Aaron Randle
Articles From This Author
How an Enslaved Man Helped Jack Daniel Develop His Famous Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s stands as one of the most iconic American brands and most popular spirits in the world. Yet while the whiskey and its eponymous founder have become dominant names in American liquor lore, the person perhaps most responsible for its success—an enslaved man named ...read more
Abraham Lincoln: Famous Quotes and Speeches
There’s perhaps no better way to grasp Abraham Lincoln’s outsized American legacy than through his writing. From his time as a twenty-something political hopeful to his tragic death, Lincoln was a voluminous writer, authoring hundreds of letters, speeches, debate arguments and ...read more
7 Infamous Alcatraz Inmates
A list of the most renowned inmates at Alcatraz federal prison reads like a who’s who of 20th-century criminals. They range from Prohibition-era gangsters like Al “Scarface” Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly to ‘70s Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger and Harlem drug ...read more
Alcatraz Escapes: 14 Breakout Attempts from the Island Prison
Ever since Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary opened as a maximum-security lockup in 1934 on a desolate island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, officials touted it as “America’s most secure prison.” During its nearly 30 years of operation, inmates put that reputation to the test ...read more
11 Roman Emperors Who Helped Mold the Ancient World
Few periods in history have had a greater impact on humankind than that of ancient Rome. While its influence on western civilization, in particular, has been ubiquitous, its remnants can be found virtually everywhere, from our calendar and political systems to our alphabet. The ...read more
History of Flight: Breakthroughs, Disasters and More
For thousands of years, humans have dreamed of taking to the skies. The quest has led from kite flying in ancient China to hydrogen-powered hot-air balloons in 18th-century France to contemporary aircraft so sophisticated they can’t be detected by radar or the human eye. Below ...read more
Who Invented the TV Dinner?
TV dinners—those frozen, pre-cooked and pre-portioned meals that can be reheated and ready to eat in minutes—became an American culinary staple in the mid 20th century. But the true origin of this quarter-trillion-dollar industry may never be fully unwrapped. TV dinners may not ...read more
‘Black Rosies’: The Forgotten African American Heroines of the WWII Homefront
Rosie the Riveter—the steely-eyed World War II heroine with her red bandanna, blue coveralls and flexed bicep—stands as one of America’s most indelible military images. Positioned under the maxim “We Can Do It,” the “Rosie” image has come to broadly represent the steadfast ...read more
America’s Only Successful Coup d’Etat Overthrew a Biracial Government in 1898
It was the only successful coup d'état in the history of the United States and a story of racial terror largely obscured from the annals of American history. In 1898, a group of white rebels—angry and fearful at the newly elected biracial local government—joined forces with area ...read more