July 1999 – Belleville, Michigan: Tammy and Rusty Stafford had been expecting the letter. The company where Rusty had worked for more than two decades had been sold. Rusty didn’t have a retirement plan, but the big boss, Bob Thompson, had promised that everyone would...
December 2, 2004 – Sotheby Auction, New York City: More than 300 people filled the large auction hall at Sotheby’s Auction House. They had come for a huge sports memorabilia auction. Babe Ruth’s home run bat, which christened a brand new Yankee stadium in 1923, was...
February 3, 1943 – S.S. Dorchester – North Atlantic Ocean: The German torpedo ripped through the ship’s hull on the starboard side near the engine room. The lights went out, and chaos ensued in the darkness. Nearly one-third of the 904 men on board died in the first...
1887 – Grace Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: On a Sunday morning, the shabbily dressed little girl caught Pastor Russell Conwell’s eye as he hurried into the small church. Unsure what to do and with tears in her eyes, she stood by herself in the yard...
June 24, 1886 – Brussels, Belgium: Joseph Merrick borrowed money to buy a train ticket and arrived in Leicester, England, the following day. He had no money, no hope and nowhere to go. Joseph walked in the rain to the London Hospital, the only place that might help...
August 1948 – Calcutta, India: After years of looking over the wall at the filth and poverty in the streets beyond, she could no longer ignore what she saw. She resigned as principal of St. Mary’s High School for girls to work with the poor. She knew it wouldn’t be...
