear heavy wool uniforms. "Yes, knowing what I know now I would still demand wool be the fabric of choice for all reenactors. You can't put a price on authenticity."

Town says blizzard of '78 taught very valuable lesson about dumping snow into river, but can't remember what it was

The town remembers dumping the snow, but cannot recall the "invaluable" lesson learned from disposing the crippling amounts of powder from the 1978 blizzard into the local waterway. "It really was a great little lesson, but we can't quite remember what it was. [The town's residents have] all been thinking really hard about it. Yeah, I got nothing," said Pete Dempsey, 61, town councilman. "Sally Baker down on Main Street thought she remembered, but then at the last minute said she really didn't. I don't know what to make of this whole thing. Was it a lesson not to dump, or was it a lesson to go ahead and dump snow into the river? We may never know."

Historians confirm Columbus had 4th and 5th ships, which sadly sailed off edge of world

The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria were fortunate enough to complete the arduous journey to the New World in 1492. The Sasha and the Steve unfortunately navigated using the wrong constellation, Orion's Suspenders, which cost them dearly.

Neil Armstrong letter reveals: 'I was deathly scared of flying and I hated Tang.'

Argentina pulls athletes from Olympics after Brits dedicate 45 minutes of Opening Ceremony to reenactment of Falklands War

Above: The British created a Falkland War flag solely for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. "We certainly didn't intend to offend anybody with the nearly hour-long tribute to the 1982 war with Argentina," said one British official. "This year was the thirtieth anniversary of the victory." 

Opening Ceremony: U.K. proudly reminds planet that global warming began with them

Above: The Industrial Revolution is depicted during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. "Global warming is a big topic today," said Queen Elizabeth, following the elaborate production which highlighted select portions of the United Kingdom's history. "And, you have us to thank for kick-starting the whole damn thing."

Small part of western Mass. finally gains official Panhandle status

Congamond Lakes, MA--When thoughts of geographical panhandles come to mind, the portion of western Oklahoma often dominates. The Oklahoma Panhandle is the all-star of panhandles, it defines the very term itself and has very few (most say none) legitimate rivals. Friendly panhandle bar arguments fizzle out even before seriously starting up, as the Okla. handle unanimously rules. Because of this, it is home to the United States Panhandle Association of America (U.S.P.A.A.), the official governing body and status-giving panhandle authority. It is also home to the less influential, but nonetheless important, American Panhandle Council of America (A.P.C.A.).

Panhandles--the actual handle on a metal pan--can become very hot when set on the open flame of a kitchen stove or roaring campfire, and so too can the debate about their geographical namesakes. Tensions run high when new panhandle status is awarded and (painfully) denied. The F.B.I. is still investigating two murders from 1991 in Michigan after a panhandle application was shot down for the eighth time. (Michigan was applying to be the official panhandle of the United States, a title that Florida has also been pursuing.)

"The Oklahoma Panhandle is the king of all American panhandles," said Bobby Randolph, a resident of the new Massachusetts Panhandle. "We can't compete with that, but we are happy to finally be recognized officially as a panhandle."

Randolph is referring to the thirty-plus years that it took a small blip in the southern Massachusetts border to become a panhandle. The area is just over four square miles and is regularly referred to as the Mass. Pimple. It is predominately rural and forest-covered, but is home to over 500 residents. On the eastern edge of the handle is the Congamond Lakes, a recreational area very popular during the shortened northern summer.

Fenway Park at 100: Groundbreaking participants 'came for the beans'

Above: The formal groundbreaking ceremony for Boston's Fenway Park over 100 years ago. A newspaper report from the day recounted the events: "A loud cheer rose from the crowd on this blustery day not only signaling the beginning of a glorious new base ball grounds, but that it was time for beans. The crowd was promised two generous helpings of Boston's finest beans. The hearty men quaffed the local food like a favorite ale." Pictured above in front row (from left to right): Harry O'Sullivan, Patrick "Two Punches" McShane, John "Three Punches" McShane, Seamus McGillicuddy, Donovan McDonovan, Olan McLauglin, Jack "Knife Fight" Reilly, Shawn "The Sucker Puncher" Smith, Michael Sweeny, Patrick "The Twice Baked Potato" McCallister, Tommy "Top Hat" Gallagher, Christopher "Kick to the Groin" Murphy, Patrick "The Drink" McDonald, Johnny "Let's take this outside ... or stay inside, it doesn't matter to me" Garrity, Kevin Michael "Lager or Ale" O'Reilly, Michael "The Ram" Graham, and Patrick Fitzpatrick.

