Articles written by Jim Rada

In 1964, a young woman was stabbed to death while nearby eyewitnesses did nothing.

Jun 21, 2009 - Jim Rada

The U.S. Government went off the gold standard for the last time in 1968, though it didn't completely disconnect itself until 1971.

Jun 7, 2009 - Jim Rada

The New York City subway system runs 229 miles of routes through 468 stations, but it began with just a shovel full of dirt.

May 31, 2009 - Jim Rada

A mid-afternoon tornado on March 18, 1925, left a killing swath in its wake.

May 24, 2009 - Jim Rada

Jesse James, the notorious rank robber and Old West legend, was killed on April 3, 1882. He was 34 years old.

May 8, 2009 - Jim Rada

Virgil Grissom and John Young became the first men to fly a maneuverable spacecraft in outer space on March 23, 1965 for the Gemini III space launch.

Apr 26, 2009 - Jim Rada

The 25th Annual Academy Awards gave Americans the opportunity to sit in their living rooms and feel like they were mingling with the stars.

Apr 19, 2009 - Jim Rada

Too costly to repair, the U.S. government decided to close the famed prison in 1963.

Apr 2, 2009 - Jim Rada

Uncle Tom's Cabin sold tens of thousands of copies in the weeks after it was published in 1852 and became a reference for the sins of slavery.

Mar 29, 2009 - Jim Rada

On March 20, 1899, Martha Place earned her place among the infamous by becoming the first woman executed in the electric chair.

Mar 21, 2009 - Jim Rada

The admission of Alaska as the 49th state in January 1959 opened the way for Hawaii to end 58 years of being a territory and become a state.

Mar 12, 2009 - Jim Rada

Hawaii officially became the 50th state in the United States of America on August 21, 1959, but the actual vote took place on March 12, 1959.

Mar 12, 2009 - Jim Rada

While the Nautilus is famous as the fictitious submarine in Robert Louis Stevenson's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, it is also the name of the first viable submarine.

Mar 4, 2009 - Jim Rada

Buried in New York after his death, the re-interrment of President James Monroe's remains made national news.

Feb 11, 2009 - Jim Rada

A young girl who had to leave the Mardi Gras ball early left behind a slipper that was returned to her when the man who found it wed her.

Feb 6, 2009 - Jim Rada

As the world worries about avian flu, they need only look to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic to see how bad things can get.

Feb 3, 2009 - Jim Rada

An average American will chew more than 300 pieces of gum each year, but where did the idea for gum come from?

Jan 24, 2009 - Jim Rada

Christmas is a time for miracles and a time to celebrate new life. Jimmy Pochon's story illustrates that. His small Christmas miracle gave him a second chance.

Jan 22, 2009 - Jim Rada

The Conewago Chapel near Hanover, PA had long been considered haunted until paranormal investigators proved differently.

Jan 17, 2009 - Jim Rada

Even with the flood-control initiatives taken throughout the city, Cumberland still seems to experience at least one major flood a decade.

Jan 11, 2009 - Jim Rada

Situated in a valley at the confluence of two rivers, Cumberland, Maryland, has had more than its share of floods.

Jan 10, 2009 - Jim Rada

Theodore Roosevelt who became President of the United States because of the assassination of President William McKinley once nearly had to face his own would-be assassin.

Jan 3, 2009 - Jim Rada

The carbonation in soda pop drinks has made brand names of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, but soda predates those two mega-brands.

Dec 30, 2008 - Jim Rada

Emmitsburg, Maryland's downtown is one of the sites along "The Journey Through Hallowed Ground," the 175-mile area along the U.S. Route 15 corridor.

Dec 29, 2008 - Jim Rada

During World War II, German soldiers marched through French streets, fought in North African deserts and cut wood in Allegany County forests.

Dec 19, 2008 - Jim Rada

Matches are a throwaway item in today's society, but when they were first introduced, they were considered the devil's work.

Dec 10, 2008 - Jim Rada

Matches are a throwaway item in today's society, but they have been about for more than 180 years and were a revolutionary invention in their time.

Dec 10, 2008 - Jim Rada

While the Founding Fathers were working to build a nation in Philadelphia in 1776, in south-central Pennsylvania, Rev. Alexander Dobbin was building his house.

Dec 9, 2008 - Jim Rada

When Abraham Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg, Pa., he needed a place to stay for the night and finish his short speech that would become known as "The Gettysburg Address."

Dec 6, 2008 - Jim Rada

President Abraham Lincoln's stops in Gettysburg are part of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground.

Dec 4, 2008 - Jim Rada

Though covered bridges are generally a thing of the past, Maryland's largest county still has three of them that are a popular attraction for tourists.

Dec 3, 2008 - Jim Rada

A jury had failed to convict would-be Presidential assassin John Surratt for either the assassination of Abraham Lincoln or treason.

Nov 23, 2008 - Jim Rada

With the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, John Surratt found himself a wanted man.

Nov 23, 2008 - Jim Rada

Mary Surratt was hanged, many believe, for the sins of her son. When she was died on July 7, 1865, she became another link in the unlucky chain of John Surratt, Jr.

Nov 23, 2008 - Jim Rada

On the after noon of June 17, 1905, 13-year-old Emil A. Caple was walking near the tracks on his way to the Patapsco Post Office and General Store. He was expecting to se

Nov 16, 2008 - Jim Rada

While the Western Maryland Railway lived in the shadow of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, it had its own success.

Nov 16, 2008 - Jim Rada

Because of a moment of lapsed judgment, three Western Maryland Railway locomotive engines collided in Ransom, Md. in 1905, killing 28 people.

Nov 16, 2008 - Jim Rada

Among the history of close elections, the story of Ridgeley, WV's incorporation shows how much one vote can count.

Nov 16, 2008 - Jim Rada

Chicago has had a history of fast growth and the figures from 1868 demonstrate just how quickly the city could grow.

Nov 6, 2008 - Jim Rada

Iron changed the world. It was a metal that could be turned into weapons, useful household implements and frames for buildings.

Oct 19, 2008 - Jim Rada

Catoctin Furnace played a role in building the America for more than a century, but times change and iron smelting technology moved beyond what the furnace could do.

Oct 19, 2008 - Jim Rada

The Johnson Brothers - James, Baker and Roger - originally owned the Catoctin Furnace was built at the foot of the Catoctin Mountains in Frederick County, Maryland.

Oct 12, 2008 - Jim Rada

The Catoctin Iron Furnace represents an example of how iron smelting took on such an integral part of America's economic growth.

Oct 12, 2008 - Jim Rada

The Catoctin Iron Furnace represents an example of how iron smelting took on such an integral part of America's economic growth.

Oct 5, 2008 - Jim Rada

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." That's what the newspaper editor tells James Stewart's character in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. It's also what h

Oct 4, 2008 - Jim Rada

While much research has been done on the casualties of the Civil War among the soldiers and civilians, one area has been overlooked...that of the animals that carried tro

Sep 28, 2008 - Jim Rada

The Battle of Gettysburg may be the most-famous battle of the Civil War, but it was nearly fought 12 miles south in the small Maryland town of Emmitsburg

Sep 27, 2008 - Jim Rada

Inventions are wonderful things. They improve the quality of life for people. By protecting inventor's inventions, governments encourage further creativity.

Sep 21, 2008 - Jim Rada

Sausages are the worlds first prepared food. They are made from ground meat, fat, salt and spices that are packed into a casing.

Sep 18, 2008 - Jim Rada

To rail passengers, Pullman was a savior, but to his employees, Pullman was a devil. And when the millionaire died, many of those employees wanted to make sure he stayed

Sep 14, 2008 - Jim Rada