With students and teachers in the midst of heading back to school, we decided to highlight some “in season” history topics and timelines for the new academic year.

First up: the American Revolution.  (And if you are not a teacher or student, I bet that your knowledge on the American Revolution is a bit rusty.  So take a look at our American Revolution “Express” version below and brush up on it).

On Timelines.com, we have an American Revolution timeline that has over 200 unique events on it, including 158 battles. Here is our Express version of the 28 key events from the American Revolution.  Let us know if we are missing any or if you think we can slim it down.

Enjoy!

April 5, 1764 – The Sugar Act

The Revenue Act of 1764, also known as the Sugar Act, was the first tax on the American colonies imposed by the British Parliament. Its purpose was to raise revenue through the colonial customs service and to give customs agents more power and latitude with respect to executing seizures and enforcing customs law.

Sept 1, 1764 – The Currency Act

On September 1, 1764, Parliament passed the Currency Act, effectively assuming control of the colonial currency system. The act prohibited the issue of any new bills and the reissue of existing currency. Parliament favored a “hard currency” system based on the pound sterling, but was not inclined to regulate the colonial bills. Rather, they simply abolished them. The colonies protested vehemently against this. They suffered a trade deficit with Great Britain to begin with and argued that the shortage of hard capital would further exacerbate the situation.

Feb 17, 1765 – The Stamp Act

The Stamp Act of 1765 (short title Duties in American Colonies Act 1765; 5 George III, c. 12) was a tax imposed by the British Parliament on the colonies of British America. The act required that many printed materials in the colonies carry a tax stamp. The purpose of the tax was to help pay for troops stationed in North America following the British victory in the Seven Years’ War. The British government felt that the colonies were the primary beneficiaries of this military presence, and should pay at least a portion of the expense.

Mar 24, 1765 – The Quartering Act

In March 1765, Parliament passed the Quartering Act to address the practical concerns of such a troop deployment. Under the terms of this legislation, each colonial assembly was directed to provide for the basic needs of soldiers stationed within its borders. Specified items included bedding, cooking utensils, firewood, beer or cider and candles.

Aug 1, 1768 – Boston Non-Importation Agreement

Colonial resistance to British control took many forms, perhaps the most effective was the general success of the non-importation agreements. Such agreements appeared as early as 1766. They had a chilling effect on the British Merchants who traded with the colonies.

March 5, 1770 – The Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre was the killing of five colonists by British soldiers on March 5, 1770. It was the culmination of civilian-military tensions that had been growing since royal troops first appeared in Massachusetts in October 1768 to enforce the heavy tax burden imposed by the Townshend Acts.

May 10, 1773 – The Tea Act

The Tea Act, passed by Parliament on May 10, 1773, would launch the final spark to the revolutionary movement in Boston. The act was not intended to raise revenue in the American colonies, and in fact imposed no new taxes. It was designed to prop up the East India Company which was floundering financially and burdened with eighteen million pounds of unsold tea.

Dec 16, 1773 – The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party was an act of direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many crates of tea belonging to the British East India Company and dumped it into the Boston Harbor. The incident, which took place on December 16, 1773, was a major catalyst of the American Revolution and remains an iconic event of American history.

March – June 1774 – The Intolerable Acts

The Intolerable Acts or the Coercive Acts are names used to describe a series of five laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 relating to Britain’s colonies in North America.  The Acts were the Boston Port Act, the Administration of Justice Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Quartering Act and the Quebec Act.

Sep 1774 – May 1775 – Continental Congress Meetings

The first Continental Congress met in Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, from September 5, to October 26, 1774. Carpenter’s Hall was also the seat of the Pennsylvania Congress. All of the colonies except Georgia sent delegates.

In May 1775, with Redcoats once again storming Boston, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. The questions were different this time. First and foremost, how would the colonist meet the military threat of the British. It was agreed that a Continental Army would be created. The Congress commissioned George Washington of Virginia to be the supreme commander, who chose to serve without pay.

