Feature Article

Geri Reischl — the “Fake” Jan Brady

09/12/2017

Updated on 08/05/2020

Geri Reischl may not be a household name but she occupies a rather unique place in American pop-cultural history. Some may know her for her singing. Some may know her for her toy ads in the late 60s and early 70s. There are many French Canadians who may remember Reischl from when she toured with singer René Simard. But the…read more

Nagasaki — Second City to Suffer a Nuclear Attack

08/20/2017

Updated on 09/24/2022

Nagasaki was not the primary target for the nuclear attack the United States launched against Japan on the morning of August 9, 1945. It had barely even made the list of potential targets for atomic bombings. Kokura was the primary target, and Nagasaki was the secondary target should weather conditions have prevented the attack on Kokura. Conditions for the atomic…read more

The Second Madison Square Garden

07/27/2017

Updated on 10/21/2022

Madison Square Garden is New York’s premier indoor arena and venue. It is the home of the the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the New York Rangers (NHL) sports franchises. It is the main venue for the Men’s Big East Basketball Conference Tournament, the National Invitational Tournament Final and many other sporting and boxing events….read more

Carl Ludwig “Luz” Long — Won the Silver Medal in Long Jump at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

02/08/2017

Updated on 10/18/2022

German athlete Luz Long is quite possibly the ultimate Silver Medalist. He is the athlete who finished second to American Jesse Owens in the long jump competition at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but more than that, he made sports history with a gesture that stunned many who witnessed it. After their competition, Long, a white man, enthusiastically embraced Owens, a black…read more

Jules André Peugeot — Second Person Killed in WWI

01/24/2017

Updated on 09/06/2022

French Corporal Jules André Peugeot was 21 years old when he was shot and killed by a German patrol. Although he was the first soldier to get shot in WWI, he ended up being the second person to die from his wounds. The person who shot Peugeot, German Lieutenant Albert Mayer, was the first person to actually die in WWI,…read more

U.S. Presidents Who Won Their Elections but Finished Second in the Popular Vote

01/20/2017

Updated on 10/08/2018

As most of us all know, in American politics, it is the Electoral College and not the popular vote that determines the winner in a presidential election. This odd fact of government has long been a burr in the butt of those unfortunate candidates who’ve found themselves with a majority popular vote but on the losing end of an electoral vote….read more

Thomas William “Bill” Burgess — Second Person to Swim Across the English Channel

12/19/2016

Updated on 10/20/2022

Thomas William Burgess got up on the morning of September 5, 1911, ready to make history. Having already tried and failed 15 times before, he knew what he was up against. He wanted to become the second person to swim across the English Channel, and the first to do so since 1875 when Captain Matthew Webb breast-stroked his way across the…read more

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (1984) — Sequel to Pitfall!

12/02/2016

Updated on 09/06/2022

From the game manual — “Help Pitfall Harry find his niece Rhonda, the cowardly cat Quickclaw and the great Raj diamond. On the way grab all the gold bars you can (and be on the lookout for a pesky stone-aged rat). There is no time limit in the caverns!” I never understood the allure of Activision’s 1982 game Pitfall! for the…read more

Helium (He) — the Second-Most Abundant Element in the Universe

Updated on 10/08/2018

Helium is almost like magic with the things it can do—it keeps blimps and balloons aloft, makes our voices sound funny1 when we huff it, and it makes all sorts of industrial processes possible. Helium is just plain fun. And for its place among the silver medalists, helium is the second-most abundant element in the universe and the number 2…read more