Monthly Archives: November 2025

Christmas, Religion

Happy Advent! (First Sunday of Advent)

Advent Wreath (1st Sunday)
Photo :Micha L. Rieser(Wikimedia Comos)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year for Roman Catholics and many Christian denominations. It encompasses the four weeks (Sundays and weekdays) leading up to Christmas Day. Counting back four Sundays from Christmas Day will get you to the first Sunday of Advent. Depending on the calendar day Christmas falls on, Advent usually begins near the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle celebrated on 30 November. Eastern Orthodox, since it follows the Julian calendar, will start their Advent later as Christmas Day falls 13 days after the current Gregorian calendar.

Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning coming or coming to, is a time of preparation for the birth of Christ and a reminder that Jesus will return. During this period, Christians are reminded not to be weighed down or distracted by the cares of this world. Like Lent, Christians are called to reflect on our actions and seek penance. We also should prepare our hearts for the full joy of Christmas. We should not allow our souls to be burdened with predictions of events yet to come, but to be alert and ready. During this period, Catholic priests wear violet vestments, except on the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) when rose may be worn. Altars will be less decorated than usual during this time as well.

One of the symbols of Advent is the Advent wreath. This wreath has four candles (battery operated ones are acceptable) and are lit for each Sunday in Advent. Usually, a prayer is also spoken while lighting the prayer and often families will do it together. Most candles are purple, but one will either be white or rose for Gaudete Sunday. The popular Advent calendar is to not only marks down the days till Christmas, but also days of devotion during the season. A Christmas novena is also done. The traditional one is the St. Andrew Christmas Novena which begins on 30 November (the feast day of St. Andrew) and runs till Christmas Eve. A nine -day novena begins on December 16 and goes till Christmas Eve. Many Latin American countries celebrate this as Las Posadas, and it is popular in the Philippines as well (called Sambang Gabi).

There is specific music for the Advent season that is often played in Catholic and Christian churches during religious services. Music such as Silent Night, Adeste Fidelis, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing will not be heard until Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. Secular songs such as White Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer are reserved for Christmas concerts (which are sometimes held in churches) are not sung at all during religious services. While Christmas decorations may be outside the church, you will not see Christmas trees in the main area of the church where mass is celebrated during Advent. This has nothing to do with any connotation that a Christmas tree is pagan but rather that during Advent we must be solemn in observing it. So, a lighted Christmas tree is often near the entry or just inside the entry (if they have one). This has been the tradition that Saint Pope John Paul II started when he got a Christmas tree from his native country of Poland. Christmas decorations are generally put up usually on the Fourth Sunday of Advent and it is then you may see Christmas trees inside the church.

Flowers and wreaths are acceptable near the altar and not on it. Advent wreaths are often placed near the altar and lighted before the service begins. A Christmas crib or nativity scene may also be displayed as well.

Sources

“Advent: Dates, Traditions, and History,” InfoPlease, last modified November 18, 2021, accessed November 29, 2025, https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/holidays/advent-dates-traditions-and-history.

Holcomb, Justin. “What Is Advent? The Season’s History, Meaning and Traditions.” Christianity.Com. Last modified October 29, 2025. Accessed November 29, 2025. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-advent.html.

“What Is Advent?,” USCCB, accessed November 29, 2025, https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/advent.

Suggested Reading

Ave Maria Press, Away in a Manger: Daily Prayers for Advent and Christmas 2025, 2025.

Ferguson, Sinclair B. Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent. Good Book Company, 2018.

Kohn, Harold E. Advent Devotional for Christmas: 25 Illustrated Daily Reflections to Prepare Your Heart for the Season. Independently published, 2025.

Grabill, Rebecca, and Stephen Grabill. The Joy of Advent: Family Celebrations for Advent and the Twelve Days of Christmas, 2024.

Santa, Thomas M. The Essential Advent and Christmas Handbook: A Daily Companion, 2000.

Saunders, William P. Celebrating a Merry Catholic Christmas: A Guide to the Customs and Feast Days of Advent and Christmas. Tan Books, 2018.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

 

Historic Ships, History

Remembering SS Daniel J. Morrell (29 Nov 1966)

Launch of the SS Daniel J. Morrell in Bay City, Michigan
22 August 1906
Unknown Author
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

 

The sinking of the SS Daniel J. Morrell in 1966 during a fierce November storm on Lake Huron is often compared to the Edmund Fitzgerald, but less remembered. It broke up during the storm and only person out of29 crewmen survived.