Mar 23, 1775 – Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech

“Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace — but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

April 19, 1775 – Paul Revere’s Ride and The Battle of Lexington and Concord

On April 19, 1775, British and American soldiers exchanged fire in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. On the night of April 18, the royal governor of Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, commanded by King George III to suppress the rebellious Americans, had ordered 700 British soldiers, under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith and Marine Major John Pitcairn, to seize the colonists’ military stores in Concord, some 20 miles west of Boston.

A system of signals and word-of-mouth communication set up by the colonists was effective in forewarning American volunteer militia men of the approach of the British troops. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” tells how a lantern was displayed in the steeple of Christ Church on the night of April 18, 1775, as a signal to Paul Revere and others.

May 10, 1775 – The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

On May 10, 1775, Fort Ticonderoga was captured by a small force of American Patriots led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold. They surprised and captured, without significant injury or incident, the small British garrison at the fort, and looted the personal belongings of the garrison. Cannons and other armaments from the fort were transported to Boston and used to fortify Dorchester Heights and break the stalemate at the Siege of Boston.

June 17, 1775 – The Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed’s Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after the adjacent Bunker Hill, which was peripherally involved in the battle and was the original objective of both colonial and British troops, and is occasionally referred to as the “Battle of Breed’s Hill.”  While the result was a victory for the British, they suffered a large amount of losses: over 800 wounded and 226 killed, including a notably large number of officers.

Jan 15, 1776 – “Common Sense” Published

Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It was first published anonymously on January 10, 1776, during the American Revolution. Common Sense was signed “Written by an Englishman”, and the pamphlet became an immediate success. In relation to the population of the Colonies at that time, it had the largest sale and circulation of any book in American history. Common Sense presented the American colonists with a powerful argument for independence from British rule at a time when the question of independence was still undecided.

Mar 17, 1776 – Evacuation Day

The 11-month siege of Boston ended when the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, fortified Dorchester Heights in early March 1776 with cannons captured at Ticonderoga. British General William Howe, whose garrison and navy were threatened by these positions, was forced to decide between attack and retreat. To prevent what could have been a repeat of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Howe decided to retreat, withdrawing from Boston to Nova Scotia on March 17.

Jul 4, 1776 – The Declaration of Independence

The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire.

Sep 19, 1777 – Battle of Saratoga

The Battles of Saratoga, sometimes referred to as The Battle of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne’s army in the American Revolutionary War, and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war.

Dec 1777 – Jun 1778 – George Washington and Troops Winter at Valley Forge

On December 19, 1777, when Washington’s poorly fed, ill-equipped army, weary from long marches, struggled into Valley Forge, winds blew as the 12,000 Continentals prepared for winter’s fury. Grounds for brigade encampments were selected, and defense lines were planned and begun. Though construction of more than a thousand huts provided shelter, it did little to offset the critical shortages that continually plagued the army.

1778 – France Entered War in Support of Colonists

Following the American Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was well received in France, both by the general population and the educated classes. The Revolution was perceived as the incarnation of the Enlightenment Spirit against the “English tyranny.” Benjamin Franklin, dispatched to France in December of 1776 to rally her support, was welcomed with great enthusiasm, as numerous Frenchmen embarked for the Americas to volunteer for the Patriot war effort.

Sep 25, 1780 – Benedict Arnold’s Treason

Benedict Arnold was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While he was still a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted unsuccessfully to surrender it to the British. After the plot was exposed in September 1780, he entered the British Army as a brigadier general.

Sep 28, 1781 – Battle of Yorktown

The Battle of Yorktown proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War in North America, as the surrender of Cornwallis’s army prompted the British government eventually to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Mar 20, 1782 – Lord North’s Resignation at Prime Minister of Britain

Lord North holds the rather dubious distinction of being the first Prime Minister of Britain, or indeed anywhere else in the world, to be forced out of office by a motion of no confidence, resigning on 20 March 1782 on account of the British defeat at Yorktown the year before.

Nov 30, 1782 – Preliminary Articles of Peace

The Peace of Paris was the set of treaties which ended the American Revolutionary War. In June 1781, the Congress appointed Peace commissioners to negotiate with the British. On 30 November 1782, preliminary Articles of Peace are signed by Richard Oswald, with representatives of the United States of America.

