Craig Hill Media and Consulting
United States
December 6, 1907 – 361 miners are killed in the US’s worst coal mining disaster
West Virginia, USA, once had the reputation for the highest mine death rate of any of the states. Large scale coal operations began in Marion County, WV, in the 1880s. Between 1890 and 1912, regulation of mining conditions in West Virginia was poor, and the state’s mining industry saw numerous deadly coal mining accidents. The … Continue reading
December 1, 1955 – Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man
Rosa Parks’ stand off with an Alabama bus driver in 1955 turned into a wider movement that fought against segregation and inequality. African-Americans had wilfully violated the segregation of public transport before Rosa Parks, even in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, where 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested nine months earlier for the same crime of … Continue reading
November 26, 1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes modern Thanksgiving holiday
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill officially establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. The tradition of celebrating the holiday on Thursday dates back to the early history of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, when post-harvest holidays were celebrated on the weekday regularly set aside as “Lecture Day,” a midweek church meeting where topical sermons were presented. … Continue reading
November 23, 1936 – First issue of “Life” is published
On November 23, 1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine Life is published, featuring a cover photo of the Fort Peck Dam’s spillway by Margaret Bourke-White. Life actually had its start earlier in the 20th century as a different kind of magazine: a weekly humor publication, not unlike today’s The New Yorker in its use of tart cartoons, humorous … Continue reading
November 22, 1963 – President John F. Kennedy is assassinated
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, but she was beside him, along with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, for a 10-mile motorcade through the streets of downtown Dallas on … Continue reading
November 19, 1863 – Abraham Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in American history. In fewer than 275 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly reminded a war-weary public why the Union had to fight, and win, the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought … Continue reading
November 13, 1982 – Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedicated in US
Near the end of a weeklong national salute to Americans who served in the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C. after a march to its site by thousands of veterans of the conflict. The long-awaited memorial was a simple V-shaped black-granite wall inscribed with the names of the 57,939 Americans who died in … Continue reading
China, America and the insecurities that threaten the world
Originally Published by Independent Australia
Ukraine deploys gay men to scare off Russians
Ukraine is planning to march large numbers of gay men into Crimea in hopes of scaring off Russian soldiers currently occupying the territory. According to local reports this “gay army” will be unarmed and its mission will be to act as flamboyantly homosexual as possible, causing the deeply prejudiced occupying force to flee back to … Continue reading
Obama nominates Oprah as ambassador to Russia
President Obama nominated Oprah Winfrey to serve as ambassador to Russia today. In a written statement, the White House said the veteran broadcaster has been selected to replace Russian policy expert Michael McFaul, who announced last week that he was stepping down after little more than a year on the job. “Oprah Winfrey is an … Continue reading
Court rules Obama kids’ bedtimes unconstitutional
In a case fraught with major parental implications, a federal appeals court has overturned the bedtimes for Malia and Sasha Obama as chosen by the president and first lady, calling them “unconstitutional” and “totally unfair.” “This decision is novel and unprecedented,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney. “It undermines not just Barack and Michelle‘s … Continue reading
Court orders Justin Bieber to stop making music
A court in Canada has ordered teen pop sensation Justin Bieber to stop making music for the next three years as restitution for a recent assault charge. In a plea deal with the prosecution today, 19-year-old Bieber agreed to refrain from touring or recording new material in exchange for keeping himself out of jail. The … Continue reading
President Obama says America is fed up with the spoiled brat antics of Justin Bieber so I am deporting him back to Canada
If President Obama gets his wish, little Justin Bieber will be sitting in his mom’s Canadian home by Valentine’s Day. The president has stated that he is sick and tired of getting thousands and thousands of complaints from good, hard-working, red-blooded Americans asking him to do something about the horrible attitude that Justin Bieber has … Continue reading
Canada to release over 6,000 illegal aliens into North Dakota