The ship was launched in 1906 and at 603 feet long was considered one of the largest bulk carriers on the lakes at the time. Her sister ship, Edward Y. Townsend, was of the same length and both worked the Great Lakes transporting bulk cargo. By 1966, they were no longer the largest but were still making bulk freight deliveries. Both the Morrell and Townsend were making their last run of the season on 29 Nov 1966 when disaster struck. The infamous “Gales of November” were roaring on Lake Huron with wind speeds that topped 70 mph (110 km/h). Seas were high with swells that topped the ship. The Townsend decided to seek shelter in the St. Clair River while the Morrell continued its journey to Thunder Bay for shelter.

At 2 am, noises that sounded like a loud banging drove the crew to the deck. They could see the ship was in dire condition, so many jumped into the frigid waters to die. At 2:15 am the ship broke in two. The crew still on the bow got into a lifeboat mostly wearing light clothing since they had come up from below. Some thought another ship was coming, but the aft was still moving as the propellers were turning. It went about five miles before it sank. Since they had no chance to send any messages, there was no SOS sent from the ship. The surviving crewmen fired off flares to get attention to no avail.

The Morrell was deemed overdue the next day at 12:15 pm at Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. The Coast Guard began looking and at around 4:00 pm located a lifeboat with one survivor in it. The other three had perished from the cold. 26-year-old Watchman Dennis Hale was the lone survivor. He was wearing boxer shorts, a life jacket, and a pea coat. He would need many surgeries to deal with the injuries he suffered that night. Most of the bodies of the rest of the crew were found, though two were never located. Hale’s testimony would prove important to the investigation that followed.

Hale would testify that the Morrell was well known as leaky. He reported to Captain Arthur I. Crawley, who responded they did not have time to fix since they were not in port long enough. The Coast Guard inspected the Townsend and found a large crack in her deck caused by the storm. She was immediately taken out service and never sailed again. Ironically, she would sink on her way to be scrapped off Newfoundland during a storm. She was being towed, so no lives were lost when she sank.

The investigation showed that the steel used in her construction had too much sulfur in it resulting it becoming brittle in cold weather. And the ship finally met a storm on a very cold night that finally did her in. Brittle steel has been identified as to one of the reasons the Titanic sank so quickly. Hale would never sail on the Great Lakes again after surviving the sinking. He spoke rarely about his ordeal but did write a book about it.

Sources

“Adrift in Frigid Water, Not Caring ‘If You Live or Die,’” NPR, December 6, 2013, https://www.npr.org/2013/12/06/249070729/adrift-in-frigid-water-not-caring-if-you-live-or-die.

Bingham, Emily. “Remembering the Daniel J. Morrell, a 1966 Great Lakes Shipwreck Lost to the Gales of November.” Mlive, April 27, 2018. https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/erry-2018/04/6584b3a8243241/daniel_j_morrell.html.

“U.S. Data Repository, Great Lakes Maritime Research, USGenNet Inc.,” https://us-data.org/mi/glm/shipwrecks/daniel-j-morrell.html.

Report of Marine Board: Sinking Of Daniel J Morrell November 29, 1966, United States Coast Guard, February 8, 1968, https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/docs/boards/danmorrell.pdf.

[This was modified from 2024 making certain areas more precise and updating sources.]

Suggested Reading

DeBeck, John. The DANIEL J. MORRELL-Lost, but No Longer Forgotten. Halfcourt Press, 2021.

Haydamacker, Nelson, and Alan D. Millar. Deckhand: Life on Freighters of the Great Lakes. University of Michigan Press, 2009.

Kadar, Wayne Louis. Great Lakes: Collisions, Wrecks and Disasters: Ships 400 to 998 Feet. AbsolutelyAmazingebooks.com, 2022.

Kantar, Andrew. Deadly Voyage: The S.S. Daniel J. Morrell Tragedy. Michigan State University Press, 2009.

Lardinois, Anna. Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. Globe Pequot Publishing, 2021.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

History, Holidays

Why is the Day after Thanksgiving called Black Friday?

Black Friday
Petr Kratochvil
publicdomainpibtures.net

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, origins are confusing owing to how retailers remade the day.

The first reference to Black Friday comes from a financial crisis in 1869. U.S. gold markets crashed on September 23, 1869, triggered by the actions of financiers Jim Fisk and Jay Gould trying to buy up gold and selling at a high price. It worked and the price of gold had skyrocketed allowing them to sell for a huge profit. When the sell off began, it caused panic in the stock market as investors who had put money into gold suddenly were dealt with losing their investments. Banks and farmers were hard hit losing substantial money. Since it occurred on a Friday it became known as Black Friday.