Valley Forge Casino Opens: Park reenactors including new slot machines in tales from the encampment

Above: The new Outdoor George Washington Headquarters and Dimes Slot Machines in Valley Forge National Historical Park. Reenactors have been instructed by park officials to include the slots when telling stories of the revolutionary encampment during the harsh winter of 1777-78. "General Washington, after receiving a letter from British-occupied Philadelphia denying the request for more troops, ammunition, and money, rushed from the warm confines of his stone headquarters seeking solace--and possibly financial help--from the slot machines just steps from the entrance," said an animated Valley Forge reenactor Julia Beckworth to the twenty or so tourists gathered in the small farmhouse. "He played the machines for several hours and won enough money to feed and clothe the troops during the brutal winter. And, ladies and gentlemen, you can win, too. Please, exit out the front and try the slots like General Washington did hundreds of years ago."

Pearl Harbor survivor says Affleck performance in movie 'much more terrifying than that dreadful day'

Junior high student makes great point, stumps teacher: 'If Hawaii didn't become a state unitl 1959, how were they attacked in 1941?'

What were railroad workers hiding in famous photo of Transcontinental Railroad completion?

Promontory Summit, UT--Today marks the 142nd anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad across the United States of America, uniting two vastly different coasts by way of the Manifest Destiny Express.

At 3:42 pm local time on May 10, 1869, Harold Trumbill, chief civil engineer of the Pacific and Illinois Union Railroad, raised a rusty, weathered 22-pound sledge hammer high above his perspiration-covered head. Two seconds later, after yelling, 'Long live PIUR,' drove a 94-carat golden railroad spike into a tar-coated railroad tie marking the completion of the cross-country track. This is how most history books describe it.

After this last spike was driven home, the workers, some laying track from the west and some from the east, paused and gathered on the locomotives that had been following the construction with necessary supplies, took the now-famous photo from this small Utah town (pictured above).

Two weeks ago, historian Lake Donovan, author of Transcontinental Railroad: I'm not Buying It, uncovered a photo (below) showing an alignment problem with the famous tracks that has challenged the timely completion of the railroad and sent shock waves through the railroad history world.

"I was doing some research for another book due out this summer, called Transcontinental Railroad: Really? A Railroad Across the Whole Country? C'mon!, when I came across a photo (below) that was labeled on the back: 1869 miscue, Promontory Summit, May 10, do not show to anyone ... ever. Trumbill."

If the photo is authentic, and Donovan assures his critics there is no reason to believe it is not, it would explain why Trumbill, a perfectionist in every sense of the word, delayed the official opening of the railway for another two months.

"There is correspondence between Trumbill and Pacific and Illinois Union executives that question why locomotives were unable to pass," explained Donovan. "Trumbill didn't let trains use the tracks for for nearly eight weeks after the famous group photo was taken."

One of these letters, dated May 25, 1869, from Jedington Smithright, vice president of PIUR, read:

Dear Mr Trumbill,

I hope the Utah territory has welcomed you openly. I trust that you can find a decent tavern in the place. I write today to confirm that I received your daguerreotype of the completion of the railroad that has united our great country. Only a handful of years ago, we were split by a terrible war, brothers fighting brothers, fathers fighting sons, sons very upset when fathers shot them. This is a monumental symbol for our fragile and rebuilding emotional state. I ask now why construction continues when the photo you sent has clearly indicated the two sides, east and west, have met in Promontory Summit? I have attempted to travel by rail to Utah from our office in East St. Louis, but have been informed by rail workers that the route is impassible and that this is a direct order from you. Please, explain yourself my friend.
Jedington Smithright, Vice President

A letter from Trumbill to his wife Agitheena, if authentic, may support Donovan's photo discovery. It reads:

