October 19, 1968 – Mexico City, Mexico: A light rain had begun falling in the late afternoon making the mid-50’s temperature seem even colder. The lights were on at Olympic Stadium as the athletes prepared for the high jump, the final event in the two-day decathlon...
Summer 2011 – Radford, Virginia: Josh received the admissions letter from Radford University physics department chairman Dr. Rhett Herman with the news he would not be able to enroll in physics. Josh had never taken high school trigonometry, a prerequisite for a...
June 21, 2011 – Petco Park Stadium, San Diego, California: San Diego Padres pitcher Wade LeBlanc listened to the voice mail informing him he was going back to the Padres’ Triple-A team in Tucson, Arizona. It was the eighth time in three years he had been sent down to...
Early 1837 – New York City: For several years Samuel Morse had hoped to paint four historical murals for the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Not only would the project be the pinnacle of his successful career, but it would also pay him $10,000. When Morse finally...
1968 – Dentist office, Paris, France: The magazine article mesmerized 18-year-old Philippe. He tore the article out and stuffed it in his pocket. It was about the construction of twin towers in New York City, which would be the tallest buildings in the world. At age...
June 1999 – Las Vegas, Nevada: After a long day at work, 19-year-old Amy Purdy thought she was coming down with the flu. Less than 24 hours later, she was in the hospital in septic shock and on life support. The diagnosis was a rare form of bacterial meningitis with a...