Its connection to retail came from a different route. News reports circulated that the day after Thanksgiving was a make-or-break day for retailers. Retailers struggling to make profits looked to the day after Thanksgiving to put them into the black meaning they are making money rather than in the red or losing money. So, retailers called the day Black Friday in the expectation of making big money not only for that day but for the entire Christmas season. Retail forecasts for seasonal buying were made from the sales and revealed whether people were spending or holding back. While this is factual, it is not where the modern use of the term comes from. It comes from the 1950’s and the city of Philadelphia.

In Philadelphia the police referred to the day as Black Friday owing to the high volume of shoppers hitting the stores since Saturday was the Army-Navy game. It was total bedlam in the streets with hordes of people and cars in the streets. And this led to criminals to take advantage of the situation by stealing wallets, purses, and shoplift as well and why it was called Black Friday in Philadelphia. To counter the bad image this created, retailers used the name Big Friday to get shoppers to come in. While this was local to Philadelphia, the term Black Friday had spread and they were worried it would affect retailing nationwide. Using Big Friday was a bust so retailers got clever and adopted the term positively that it was a day for people to find exceptional sales. It worked and its darker origins from Philadelphia were forgotten.

Another darker origin story is that it comes from Southern plantations in the 1800’s. The story is that owners would buy slaves at a discount the day after Thanksgiving. And many in the African American community argued that Thanksgiving be boycotted. However historical research has not found any truth to this story, nor any records to indicate that it happened. There are those that argued at one time the term picnic was a racial slur (for hanging a black person) except that it comes from the French word pique-nique which is people gathering outdoors to eat.

The origins of Black Friday thus come from the world of finance, retail, and a day of bedlam in Philadelphia. Retailers turned a bad connotation into a day where shoppers will find great bargains at local stores (and now online as well). It is a day of bedlam when the stores do open and frantic shoppers race in. Sometimes it gets wild in the process but has become an important day of its own in the United States. And the concept has spread overseas as well through the Internet touting Black Friday sales. Border countries Canada and Mexico have their own versions as well to promote cross trading. It spread to Britain, parts of Europe, and Asia-Pacific as well. It is observed in both Australia and New Zealand as well as China. A few countries in South America have a version of it as well.

Sources

Sarah Pruitt, “What’s the Real History of Black Friday?,” HISTORY, last modified November 24, 2025, accessed November 25, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/black-friday-thanksgiving-origins-history.

Shannon Flynn, “What Is Black Friday? Black Friday History and Statistics,” BlackFriday.Com, November 17, 2025, https://blackfriday.com/news/black-friday-history.

“Black Friday,” Grokipedia, https://grokipedia.com/page/Black_Friday.

History, Holidays

The Humble Turkey and Thanksgiving

Here are some fun and interesting facts about the turkey and Thanksgiving.

Turkey is native to North America and has two breeds:

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
This is found in eastern and central North America and Mexico.

Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata)
Found in the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America.

A wild turkey, photographed in Berkeley, California, 29 April 2010.
Image credit: Feezo
Image via Wikimedia Commons

Turkeys were domesticated by native peoples. The Spanish brought back turkeys to Spain and from there they gradually made their way into the cuisine of Europe. English explorers and settlers would bring back turkey to England where they were apparently domesticated since records indicate they were being eaten by the British in the 16th century.

Ocellated Turkey, Belize 2010.
Image credit: TonyCastro
Image via Wikimedia Commons

Due to its abundance in North America, Mexico, and Central America, the turkey was not seen as something special due to its availability. This is probably the reason why it was not mentioned as a meat served at the first Thanksgiving though it was likely served.

Beef and pork were seen as holiday meats and were generally only eaten on important days like Christmas, Easter, or other special events. The Irish, for example, preferred pork for St. Patrick’s Day since it was easier than cattle since they take up lots of space while pigs could be kept in a pen. This only changed when Irish came to America and found beef in easy abundance and luckily for them delicatessens had corned beef.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, turkey starts showing up more as a meat to be used when you did not want to slaughter a pig or a cow. Turkey also started becoming popular for feasts as well, though not at center stage just yet. In A Christmas Carol the kids were waiting excitedly for the goose to come back from the baker showing its importance for Christmas feasting. Turkey starts showing up more in books and illustrations as a Christmas food. In 18th and 19th century America lobster was seen as a poor man’s food since people of wealth could afford beef, pork, goose, or turkey.

