August 1875 – S.S. Sardinia in North Atlantic Ocean: It was Wednesday afternoon and the fog was as thick as the captain had ever seen it. He had been on the steamer’s bridge for 22 straight hours when a passenger tapped him on the shoulder. “Captain, I must be in...
October 1, 1987 – Salem Hospital – Salem, Illinois: The baby was born without legs. Her Romanian-immigrant parents were shocked and overwhelmed. There was no money or insurance to raise a handicapped child, so they abandoned the baby in the hospital. The following...
August 3, 2008 – Kwajalein Atoll, South Pacific Ocean: On a tiny 8-acre island, almost 5,000 miles southwest of Honolulu, his 70-foot tall Falcon 1 rocket sat on the launch pad. Liftoff was perfect and at nine miles up the first stage separation was also perfect. Then...
March 3, 1887 – Tuscumbia, Alabama: It would prove to be the most important day of 7-year-old Helen’s life. It was the day the 20-year-old teacher arrived from Boston, Massachusetts – the day Helen began her journey out of a prison of silence and darkness into a world...
Winter 1915 – Antarctica: Captain Ernest Shackleton made the gut-wrenching decision. They would eat their 70 sled dogs. With their food stores almost gone, the 28-man crew had been expecting the decision. Some were disgusted by the idea – many of the dogs had become...
Early Spring, 1999 – Big Lake, Texas: Coach Jim Morris’ baseball team wasn’t very good. The Reagan County Owls had won one game in each of the past three seasons. They expected to lose. Morris urged them to chase a dream – to win the district championship – something...