Apr 15, 1783 – Official End of Revolutionary War

The Continental Congress ratified preliminary articles of peace ending the Revolutionary War with Great Britain on April 15, 1783. International intrigue and intense negotiation preceded the formulation of these preliminary articles.

Sep 3, 1783 – Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris was signed by U.S. and British Representatives on September 3, 1783, ending the War of the American Revolution. Based on a1782 preliminary treaty, the agreement recognized U.S. independence and granted the U.S. significant western territory. The 1783 Treaty was one of a series of treaties signed at Paris in 1783 that also established peace between Great Britain and the allied nations of France, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Sep 17, 1787 – US Constitution Ratified

Preamble to the US Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”  Read the entire document here.

Dec 15, 1791 – United States Bill of Rights

If you read this blog regularly, you know that we write about disasters somewhat frequently.  We’ve written about disasters that have low notoriety but high death counts, strange but true disasters and disasters that sound like one thing but turn out to be another.  Disasters are unique events that capture the imagination and become part of local lore; and oftentimes, they result in legal or regulation changes to prevent similar future disasters.  For example, the Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago in 1903, the deadliest single-building fire in the history of the US that claimed over 600 lives, spurred regulation for panic devices at exits in high occupancy spaces and for exit doors to always open outward in public buildings.

With that in mind, we are very excited to announce our very first Iphone App – “Disaster of the Day”.  The Disaster of the Day App has over 500 different disasters (it’s actually over 700 now) ranging from the well-known to the obscure to the downright weird.  Every day of the year has at least one disaster- each with a description, a location and multiple photos and videos.  If you crave more, you can jump over to Timelines.com and see all the info we have on that disaster. You can scroll day-to-day, or jump to a specific day.  (Incidentally, when I’ve shown this app to other people, they invariably want to jump to their birthdays).  On my birthday April 14 for instance, the Titanic sank (1912), the Bombay Docks exploded (1944) and the Yuska Earthquake occurred (2010).  And it’s free!

Here are some screenshots from the Disaster of the Day app:

So the next time you are having a bad day or you think that your life couldn’t get any worse, fire up “Disaster of the Day”and check out what disaster happened.  You’ll think, “Hmm, maybe I don’t have it so bad,” and, Voila!, your mood will instantly improve.

Please download Disaster of the Day (it’s free!) and be sure to rate it in the Apple store.  And let us know if you have any feedback on it.  Just because it’s called “Disaster of the Day” doesn’t mean we want the app to be one.

Major shoutouts to Scott, Geoff, Zach, Colin and Carla for making this happen!

1. The Black Monday Hail Storm, 1360

Twenty-three years into the Hundred Years’ War, King Edward III of England had invaded France and was sacking the suburbs of Paris.  On April 13, while camped outside of Chartres (a town southwest of Paris), Edward and his forces were caught outside in a massive hail and lightning storm.  The storm and the ensuing panic killed over 1,000 English soldiers.  Edward took this as a sign of divine displeasure, and as a result agreed to relinquish his claim to the French throne in exchange for one third of France.  Not such a bad deal after all.

2. London Beer Flood, 1814

On October 17, 1814 at the Meux and Co. Brewery, a gigantic vat of beer blew open and caused other vats to rupture, resulting in 1.5 million liters to gush onto Tottenham Court Road and New Oxford Street in London.  The flood destroyed two homes, knocked down a wall at a nearby pub and trapped poor families who lived in the basements of tenement houses in the neighborhood.  Eight people died that day from drowning and one person died the next from alcohol poisoning.  Read the account of the disaster in the London Times from 1814.

3. Boston Molasses Disaster, 1919

On January 15, 1919 in the North End of Boston, a 50-foot high tank containing 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst at the Purity Distilling Company, producing an 8 – 15 ft high wave that rushed through the streets at 35 mph.  The molasses wave was so strong that it knocked down the girders of nearby elevated train tracks and lifted a train off of its track.  Twenty-one people were killed and 150 people injured.  It was the front page headline story in the now defunct Boston Post newspaper.  Legend has it that on hot summer days in Boston’s North End you can still smell molasses .