During the latter part of the Victorian Era (1837-1901), turkey would replace beef and pork for Christmas. As upper-class people and Queen Victoria embraced it, others followed suit, and it would replace the goose for Christmas. In the United States, turkey became associated with Thanksgiving due to both images and stories of it being eaten at the first Thanksgiving. As stated earlier, there is no mention of turkeys at that meal, but it is more than likely they were served. As the image of turkeys being part of that Thanksgiving seeped into the American consciousness, it eventually found its way to become part of the celebration itself. Turkey quickly displaced beef and pork (to the displeasure of their producers) as the central part of the feast. Today it is mostly unthinkable to not think of turkey as part of the Thanksgiving feast (with apologies to my vegetarian friends).

Today millions of turkeys are sold at Thanksgiving either frozen, fresh, or sometimes smoked. While the U.S. is a major consumer of the bird, more turkey is eaten in Israel than anywhere else. They really like turkey for their big feasts but of course it is served with Kosher accompaniments so you will not be having mashed potatoes made of milk and butter (since Kosher forbids the mixing of meat and dairy).

Despite their numbers being severely dropped for a while due to hunting and other things, the wild turkey is making a comeback, and large flocks have been seen in the wild and sometimes in suburbs as well. Wild turkeys can fly short distances, but their domesticated cousins are flightless. The possible exception might be heritage turkeys raised outdoors and free to roam and eat.

Wild turkeys can be a bit of a nuisance though. They can get nasty, sometimes bite, and they leave some of their presence behind to be cleaned up. Sometimes it requires effort to chase them away though if a coyote or mountain lion should appear (and attack the flock) that generally gives them the hint to move on.

Thanksgiving Grace (1942)
Photo: Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id#fsa.8d10749)

Roasting turkey in an oven is traditional but, in many areas, not always possible. In the early days, many homes did not have ovens as we know them. They might have open hearths or perhaps an area where they could heat up and put a turkey in. This led to bakers, who had ovens, often for a fee leasing out their ovens to cook a bird. Others would cook them in fat in large open containers in pits dug for this purpose or found ways to roast over an open fire by turning them often (a sometimes risky and tiring task since you had to stand close and manually turn it like today’s rotisserie sans electricity).

Fried Turkey
Image: Cygnus921
Filckr

Deep frying turkey may have started in the American South but went back further possibly to England, France and perhaps even to the Romans. Deep frying does cook faster and keeps it moist, but the key is the amount of oil used and how stable the platform to cook is. Some used deep pits, so this prevented fires or leakage. Above the ground requires the cooking platform to be kept clear of anything that might burn if there is a leak resulting in a fire.

The most common reason for mishaps with deep frying turkey is people do not pay attention to the amount of oil used to the weight of the bird. One hilarious video on YouTube had this guy lowering the turkey into the pot outdoors while saying he had followed the Archimedes rule of displacement. He miscalculated, hot oil spilled out of the pot and ignited with the open flame below, and then fully ignited. The other common reason is that people put a frozen bird into hot oil thinking there will be no problem. I am not sure if they didn’t pay attention in chemistry class or never heard why you do not put water into a hot pan with oil in it. The result in an explosion that can, if too close to the home (or foolishly enough inside it) means your home or apartment is going to be severely damaged. Or worse.

During World War II, the military tried to make sure troops everywhere had Thanksgiving even front-line troops. Those who served on military bases, ships, or in London probably had the best. For submarines the cook(s) had to contend with the unexpected action of the sub diving as they were cooking made Thanksgiving meal an adventure both in cooking and serving. And for those on the field with Germans in sight, getting those meals meant coming under direct enemy fire causing some commanders to question the wisdom of delivering meals while in an active fire zone.

And of course, Thanksgiving can be a source of humor as well. Just look at some vintage clips from shows past and present about it. The most classic one of course is the famous and never duplicated one from WKRP. As a promotion they decided to drop turkeys into a parking lot in front of a mall. And, well, you must watch to find out.

Sources

“Turkey,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified September 26, 2025, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/animal/turkey-bird.

Boeckmann, Catherine “The Wild Turkey: History of an All-American Bird,” Almanac.Com, last modified November 20, 2024, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/wild-turkey-history-all-american-bird.

Pruitt, Sarah “Why We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving,” HISTORY, last modified November 17, 2025, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/turkey-thanksgiving-meal.