The Canadian government has informed President Obama that they are getting ready to release 6,391 illegal aliens from the United States into North Dakota. A spokesperson for the Canadian government said that some of the illegal immigrants had been sitting in Canadian jails for as long as 9 years. A Minnesota individual who said his … Continue reading
Modern day American dream is an out of court settlement
Drawing on national polling data and extensive personal interviews, social scientists confirmed that the concept of the American Dream, the widely held aspiration among U.S. citizens of achieving financial security and personal happiness, now consists entirely of receiving a substantial out-of-court settlement. “Whereas achieving the American Dream once meant rising to a stable position of … Continue reading
Britain could miss out on crazy, pointless war with China, says important American
Cuts to Britain’s armed forces mean the country will be ‘left on the sidelines’ when America invades China. Robert Gates, former US defence secretary, stressed that Britain would no longer be America’s ‘full crazy partner in war’. He said: “Your military will be dropping food from its only helicopter while the US Marines are surging … Continue reading
Japan to launch unarmed practice missile towards North Korea
The Saki News Agency is reporting that the government of Japan has decided to give North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a bit of his own medicine. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that his country will be launching what it calls an unarmed practice missile toward North Korea. The missile is a standard, universal type … Continue reading
Justin Bieber may buy land In Colorado and become a pot farmer
Justin Bieber recently announced that he was retiring from the music business. The iRumors News Agency is now reporting that the Canadian singer is considering purchasing some land in the marijuana haven state of Colorado and becoming a pot farmer. Bieber spoke with Vodka Vermicelli of iRumors and said that he figures that by being … Continue reading
Playboy asks Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt to appear in a nude layout
Playboy Corporation mogul Hugh Hefner has offered the stunning blonde prime minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt $1.8 million to appear in a nude layout in his magazine. Hefner spoke with reporters and stated that he knows that the issue would be one of the biggest sellers in the publication’s history. The Playboy head stated that … Continue reading
Pope Francis expands Vatican drone program
Pope Francis has ordered a major expansion of the Vatican’s controversial drone program, calling it necessary to protect the church. “The Vatican has many enemies around the world, and we must take the necessary steps to defend the church and ourselves,” Pope Francis said in an official statement. “Unmanned drones are the most effective way … Continue reading
Australian government sees Asia as priority over US
Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey has expressed doubts the world has seen the last of the US debt impasse as he urged the United States to get its house in order and signalled a renewed focus on opening more markets in Asia as a response to ongoing instability. In an interview with Fairfax Media, Mr Hockey … Continue reading
Australia backs Japan’s military buildup at risk of upsetting China
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop threw Australia’s support behind Japan’s attempts to shift its military to a more “normal” defence posture in a speech in Tokyo yesterday. Australia’s backing for Japan’s proposed move away from a purely defensive military runs the risk of sparking resentment in China, which retains deep suspicion of the hawkish Abe … Continue reading
Sex-for-secrets spy scandal prompts Australian navy inquiry
A company that services US warships when they visit Australian ports has been accused of providing prostitutes to an American naval commander in return for secret intelligence on US naval movements to extort money from the US Seventh Fleet. The Royal Australian Navy is investigating whether the alleged bribery and prostitution scam has had an … Continue reading
Australian navy to protect sea lanes to China, Japan and South Korea
Protecting the massive resources projects in northern and Western Australia and export supply lines to China, Japan and South Korea will be a major Defence priority for the Abbott government. New Defence Minister David Johnston said last night that this was one reason the navy needed highly capable long-range submarines to complement its surface warships. … Continue reading
Australia could be first country in world to ban smoking
Australia could become the first major nation to outlaw smoking, with a federal government-funded trial about to test the viability of electronic cigarettes as a safer, permanent replacement for tobacco. Medical experts, cancer groups and anti-smoking lobbyists battled for decades to rid cigarettes from public spaces. ”E-cigarettes” are battery-powered devices that simulate the effects … Continue reading
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