4. Aeroflot Flight 593 Crashes with 15-year Old in Control, 1994

Yes, you read this title correctly – the plane crashed with a 15-year old at the controls.  The plane’s flight and data recorders revealed that the pilot’s 15-year old son was at the controls and accidentally disabled the auto-pilot controls of the plane.  This caused the airplane to go into a steep bank and then an uncontrollable dive.  Before the pilots could figure out that the autopilot control had been disabled (there was no audible alarm to signal this), the plane slammed into a Siberian hillside.  The crash killed all 75 people on board.  As Rain Man said, “Only fly Qantas.”

5. Enschede Fireworks Factory Disaster, 2000

On May 13, 2000, over 100 tons of fireworks were detonated by a fire and two explosions at the S.E. Fireworks warehouse in Enschede, The Netherlands.  The explosion killed 22 people, injured 947 and left 1,250 people homeless; 400 apartments were leveled; 15 streets incinerated; and 1,500 homes were damaged.  People felt the blast up to 30 km away.  If you want to get a feel for what this was like, watch this video.  It was shot on the scene as the explosion was happening.  Be sure to watch it all the way through- it is unreal.

Do you know of any disasters not covered on our Disasters Timeline?  Let us know or just add it directly.

Believe it or not, summer is almost over and the school year is nearly upon us. So we at Timelines decided  to give all of you history teachers out there a head start.  Here’s a list of five great web sites and resources.  Drop us a note if you know of others to recommend.  Enjoy the last few weeks!

1. HistoryTeacher.net

If you are not familiar with HistoryTeacher.net, you need to be.  Passionately run by a history teacher at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY, this site is jam packed with hundreds of resources ranging from current events, to American history, to government (local and national)  to interesting and specific sites (like the National Inventors Hall of Fame or the US Holocaust Memorial Museum).

2. Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day

Though not exclusively about history (Larry teaches beginner, intermediate and advanced English learners at a high school in Sacramento, CA), Larry’s site is a great resource for history and social studies teachers, and the site has been nominated for numerous Edublog Awards.  Recent posts regarding current events include  “Best Sites for Learning about the Russian Fires”, “Best Sites for International Day of the World’s Indigenous People” and “Best Sites for Learning about the Pakistan Flooding”.  His “Best of” series include over 100 categories (and well over 1000 specific sites) related to Social Studies.

3. BestHistorySites.net

Run by a director of EdTechTeacher, Inc and history teacher, BestHistorySites.net is a seemingly comprehensive collection of history related web sites.  The site has navigation devoted to specific time periods (such as Prehistory, Medieval History and American History) as well as links to seminars that focus on using technology in the classroom.

4. History News Network

History News Network (HNN) is a “web-based magazine that features articles by historians of all political persuasions. The site places current events in historical perspective.”  HNN is a project that is connected with George Mason University’s Center of History and New Media.  There is a specific page on HNN called Classroom Lesson Plans: Helping Teachers Teach History that is particularly useful for teachers.  The page has a number of links to sites for lesson planning, fun games, quizzes and topic specific suggestions.

5. Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators

As part of the Discovery Education Web Sites, Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators is a massive collection of sites for teachers of all disciplines.  The History and Social Studies section alone has three tabs (American History Sites, General History and Social Studies Sites, and World and Ancient History Sites)  and well over 250 specific sites with descriptions.

Earlier in the year, Chicago experienced a “non-event” when we lost the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics in the first round of voting.  This week we experienced another one.

After 19 months of proclaiming his innocence on countless talk shows, a stint on “Celebrity Apprentice”, an appearance on a musical named for him, writing a book, and hosting a radio talk show, Rod Blagojevich chose to stay silent at his trial. We have followed his saga since his arrest on December 9, 2008 (see RodBlagojevich.com for over 250 Rod Blagojevich events). We figured that every public appearance was just one more warm up, another trial run for the day when he would prove the federal prosecutors and all of his doubters wrong. His testimony was going to be his Alamo, his OK Corral, his Last Stand. And we were gearing up for it.  Boy, were we disappointed.  And I suspect that the jury felt cheated too.  I suppose, however, that we shouldn’t be.  After all, he disappointed and cheated us as governor.