English Heritage, “What’s on the Table? Christmas Turkey in Victorian England | English Heritage,” English Heritage, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/victorian-christmas-turkey/.

“A Brief History of Turkeys, Plus Why We Eat a Turkey Dinner at Christmas,” HistoryExtra, last modified November 5, 2023, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/the-history-of-turkeys/.

History, Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving (4th Thursday November U.S.)

Home To Thanksgiving, Currier & Ives, 1867
Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id# pga 00780)

Thanksgiving was not an official national holiday until 1863. A letter from a 74-year-old magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, inspired President Abraham Lincoln to create a national holiday. She wrote in 1863 that we needed to have a national day of Thanksgiving so that everyone could celebrate it on the same day. At the time Thanksgiving was celebrated by the various states but not on the same date. She wanted President Lincoln to make it a national day so it would become a permanent part of “American custom and institution.”

Thanksgiving Grace (1942)
Photo: Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id#fsa.8d10749)

Other presidents had ignored such requests. Lincoln decided to act on her request and directed a proclamation be drawn up. On 3 October 1863, President Lincoln’s proclamation that establishes Thanksgiving as a national day was issued. It sets aside the last Thursday of November as a “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” Secretary of State William Seward actually drafted the proclamation which Lincoln signed. Thanksgiving became a national holiday and was celebrated on that date until 1939. President Roosevelt in 1939, 1940 and 1941 changed it to the third Thursday (to extend the Christmas season) causing considerable controversy. A joint resolution of Congress in 1941 resolved it by decreeing Thanksgiving would fall on the fourth Thursday of November.

(Scene from the 1942 movie Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. At the time the movie was made in 1941, Thanksgiving had shifted back and forth starting in 1939. This animation from the movie illustrates this perfectly.)

Lincoln’s proclamation was written during the American Civil War, a terrible time in U.S. history. Today we forget why this day was made a national holiday. It was to thank God for the blessings of liberty but also to ask his help. In our politically correct times, this proclamation is not always read in full or edited. So here is the original proclamation. Read it and understand why Lincoln thought a National Day of Thanksgiving was needed for the United States of America.

 ==

Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day
October 3, 1863

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

=

Sources

“Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of Thanksgiving,” American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/abraham-lincolns-proclamation-thanksgiving.

“Thanksgiving 2025 – Tradition, Origins & Meaning | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified November 21, 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-thanksgiving.

Current, Richard N. “Abraham Lincoln.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified November 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abraham-Lincoln.

Silverman, David J. “Thanksgiving Day.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified November 12, 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day.

Titanic

Straus Watch Auctioned Off For Record Price

The Straus gold watch was auctioned off this weekend and set a record for the price of $2,227,110 ?(£1.78 million) exceeding a previous record set with a Roston gold watch last year. The 18-carat Jules Jurgensen engraved watch was a gift from Ida Straus to her husband Isidor on his 40th birthday. He had it with him when Titanic sank in 1912 and was recovered after the tragedy. It remained in the family for years until one of the heirs had it refurbished and put up for auction. It was auctioned off with other Titanic memorabilia such as a rare First-Class passenger list and a letter written by Ida Straus written on Titanic stationery.

The name of the buyer was not disclosed.

Gold 18 Carat Jules Jurgensen watch given by Ida Straus to her husband Isidor Straus on his 40th birthday. Both died on Titanic.
Source: Screenshot from Daily Mail (UK). Photo from Henry Aldridge.

 

Source
Ramos, Jose. “Titanic Gold Pocket Watch Recovered From Elderly Couple Who Drowned in Disaster Sells for Record £1.78million at Auction – Almost Double What Was Expected.” Mail Online, November 22, 2025. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15316975/Titanic-gold-pocket-watch-recovered-elderly-couple-drowned-disaster-sells-record-1-78million-auction-double-expected.html.

History

Remembering Britannic (21 Nov 1916)

HMHS Britannic seen during World War I.
Image:public domain

On 21 November 1916, HMHS Britannic was sunk by mine near the island of Kea in the Aegean Sea. The ship sank in 55 minutes and 1,035 people were rescued, only 30 perished. Britannic was the third and last ship of the Olympic class liners built by White Star Line. The other two were Olympic and Titanic. Britannic was launched in February 1914. Many design changes were made prior to launch due to lessons learned from Titanic. Those changes were:

  • Double hull along the engine and boiler rooms raising six of the watertight bulkheads up to B deck.
  • More powerful turbine installed due to increase in hull width.
  • Watertight compartments were enhanced so that the ship can stay afloat with six compartments flooded.
  • Motorized davits to launch six lifeboats (only five out of eight were installed before war service). Manual operated davits were used for the remaining lifeboats. The new design also allowed all lifeboats to be launched even if the ship was listing. There were 55 lifeboats with capacity for 75 each so that 3,600 people could be carried.

