Dave Does History

It almost seems like ancient history. But it was just seventeen days ago that the world watched as the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris either baffled or offended pretty much every one who isn’t…. well… French. Was it a parody of the Last supper painting – itself an inaccurate distortion of the actual Seder event? Or… was it a reenactment of several paintings of the behavior o...

On the bright morning of August 6, 1945 (Japan time), a solitary B-29 floated gently over the city of Hiroshima. It was not an unusual sight, nor was it unexpected. In many ways Hiroshima had been either lucky or protected during the devastating air raids that had recently set many Japanese cities on fire. There were rumors that Hiroshima had some special protection because of some secret relation...

On this weeks gripping episode of “Dave Does History” on the  Bill Mick Live Show ,  historian Dave Bowman takes us back to the harrowing final voyage of the USS Indianapolis during World War II. We  explore the top-secret mission that led to the ship’s fateful journey, the catastrophic torpedo attack by a Japanese submarine, and the horrific ordeal faced by the surviving crew members in shark-inf...

In this compelling episode of “Bill Mick Live,” Dave Bowman delves into the historical intricacies of political assassinations, focusing on the death of Tiberius Gracchus in 133 BCE. Dave explores the turbulent period of the Late Roman Republic, drawing striking parallels between ancient Rome and contemporary political climates. As he dissects the motives and consequences of Gracchus’ assassinatio...

The story of Charles Guiteau and his attack on President James A. Garfield is a gripping tale of ambition, delusion, and tragedy. Charles Guiteau, a troubled and erratic individual, became fixated on President Garfield and convinced himself that he was destined to play a significant role in American politics. His unrelenting quest for recognition and power culminated in a fateful encounter on  Jul...

On  June 25, 1876 , General George Armstrong Custer and his troops faced a formidable alliance of Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors led by legendary leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. This clash, often referred to as “Custer’s Last Stand,” has been etched into the annals of history not only for its dramatic and tragic outcome but also for its profound impact on the course of...

In this episode of Dave Does History on Bill Mick Live, historian Dave Bowman takes listeners on a deep dive into the War of 1812, examining the complex causes and significant consequences of the conflict. The discussion covers the war’s origins, including British impressment of American sailors, trade restrictions, and territorial disputes involving Native American tribes. Bowman explains how the...

On February 22, 1770, eleven year old Christopher Seider was killed in the streets of Boston. He is generally considered by historians to be the first person to die in the American Revolution. The British Taxes imposed in 1767 under the Townsend Acts led a firestorm of Colonial protests, particularly - and to no one's surprise - in Boston. The Colonials had boycotted British imports since the...

The enigma machine was supposed to be Nazi Germany’s unbreakable code machine. It’s network carried the bulk of the German secret communications from the 1920’s through the end of WWII in May of 1945. The machines carried by German Naval units, including U-Boats, were a complex gizmo of gears and wheels and keys, that required the correct plug in board to produce the encrypted messages that contro...

We have this… myth… in our heads. It’s born from a combination of Manifest Destiny and the desire to see ourselves in a certain light, but the truth is that the Constitution of the United States was highly radical, highly controversial and absolutely not universally proclaimed as the best way of governing ourselves in 1787. Not only were there vicious and lengthy diatribes in newspapers and town m...

Among the memories I have from my time in New London, CT, at US Navy Submarine School, is a few moments on a bright but very cold January afternoon, listening to an audio tape. The problem with such memories is that I remember the sounds more than I recall the technical details. We were told that this was a highly classified recording of the direct loss of USS Scorpion on May 22, 1968. For all I k...

Around three in the morning on May 13, 1862, the lookouts aboard a Union Naval vessel blockading Charleston Harbor was surprised to see a vessel bearing down upon his ship. Sounding the alarm, the gun ports were opened and all was brought to preparation to open fire. It was then that the lookout noticed that the ship approaching wasn’t coming on too fast and flying from it’s mast appeared to be a...