This Monday begins the closing arguments in the trial. My prediction? Robert Blagojevich (Rod’s brother who is being tried simultaneously) will be found not guilty on all five charges against him.

Rod won’t be as lucky.  He’ll be found guilty of at least 10 of the 24 counts against him.

At least justice won’t get cheated.

Similar to Timelines SE (in case you were wondering, SE is for “Sports Edition”), the Timelines Showcase enables newspaper clients to present their past content in the context of the present, while maintaining the look and feel of their site. So, what does that mean? It means that a news topic that unfolds over time with multiple articles, photos and videos can be easily explored across time and place, helping readers answer the questions: “How did we get here? What happened in the past about this topic?”  It also means that a newspaper can quickly (and cost effectively) create unlimited number of timelines without having to build this functionality every time a timeline is needed.

One of our clients, Boston.com, is utilizing the Timelines Showcase across three very different topics: the Russian Spy Ring, the Amy Bishop Case and Health Care Reform.  Lets’ take a walk through the Amy Bishop Case implementation to see its benefits, features and function.  (By the way, the Amy Bishop Case is about a former University of Alabama-Huntsville professor- Amy Bishop- who shot and killed a number of her colleagues when she was denied tenure.  She is originally from the Boston area.)

Explorer Page

The first page a reader encounters is what we call the Explorer Page.  This page is sort of the home page for the Timelines Showcase.

It has a timeline at the top of the page with a thumbnail image for each event.  A reader can roll over an event, read the title and get a quick understanding of that event and the sequence of events relating to the topic.  Additionally the reader can scroll backwards and forward through time to get to any event he/she is looking for.

List View of Events

Below the timeline is a list of the events in reverse chronological order.

A reader can use this list to get a high level summary of the topic and how it developed over time, and he/she can click on any event to get more information.

Map View

If a reader wants to explore the topic geographically, he/she can click on the Map link.  And like magic, all of the events are now displayed where they happened. (Personally, this is my favorite feature).

By clicking on any one of the locations, a bubble appears with the summary and thumbnail photo of that event.  By clicking on the title of the event, the reader is brought to the event page.

Event Page

The Event Page houses all of the articles, photos, videos and links related to an event.

If you are interested in hearing more (or want to sign up for the service), just drop me a line at: Bob at Timelines.com

Major props to Scott, Geoff and Zach who made this happen!

If you are a Twitter or Facebook user (or both), be sure to follow us.  We tweet and post fun facts about this day in history as well as cool (dare I say educational) history-related posts, resources and experts. And we are always on the look out for like-minded people and sites. So if you haven’t already, be sure to connect with us out in your social networks.

July 1, 1863 – Battle of Gettysburg

The American Civil War’s turning point was also its bloodiest battle. Over ninety-three thousand Union soldiers took on seventy-two thousand Confederates, resulting in over 46,000 in casualties (over 7,800 soldiers died) – a casualty rate of over 25%. Staggering.

July 1, 1898 – Battle of San Juan Hill

The Spanish-American War’s bloodiest battle.  Over 19,000 US and Cuban fighters took on 800 Spanish soldiers.  The US-Cuban side had over 1,300 casualties (with 205 killed) and the Spanish suffered casualties of 277 (58 killed).  Incidentally, this was one of the Rough Riders greatest victories, and Teddy Roosevelt was their commander.

July 1, 1916 – Start of the Battle of the Somme

Not only is this World War 1’s bloodiest battle, it is believed to be the bloodiest battle ever recorded.  Over 1.5 million Allied forces took on 1.3 million Germans, and the resultant casualties are hard to comprehend: 1 – 1.5 million total casualties; the Allies lost over 623,000 (with 146,000 killed) and Germany lost 465,000 (with 164,000 killed).  The British Army suffered over 60,000 casualties… in one day – it’s worst one-day combat loss in its history.  And who won the battle?  It was basically a draw.  Given these numbers. it appears that everyone lost.

There certainly are other bloody days in history:

April 16 – 1945, start of the Battle of Berlin;

June 6 – 1944, D-Day Invasion;

July 17 – 1942, start of the Battle of Stalingrad;

August 6 – 1945, Bombing of Hiroshima;

December 29 - 1944, Siege of Budapest.