When World War I broke out, the ship had to be retrofitted as a hospital ship. Most of the furnishings were stored in a warehouse to be placed back aboard after the war. The Britannic began service as a hospital ship on 12 December 1915. She was sent to the Aegean Sea to bring back sick and wounded soldiers. Her first tour of service was ended on 6 June 1916 and she was sent back to Belfast to be refitted back as a passenger liner. As this was underway, the ship was again recalled to military service on 26 August 1916 and was sent back to the Mediterranean Sea.

On the morning of 21 November 1916, the Britannic under the command of Captain Alfred Barnett was steaming into the Kea Channel when at 8:12 am a loud explosion shook the ship. The explosion, unknown at the time whether it was a torpedo or mine, damaged the first four watertight compartments and rapidly filled with water. Water was also flowing into the boiler room. Captain Bartlett ordered the watertight doors closed, sent a distress call, and ordered the lifeboats be prepared. Unfortunately, while they could send messages, damage to the antenna wires meant they could not hear the responses back from ships responding to their SOS.  Britannic was reaching her flooding limit and open portholes (opened by nurses to ventilate wards) were bringing more water in as well.

As the ship was still moving, Bartlett did not order lifeboats be lowered but two lifeboats were lowered anyway. They were sucked into the ships propellor and torn to bits killing everyone in those two lifeboats. Bartlett ordered the ship stopped to assess the damage. The ship was listing so badly that the gantry davits were inoperable. Thinking the sinking had slowed, he ordered the engines back on to try and beach the ship. The flooding increased as more water was coming in aided by the open portholes the nurses had opened to air out their wards early in the morning. Bartlett ordered the engines stopped and to abandon ship. She would sink at 9:07 am, 55 minutes after the explosion. Thankfully the water temperature was high (70 F), they had more lifeboats than Titanic, and rescue came less than two hours. Nearby fisherman were able to help and at 10:00 am, the HMS Scourge arrived and later the HMS Heroic and later the HMS Foxhound.

1,035 survived. Of the 30 lost, only five were buried as their bodies were not recovered. Memorials in Thessaloniki and London honor those lives lost. Survivors were housed on the warships and the nurses and officers were put into hotels. Most survivors were sent home, and some arrived in time for Christmas. Speculation about whether it was a torpedo or a mine was resolved when it was learned that a German submarine (SM U-73) had planted mines in the Kea Channel in October 1916. The loss of two Olympic class ships was a major blow to White Star Line. They would get, as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, the German ocean liner Bismarck (renamed Majestic), which replaced Britannic. They also got Columbus which was named Homeric.

Britannic has been largely forgotten except when news of expeditions were made to the wreck site over the years. The wreck itself was bought by noted author Simon Mills, who has written two books on the ship. An expedition in September 2003 located by sonar mine anchors confirming German records of U-73 that Britannic was sunk by a single mine. The expedition found several watertight doors open making it likely the mine strike was during a watch change on the ship. One notable survivor was Violet Jessop. She had been on Olympic as stewardess when it collided with the HMS Hawke, aboard Titanic in the same capacity when it sank, and then aboard Britannic as a stewardess with the Red Cross.

Sources

“Britannic,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified November 17, 2025, accessed November 20, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Britannic.

“HMHS Britannic | Atlantic Liners,” accessed November 20, 2025, https://atlanticliners.com/white_star_home/britannic_home/.

Milligan, Mark. “The Loss of the Britannic – Titanic’s Sister Ship.” HeritageDaily – Archaeology News. Last modified August 9, 2024. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/06/the-loss-of-the-britannic-titanics-sister-ship/147882.

Hickman, Kennedy. “World War I: HMHS Britannic.” ThoughtCo. Last modified May 29, 2019. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://www.thoughtco.com/world-war-i-hmhs-britannic-2361216.

Suggested Reading

Chirnside, Mark. Olympic, Titanic, Britannic: An Illustrated History of the Olympic Class Ships. Hardcover. The History Press, 2012.

Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)

Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)

Mills, Simon. Exploring the Britannic: The Life, Last Voyage and Wreck of Titanic’s Tragic Twin. Adlard Coles, 2019.

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History

Remembering History: Nuremberg Trials Begin (20 November 1945)

Nuremberg Trials. Defendants in their dock, circa 1945-1946.
(in front row, from left to right): Hermann Göring, Rudolf Heß, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel
(in second row, from left to right): Karl Dönitz, Erich Raeder, Baldur von Schirach, Fritz Sauckel)
Public Domain (Wikipedia)

In the aftermath of World War II, there was debate about how to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and especially the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels were already dead by suicide. Churchill had the simplest approach of wanting to simply execute them, but it was decided that tribunal would be a better method. The tribunal would reveal to the world the extent of the crimes upon humanity the persons were responsible for.

The concept of an international tribunal was novel and had never been done before. Then again, no nation had before committed to full scale extermination of whole peoples as the Nazi’s had tried to do. An international tribunal composed of representatives from Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States was formed. Defendants faced charges that varied from war crimes to crimes against humanity. Twenty- four were indicted along with six Nazi organizations such as the Gestapo that were also determined to be criminal. One was declared medically unfit to stand trial and another committed suicide before the trial began. Two top Hitler associates, Heinrich Himmler (1900-45) and Joseph Goebbels (1897-45), had each committed suicide in the spring of 1945 before they could be brought to trial.

Each defendant was allowed to choose their own lawyers. They all pled not guilty and either argued that the crimes they committed were declared crimes after the London Charter (meaning ex post facto) or that they were applying harsh standards as they were the victors. The trials would last 1 October 1946 when verdicts were handed down. Twelve were sentenced to death and others got prison terms. On 16 October 1946, 10 Nazi policy architects were hanged. Hermann Goering, who had been called the “leading war aggressor and creator of the oppressive program against the Jews,” committed suicide by poison the night before. Martin Bormann was tried in absentia and many thought he had escaped Germany. However, he never left Berlin, and his remains were eventually found (it appears he committed suicide), examined, and conclusively identified in 1988 using DNA. Other war criminals (German and Axis government leaders both civilian and military) would be tried into the 1950’s. 5,025 were convicted and 806 were executed. Those not sentenced to death, depending on what they did, served life sentences or were given shorter sentences.

Sources

“Nuremberg Trials,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified November 5, 2025, accessed November 20, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Nurnberg-trials.

“Nuremberg Trials Begin | November 20, 1945 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified May 28, 2025, accessed November 20, 2025, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-20/nuremberg-trials-begin.

“Nuremberg Trials | Holocaust Encyclopedia,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nuremberg-trials.

“The Nuremberg Trials,” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/nuremberg-trials.

“What Were the Nuremberg Trials?,” HISTORY, last modified November 3, 2025, accessed November 20, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/nuremberg-trials.

Suggested Reading

Conot, Robert E. Justice at Nuremberg. Basic Books, 1993.

Gilbert, G. M. Nuremberg Diary. Da Capo Press, 1995.

Persico, Joseph E. Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial. Penguin, 1995.

Taylor, Telford. The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials: A Personal Memoir. Skyhorse, 2013

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History

Remembering History: Goebbels Blames the Jews for World War II (16 Nov 1941)

Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda
Heinrich Hoffmann (1885-1957)
German Federal Archives via Wikimedia

On 16 November 1941, Joseph Goebbels publishes in the German magazine Das Reich that the “Jews wanted the war, and now they have it.” This was part of the Nazi propaganda scheme to shift blame for the war to Jews and thus rationalizing  the Final Solution–the elimination of Jews.  German soldiers and the SS were infused with this propaganda and anti-Communist rhetoric to carry out their task of eliminating the Jews with enthusiasm.

[T]he prophecy which the Fuhrer made…that should international finance Jewry succeed in plunging the nations into a world war once again, the result would not be the Bolshevization of the world…but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe. We are in the midst of that process…Compassion or regret are entirely out of place here.

Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945)

Joseph Goebbels joined the Nazi Party in 1924. He had obtained a PhD in German literature from the University of Heidelberg in 1920. Prior to joining the party, he had worked as a writer, journalist, and clerk. The same year he joined the Nazi Party, he became editor of the Völkische Freiheit (Folkish Freedom) where he honed his propaganda skills for the party. Goebbels became an admirer of Hitler and became unfailingly loyal to him. He was also a rabid antisemite.