Perhaps the most prescient act of the framers of the US Constitution was the establishment of an amendment process by which the document could be modified. Not in some instant, light and transient way, but with involvement of the peoples representatives, the States and the people themselves. It’s not easy to do, and, in fact, it should not be. As George Washington himself once said, any amendment...

Today, we embark on a journey back to the dawn of the American experiment. Our spotlight shines on the  first presidential term of George Washington , a time when the nation’s destiny hung in the balance. On  April 30, 1789 , amidst the grandeur of Federal Hall in New York City, Washington stepped onto a second-floor balcony to take the oath of office. His inaugural address, delivered with humilit...

On  April 24, 1183bce  (as determined by Eratosthenes the Beta), the City of Troy fell to the Greeks after nine years of devastating siege and bloody war. Few people today realize how many of our cultural values have been inculcated into us by the events of that day. The defeated Trojans would wander west and finally resettle in another city, this time one with seven hills. The Greeks would soon f...

The ocean is a dangerous place. I have always said to you that the ocean is always trying to kill you. And if you let your guard down, even for a second, it will. This week in 1900, the US Navy began its experience in challenging some of those dangers, as the USS Holland SS-1 was commissioned as the first submarine in the US Navy. It’s why we celebrate numerous Submarine Balls this week – to recal...

On the evening of  April 2, 1917 , President Woodrow Wilson stood before an excited Congress and Gallery, and asked that the nation declare war on Imperial Germany. In a strange way, this was the penultimate Wilson moment. He would ask – already knowing the answer – the nation to follow his leadership into a war to make the world safe for democracy. We are told that he had spent the night before i...

What if… we had a President who disagreed with Congress on everything? And when I say, “everything,” I mean… “everything?” What if the Congress passed a law that was so important to the national development of our society that it was deemed in many places, and a “new birth of freedom,” and the President, vetoed it? What would the reaction be? If this were to happen, how would it change the course...

Many people say that they “hate” Daylight Savings Time. Is that actually the case? Or is what they actually hate the twice a year fiddling with digital clocks in their cars? So it was that on March 19, 1918, the United States enacted the Standard Time Act, much of which remains on our law books today. But, was it just a war measure designed to held beat the Huns? Or was it a vast conspiracy by US...

One of the least discussed and acknowledged periods in US History got its start on March 11, 1880, with the birth of the man, Harry L. Laughlin, who would be among the driving figures in the eugenics movement in the United States. The ideas for which he would advocate included sterilization and would not actually end until well into the 1970s. It all sounds good on the surface – to improve humans...

On February 27, 1951, the United States ratified the 22nd Amendment, a pivotal moment in American constitutional history that imposed term limits on the presidency. This landmark amendment was the culmination of decades of debate over the concentration of power in the executive branch and reflected the nation’s evolving attitudes toward leadership and democracy. The genesis of the 22nd Amendment c...

Welcome to “Dave Does History,” on Bill Mick Live, this week we have a journey through the annals of history to the heart of the American Civil War, focusing on one of its lesser-known yet pivotal figures, General Joseph Finegan, and the defining moment of his military career: the Battle of Olustee. We will delve into the life of General Finegan, from his early days to his strategic triumph in Flo...

Yesterday was the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Today on Bill Mick Live, Dave takes a very brief overview look at the life and legacy of one of the great Presidents of the United States. from his days in the Illinois Legislature to the US Congress, to the stump debating Stephen A. Douglas. His election as the first republican Party candidate for President would lead to the split of the nation and t...

Today, we turn back the pages to the era of revolutions and explore the life of a man whose pen ignited the flame of liberty across continents. Thomas Paine, a name synonymous with the struggle for freedom and democratic ideals, was more than just a writer; he was a visionary whose words laid the groundwork for modern democracies. From the humble beginnings in England to the battlefields of the Am...

In 1916, the United States Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision in the Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad Co. case, a ruling that profoundly shaped the legal landscape of federal income taxation in America. This case, brought forth by Frank Brushaber, a shareholder in the Union Pacific Railroad Company, challenged the constitutionality of the recently enacted federal income tax imposed by...