Dear my dearest Agitheena,

How I miss you dearly my lovely. I hope the rumors of you marrying Mr. Gordon Thomas Livingston are just that ... rumors. Despite the photo of our gallant railroad workers celebrating the completion of the railroad, which I am assured has reached New York, I have made a maddening, erroneous calculation. The great tracks coming from the east and the west did not successfully meet. I had the workers gather tightly for the photo so to cover up the unfortunate debacle. It was really just a simple mathematical mistake, carrying the one when I should have carried a two, or a three, I think. Please, pray for me.
Your loving husband (or ex-husband),
Harold Trumbill, Chief Engineer, Pacific and Illinois Union Railroad

Trumbill was eventually removed from his position at PIUR two days before the first locomotive passed over the golden spike in the Utah Territory. Company executives never discovered that the chief engineer had drastically miscalculated the track alignment and dismissed the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate on "unquestionable grounds of insanity."Above: The first attempt at the Transcontinental Railroad was slightly off, according to a recently uncovered photograph by historian Lake Donovan.

150th Anniversary: Remembering the Canadian Civil War

When the Manitoban Navy sailed up the Severn River in northern Ontario, via Hudson Bay, and bombarded a lightly-defended Fort Severn with 24 hours of nonstop cannon fire on April 12, 1861, the Canadian Civil War had begun.

For years tensions between the adjoining provinces had grown over what appeared to be an innocent, lighthearted border dispute. ("Good sir, your border is ten meters off, I declare, eh?") Then, the underlying reasons surfaced: Ontario, in 1851, had passed a law limiting the alcoholic strength of its beer to 19 percent. The national government, with unequal representation from the heavily populated Ontario, and, impressed with the province's bold leadership, considered passing the same law for the entire nation. Tensions soon mounted.

After the shelling of the fort, Manitoba soldiers raised the rebel flag--red and white with a green oak leaf, not the famous, red maple leaf. This was a true declaration of secession.

Above: The oak leaf became the uniting symbol of western Canada during the Canadian Civil War. The oak tree, not the maple, is more commonly found in the west and appeared on the rebel flag.

"The oak leaf became the rallying cry for the West," said Fritz O'Leary, a history professor and award-winning author from Winnipeg Tech University. "From Winnipeg to Vancouver, the oak tree is king. The maple is more indigenous to eastern Canada."

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territory (all four residents) united to form the West and believed that beer should have a higher alcoholic content than a "measly 19 percent." Though Quebec and the Atlantic provinces threatened secession, ultimately they remained with Ontario as part of Canada.

"Quebec's rallying cry became: 'La fistico viva a Canada pronte, la negotia concerne la biere later.' Which roughly translates to: 'Fight for Canada's life now, negotiate the concerns for beer later,'" said Don Gierre, an adjunct professor from Montreal Agriculture and Mining College. "And the fighting?... It was nasty, eh."

The battle of Tierra del Fuego was the bloodiest of all the war. The British Columbian navy, along with the Canadian navy each unknowingly formulated the same plans for a sneak attack. Sail south around the tip of South America and up the respective coasts to the intended place of bombardment. However, the two sides accidentally met at the tip--Tierra del Fuego, Argentina--and locked into combat for ten bloody days.


A rebel's letter home to Vancouver recalls the scene:

"Evelyn, I hope this letter finds you well. We suffered heavy losses today, my dear. I took a wound to the shoulder, nothing a sip of 35 percent alcohol beer couldn't mend. They are calling it the Battle of Tierra del Fuego. I bless the day we leave this wretched place. The sea was stained red with the blood of British Columbians and Canadians, swirling and swishing with the abnormally high and low tides. Have the children been skating daily, eh? How is little Tommy's slap shot coming? They must skate everyday like we discussed during my departure. Your loving husband, Ltn. Carl S, eh."

On April 9, 1865, Canadian troops captured Edmonton, Alberta ending the four-year war between the East and the West. The oak leaf-adorned flags hanging from every home and business were burned in the streets by jubilant Canadian soldiers drinking ... weaker beer. The alcohol content of Canadian beer remains at 19 percent today, a fact Ontarians are extremely proud of.