Posts by billpetro
History of August: Who Is It Named After?
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF AUGUST hat’s in a name? The name of this month was not always August; previously, the Romans referred to it as Sextilis. Because the calendar then started in March, this was the sixth month. This was back in the days of Romulus in 753 B.C., when there were originally ten months (… Sept,…
Read MoreMovie Review: The Odyssey (no plot spoilers)
Reading Time: 4 minutesMOVIE REVIEW: THE ODYSSEY (NO PLOT SPOILERS) walked out of the theater after seeing The Odyssey with these thoughts and feelings: “Spectacular, awesome, massive, intense, harrowing, violent, merciful, evocative, fearful, seductive, humbling, restrained, overwhelming, noble, epic… an immersive experience, not just a movie.” I found the film noble, uplifting, and immensely satisfying. For those who…
Read MoreScience of the Buck Moon
Reading Time: 2 minutesScience of the Buck Moon onight’s full moon is called the Buck Moon. This full moon is so called for the antlers that grow annually from the forehead of a buck (male deer), around this time of year. Alternate names include Hay Moon, Wyrt Moon, and Thunder Moon. I’ve written previously about the Sturgeon Supermoon,…
Read MoreHistory of William Wilberforce: Champion of British Slavery Abolition
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE ne hundred ninety-three years ago today, on July 26, 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act passed its third reading in the House of Commons, ensuring the end of slavery in the British Empire. William Wilberforce had championed the cause for nearly half a century. This article, published on the anniversary of the…
Read MoreHistory of Christmas in July
Reading Time: 2 minutesHistory of Christmas in July erry Christmas in July, or Christmas in Summer, is celebrated primarily on July 25! It is not to be confused with LEON Day, celebrated on June 25, which falls exactly six months before Christmas Day. Christmas in July also has a practical dimension in the Southern Hemisphere, where it has the…
Read MoreHistory of St. James Day: and El Camino de Santiago
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF ST. JAMES DAY: AND EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO uly 25 is the Feast Day of St. James, and Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and some Protestants accordingly celebrate St. James Day. For Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar, it’s on April 30. Each summer, pilgrims walk the Camino de Santiago, or the Way…
Read MoreHistory of the 1st Moon Landing – Apollo 11: 57 Years Ago
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF THE 1ST MOON LANDING: APOLLO 11 ifty-seven years ago today, at 4:17 Eastern Time, July 20, 1969, the American lunar module touched down on the Moon, and about seven hours later, at 10:56:15 pm EDT, the first human stepped out of the Apollo 11 lunar module onto the Moon. With the immortal words…
Read MoreHistory of Bastille Day: Its Relation to the French Revolution
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF BASTILLE DAY ach year on July 14, Bastille Day commemorates the Storming of the Bastille in Paris in 1789, an important date in the French Revolution. Also known as French National Day, it features feasting, fireworks, public dancing, and an address by the French President. However, the center of this celebration is the…
Read MoreHistory of French Fries: Are They Really French?
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF FRENCH FRIES: NATIONAL FRENCH FRY DAY uly 13th is National French Fry Day. While no one knows who began this celebration, placing it on July 13 is significant in that the important French holiday is the next day, July 14, Bastille Day. Did they originate in France, why are they called that,…
Read MoreHistory of John Calvin: The Genius of Geneva
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF JOHN CALVIN 🎙️Podcast version n July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, Jehan Cauvin, known to us as John Calvin, was born. Of all the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, none was more significant in forming biblical theology or ecclesiastic thought than this one man. Calvin’s teaching and tradition penetrated more of the world…
Read MoreIs America a Christian Country?
Reading Time: 9 minutesIS AMERICA A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY? n response to a recent article I published, one of my readers asked me this question: “Is America a Christian country?” My students have asked me this question often over the years. It usually takes me several lessons to lay the historical foundation to address the question. The answer is complex,…
Read MoreHistory of the American Experiment: A Democracy or A Republic?
Reading Time: 8 minutesHISTORY OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT: A DEMOCRACY OR A REPUBLIC? Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial ur quarter-millennium experiment with non-monarchical self-government, now 250 years old, remains singular in history. See my previous article on the American uniqueness compared to other nations throughout history. Congress had authorized George Washington to command…
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