And sadly the list goes on.  But, July 1 appears to be the infamous standout.

It’s Day 59 and counting since the BP Deepwater Horizon well blew up in the Gulf of Mexico, initiating the spill that has wreaked incredible environmental and economic damage and completely consumed the news cycle. This event is a sad and frustrating story on multiple levels, not the least of which is that 11 people were killed in the blast on April 20th.

At the current estimated leak rate of 35,000 – 60,000 barrels per day, the well is producing the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez sized spill every 5 – 6 days. (Check out this graphic). Think of that- less than every week an Exxon Valdez load of oil is dumped into the Gulf, and now consider that the Exxon Valdez disaster is estimated to have produced damage to sea life that will last for 30 years (until 2019).  Now, if you already aren’t depressed enough, layer in the great difference in population density and economic activity between Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, and it’s anyone’s guess what the amount of damage is and how long it will last.  I think it will dwarf the $20 billion that BP has set aside to pay claims to the poor people directly impacted by the spill.

Furthermore, frustration continues to build with the American public as one of the biggest companies in the world, BP, and the largest and most powerful government in the world, the US, can’t provide reliable information or clear expectations on when the leak will be plugged.  In lieu of speeding up the end to this calamity and in the midst of revelations of mutual incompetence and negligence, both have resorted to bickering and finger pointing. When the most powerful man in the world doesn’t know “whose ass to kick”, it’s clear that we are experiencing a complete, unmitigated and unprecedented institutional meltdown.

In case you’ve forgotten, below are some of the more discouraging milestones achieved since the explosion. (If you want the gory details, here’s a complete and developing timeline of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster).

April 23 – Coast Guard stops its search for survivors of the explosion

April 27 – Oil spill is as big as the State of Rhode Island

April 28 – Report reveals government regulator not doing its job

April 30 – Oil reaches Gulf Coast Shore

May 2 – Pres. Obama visits Louisiana to assess damage for first time

May 8 – BP containment dome fails to stop leak

May 11 - Halliburton, BP and Transcean point blame at one another

May 12 – First video of leaking well released by BP to media

May 14 – President Obama criticizes oil company executives shifting blame

May 14 – Report surfaces that MMS let BP drill without assessing threat to endangered species

May 18 – Interior Secretary Ken Salazar acknowledges failure of government

May 19 – Scientists criticize White House response to spill

May 20 – BP admits 5,000 barrels per day spillage is too small

May 24 – Report shows lack of oversight by regulators

May 27 – MMS Chief Elizabeth Birnbaum resigns

May 29 – BP abandons “Top-kill” strategy

June 1 – Atty Gen Holder announces criminal investigation into oil spill

June 3 - NCAR releases computer model that suggests ocean currents will carry oil into Atlantic

June 5 – BP announces initial success of cap over leak

June 7 – Government report reveals years of disregard for regulations at BP

June 7 – ABC News / Washington Post Poll reveals poorer ratings for government on oil spill response than for Katrina response

June 8 – President Obama makes “Whose ass to kick” comment on the Today Show

June 10 - BP’s stock hits 13 month low

June 10 – Government scientists double oil flow estimates

June 11 – President Obama accuses US Congress of hypocrisy

June 15 – President Obama gives first speech from Oval Office

June 16 – BP sets up $20 billion fund at US insistence

June 17 – BP CEO testifies before Congress

…..

And still the oil spews into the Gulf of Mexico. With no clear end in sight.

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup last night, four games to two over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Blackhawks broke the longest drought without a Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League, 49 years, as the last time they were champs was in 1961 (when they beat the Detroit Red Wings).  (For a complete history of all Stanley Cup winners, see our Stanley Cup Timeline).

Enjoy the Cup, Blackhawks, you’ve earned it, and you’ve made Chicago proud.  And it might not be until 2059 when you win another…though I hope not!

Now, if only the Chicago Cubs could win the World Series.  That’s an event that’s 102 years in the making… and still counting.  1908 was the last time the Cubs won the World Series.

And here’s one last rendition of Chelsea Dagger in honor of the Blackhawks: