November 29, 1929 - First Flight over the South Pole

This Friday is November 29, 2013. To most people it is just Black Friday, worthy of shopping at discounted prices, but actually, it is the anniversary of the first flight to the South Pole. On November 29, 1929, Naval Aviator Richard Byrd and three others made a voyage to the South Pole. It has been 84 years since the first documented flight to the South Pole. Byrd was able to have the first documented flight over the South Pole because of his prior flights elevating his career giving him the opportunity to take this flight.

Richard Byrd, born October 25, 1888 in Virginia, graduated from the United States Naval Academy. Before his big flight that landed him with 22 citations and special commendations, Byrd commanded a naval station in Nova Scotia. After World War I, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and in 1925, he led the naval air unit of an expedition to Greenland. Byrd was no stranger to being a navigator and would use his extensive skills to take his first polar expedition to the Arctic.

During his expedition to the Arctic, he claimed a vast territory for the United States and named it after his wife. With his trusty pilot Floyd Bennett, Byrd navigated to the North Pole. They claimed to be the first to fly over the North Pole, but his claim was later disputed. For this expedition he received a Medal of Honor for the achievement. After this flight, Byrd took many more and ultimately flew over the South Pole.

In 1927, Byrd announced his intention to take a non-stop flight over the Atlantic Ocean to the Orteig Prize. Once again, he chose Floyd Bennett as his pilot. During their practice takeoff, the plane crashed injuring both Byrd and Bennett. While they took time to recover from their injuries, Charles Lindberg won the prize. This made Byrd change his pilot to Bernt Balchen along with two other companions as mentioned earlier. January 21, 1927, the three made it to Paris. Landing was not an option because of the clouds and they crash-landed near a beach on the coast of Brittany. All four guys survived this tragedy and for this successful flight, France made Byrd a Commandant of the French Foreign Legion. With his new position, Byrd decided to go on a voyage to Antarctica.

With his fame from his prior expeditions and his high rankings, Byrd received funding for his voyage that resulted in his 19 hour flight over the South Pole and back. Once Byrd was able to reach Antarctica they set up the base they named “Little America”. Flights were made from this base and on November 29, 1929, Byrd and three others made the first flight over the South Pole. For this achievement, Byrd was promoted to rear admiral. In the following years, Byrd spent many more winters doing polar research until his death in 1957. Byrd and his three companions were the first to make a 19 hour flight to the South Pole from their base in Antarctica.

All the expeditions Byrd completed before the South Pole were just practices for his real test to be the first to fly over the South Pole. 84 years later, Black Friday and the first flight over the South Pole share the same date. While others celebrate the holiday by shopping, I will know this day has a different anniversary.

- Dot L., Ruben P., and Nate G.

November 28, 1871 - Federal Ku Klux Klan Trials Began in South Carolina

On November 28, 1871 the South Carolina Klu Klux Klan trials began. This was brought to court because of several arrests and trial of other KKK members in the south, particularly in South Carolina. The federal government attempted to show how far they would go to preserve the fourteen and fifteenth amendments to the constitution. The Fourteenth amendment was intended to secure the rights of former slaves and the Fifteenth amendment was that the U.S may not prevent a citizen from voting based on their race(1).

The Klan was more active in South Carolina for many reasons one being that the Republicans, who were supported by the majority of blacks, won the election in 1870. The worst part of these actions by the Klan was in the northern parts of South Carolina such as Spartanburg, Union, and York counties. For example, in Spartanburg, from the election to July 1971 four people were killed and 200 beaten, whipped, wounded by gunfire, and had their ear cut off by a Klan member. The Federal Government got involved when the Enforcement Act was passed because it made it a Federal offense for two or more persons to deprive someone of any right of their citizenship(1).

At the end of the trial, of the 220 of the Klansmen that were indicted, only 5 were prosecuted and charged with violating the Enforcement Act. 53 others pleaded guilty. All the others cases were postponed. There were only four trials because two of the Klan members were tried together and at all four of those trials, the majority of the jurors were former slaves(1).

- Alex S.

(1) http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3498200088.html

November 24, 1963 - Lee Harvey Oswald was Killed

Today fifty years ago Jack Ruby, a Dallas Texas night club owner, shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald. On November 24, 1963 Jack Ruby entered the downtown Police Headquarters with a .38 caliber revolver in his jacket as Lee Harvey Oswald approached from the elevator towards a waiting vehicle to be transported to another location. Jack Ruby stepped from a crowd of reporters and gatherers and placed his .38 caliber revolver into the abdomen of Lee Harvey Oswald. Jack Ruby then shot Lee Harvey Oswald as millions of Americans watched with horror, and some with delight, on television. As soon as the commotion was over, Jack Ruby was placed in handcuffs. In an ironic twist of fate, Lee Harvey Oswald was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital just two days after the assignation of John F. Kennedy. Shortly afterwards the assassin of John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead from an assassins bullet at the same hospital. As Jack Ruby was being taken away, many of the reporters reported that they heard him say “Jackie Kennedy does not have to come back to Dallas for the trial”. Jack Ruby was also rumored to have muttered “I killed Lee Harvey Oswald to redeem the city of Dallas and the State of Texas”. In initial questioning, Jack Ruby stated to Dallas police and later the Warren Commission, that he was part of a much larger conspiracy. His statement was later recanted weeks prior to his death at Parkland Memorial Hospital on January 3, 1967 at the age of 56. It was at this time that he stated “I alone made the decision to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald”. The most widely believed conspiracy to this day is that the mafia was involved in the assassination of our 35th President. Jack Ruby was not just a night club owner, however was also presumed to be an associate of the Chicago Mob. It was believed that Jack Ruby owed the Chicago Mob a favor. When it came time to cash in that favor, the Chicago Mob asked him to kill Lee Harvey Oswald. Some even speculate that Lee Harvey Oswald was set up as a patsy by the Chicago Mob. While there are many conspiracies, read my tweets to learn a little bit more about them.