Bit O' Fact

  Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery is located in Aspen Hill, Maryland.  Note the difference in spelling. That is not a typo.  the cemetery, now known as "Aspin Hill Memorial Park", was stablished in 1920 as a breeding and boarding kennel and contains more than 50,000 pet and over than 50 human graves . The cemetery's origins trace back to Richard and Bertha Birney, who purchased the land on what is now Georgia Avenue. While the surrounding neighborhood eventually adopted the spelling "Aspen Hill" (inspired by local aspen trees), the Birneys chose the unique spelling "Aspin Hill," likely in honor of an English estate.  Notable animals buried there include  "Rags" a  World War I hero dog from the First Division of  the American Expeditionary Force, "Napoleon", the Weather Prophet cat, and "Rickey" the sled dog who  participated in two of Admiral  Richard E. Byrd’s expeditions to  Antarctica.  More information at Montgomery History a...

Where did General J.E.B.  Stuart’s cross the Potomac River with 5,000 Rebel cavalry bound for Gettysburg on June 27, 1863 as part of his “ride around” the Union army? Tradition, and a historical marker, say it was at Rowser's Ford on   Violette’s Lock Road, but evidence refutes that and suggests that the actual crossing was at Muddy Branch Ford, two miles downstream. Evidence for Muddy Branch being the crossing point comes from Union officers and contemporary newspaper reports including from Major D.W.C. Thompson of the California 100 Cavalry.   Read more about it here . 

 Glens Falls, New York is named after a waterfall on the Hudson River that doesn't exist.  This waterfall used to exist but a dam was built directly above it to divert the water for mills and factories. Now, there are two hydro-electric power plants using water from the river. The Finch Pruyn and Company Inc. Hydro generating plant is on the north side of the river and the  South Glens Falls Hydroelectric Facility is on the other.  A bridge carries the road over the Hudson River directly downstream of the dam. You can also take a short road to the base of the dam and walk out to Cooper's Cave Overlook. You can't really see the cave, but it is supposed to be the inspiration for a hiding place in The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper.

 Summit Hall was a prominent local farm owned by John T. DeSellum. Though DeSellum was a slaveholder, he was also an outspoken Unionist and a Federal enrollment officer.  On Sunday, June 28, 1863, when Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and an estimated 5,000 cavalrymen raided the property en route to the Battle of Gettysburg. They seized:  Fresh horses  Forage for their animals  Food and other supplies  The property is now part of Bohrer Park and the historic home and barn remains intact.

Tibetans maintain that Tibet was historically an independent nation with its own language, currency, legal system, and borders. While they acknowledge historical ties to various Chinese dynasties, they view these as a "priest-patron" spiritual relationship rather than political subordination. They argue that the 1950 Chinese military entry was an illegal invasion and that the subsequent "17-Point Agreement" cementing Chinese rule was signed under duress. The Chinese governemnt asserts that Tibet has been an inseparable part of China since the Yuan Dynasty (13th century). They argue that the People’s Liberation Army "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1950–1951 f Freedom of speech and assembly are heavily restricted. Monasteries are heavily monitored via facial recognition and security forces, and peaceful advocacy for Tibetan language rights or displaying images of the Dalai Lama can lead to severe criminal charges.

The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 were a series of student-led, pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing, China, that ended in a violent military suppression on June 3–4, 1989. The movement began in mid-April following the death of Hu Yaobang, a former leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who had been ousted by party hardliners for being too lenient on student unrest and advocating for political liberalization.  University students gathered in Tiananmen Square to mourn him, but the gathering quickly transformed into a broader political movement.  At their peak, demonstrations in Beijing drew an estimated one million people, The protestors called for: An end to government corruption and nepotism  Freedom of speech, assembly, and the press  Democratic political reforms and economic stability  On the night of June 3 and the early morning hours of June 4, the Chinese military (the People's Liberation Army) was ordered to clear the square by force.  Tr...