On This Day Photos

Fiscal Cliff

Date: December 4, 2012 Author: Grant Oster Comments: Leave a reply

If you have picked up a newspaper or turned on the television to watch the news, you have more than likely heard about the impending “fiscal cliff” of doom. When I hear this term, I immediately imagine hopelessness–a point of no return…(much like the picture [below] suggests).

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Fiscal Cliff

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, said, “…a massive fiscal cliff of large spending cuts and tax increases.” (Photo courtesy of Vantage Point of the One-Eyed Jack)

The term fiscal cliff became popular this past year when Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, used it to describe laws on the books–coming into effect in 2013–as:

…a massive fiscal cliff of large spending cuts and tax increases.

But what is it?

For more on that, check out A Fiscal Cliff in History!

Texas Flags throughout History

Date: November 13, 2012 Author: Grant Oster Comments: Leave a reply

Does anyone else see the irony in this? Could it be that Texas will soon again fly the Lone Star Republic flag?

On this day, in 1835, Texans officially proclaimed independence from Mexico, and called itself the Lone Star Republic, after its flag, until its admission to the Union in 1845.

Below are some of the flags flown over Texas. There are six national flags that have flown over Texas, along with several non-national flags.It goes without saying that some of these flags may have changed over time. For example, the addition of Texas to the United States was not the 50th state, so Texas would see many versions of the American flag as states were added. For more on these national flags, check out Lone Star Junction’s Six National Flags of Texas.

 

Texas Under France. 1685-1690

Flag of Mexico (1821-1823)

Flag of Mexico (1821-1823)

Texas as a Republic. 1836-1845

Texas as a Republic. 1836-1845

Texas in the Confederacy. 1861-1865

Texas in the Confederacy. 1861-1865

Flag of the United States of America

Flag of the United States of America

 

There have also been other notable flags flown over Texas. Here are a few worth mentioning. For more information on these and other great Texas flags, check out Son of the South’s Republic Texas Flags.

Republic of Texas Gonzales Flag

Republic of Texas Gonzales Flag

First Flag of the Republic

First Flag of the Republic

The Alamo Battle Flag 1824

The Alamo Battle Flag 1824

Pennsylvania Blue Laws and Sports

Date: November 7, 2012 Author: Grant Oster Comments: Leave a reply

November 7, 1933, voters in Pennsylvania eliminated sports from the Blue Laws.

On November 7, 1933, voters in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, eliminated sports from the commonwealth’s Blue Laws.

For a great article on this topic, check out The Conversationalist Café: So Be It…

The Lincoln Highway

Date: October 31, 2012 Author: Grant Oster Comments: Leave a reply

 

Lincoln Highway "The Main Street Across America."

The Lincoln Highway was the first paved road spanning across America. It was dedicated on October 31, 1913. The Lincoln Highway was America’s first national memorial to President Abraham Lincoln. It was commonly called “The Main Street Across America.”