He came to Hitler’s attention in 1926 due to his organizational skills, devotion to the party, and his clever propaganda. He was made a regional Gauleiter (party chief) for Greater Berlin. He built up the Nazi Party organization and ran his own newspaper (Der Angriff or The Assault in English) until 1935 where he advanced the Nazi Party goals of anticommunism, antisemitism, and promoted Hitler becoming dictator of Germany. He would be elected to the Reichstag in 1928 representing the Nazi Party in Berlin.

Goebbels was a tireless agitator as the District Leader in Berlin. He railed against the Communist and Social Democratic party members, marched with the SA (Storm Troopers) into working class neighborhoods where support for those parties was strong. Bitter street fights would result, and Goebbels would call those who were injured or killed as suffering for the party. He made sure through his paper and other media of the heroism of those who suffered. Films were made to dramatize the events and led to the creation of the Horst Wessel Song, named for one of those who were killed in 1930. The song would become the party’s anthem.

The image he crafted was one of bloodied stormtrooper (and overly muscled as well) that would appear in Nazi propaganda for years to come. They died, the party said, fighting the Marxist enemy.

Hitler would appoint him as Reich leader of propaganda for the Nazi Party in 1929 and would hold that position until his death in 1945. Hitler relied on Goebbels in the critical elections of 1932. Goebbels was the first of that era to use radio and film for mass propaganda techniques. Films of Nazi rallies, speeches, and other important events were filmed and broadcast over the radio to inspire supporters and draw new ones in. Hitler was depicted by Goebbels as energetic and using all the modern modes of transport to get around Germany. Films showed him flying all over Germany on the same day holding events.

German students publicly burn collected, “un-German” writings and books on the central boulevard “Unter den Linden” in Berlin.
10 May 1933
Photo: Pahl, Georg
German Federal Archives via Wikimedia Commons

After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, Goebbels would be instrumental in implementing the Nazi’s desire to control all aspects of German culture. Hitler established the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in March. At thirty-five years of age, he was the youngest member of the cabinet. Goebbels was tasked with decontamination of German culture, and nothing was considered outside of their control. Film, radio, and the press all fell under Goebbels control, and he used it to its fullest advantage. To make sure German’s accepted the anti-Jewish measures, Jews were cast into the worst possible light. Viewpoints unacceptable to the Nazi Party were silenced, books and publications were suppressed, and supported book burnings to cleanse the German spirit. Preaching national unity, Goebbels rallied people to support Hitler and the Nazi Party against those who had damaged Germany. And Jews were at the top of the list along with Communists, Socialists, certain religious groups, and others such as Roma. The doctrine of racial purity that party believed in excluded large swaths of people from German society.

Goebbels was the chief instigator for Kristallnacht in 1938. He convinced Hitler that the murder of the German diplomat in Paris was the perfect opportunity for a nationwide attack on Jews. And when Germany needed to invade other countries, he helped develop the Führer cult which glorified Hitler as both Germany’s war leader and savior. Mass propaganda was used to convince people that countries had to be invaded to save them from their mess created by Jews and Liberalism. Of course, during this whole time, the mass propaganda depicting the Jews and others negatively made it easier to target, imprison, and execute them. Right up until the end the near deification of Hitler and the rabid antisemitism would continue until the war ended in 1945. Goebbels was a complete supporter of the Final Solution-the Holocaust-the extermination of all Jews.

One of Goebbels last tasks in the final years was as Plenipotentiary for the War Economy which Hitler appointed him to in 1944. Goebbels had worked hard to keep morale up especially after the defeat at Stalingrad. In the new position, he was to help maximize manpower and arms production. He was not highly successful and ran into opposition with other ministers particularly Albert Speer who was in charge of armaments.

After Hitler committed suicide on 30 April 1945, Goebbels became the new Reich Chancellor. He refused the idea of surrender and knew full well he would be put on trial and executed. He and his wife Magda poisoned their six children and then both committed suicide on 1 May 1945. The corpses were partly burned but never buried. There were repeated burials and exhumations, and they were finally buried in Magdeburg at the SMERSH facility in 1946. The remains were exhumed again in 1970 under orders from KGB director Yuri Andropov and destroyed. They were then dumped into the Biederitz river.

Sources

“Joseph Goebbels Publishes His Screed of Hate | November 16, 1941 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified May 28, 2025, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-16/goebbels-publishes-his-screed-of-hate.

“Joseph Goebbels | Holocaust Encyclopedia,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/joseph-goebbels-1.

“Joseph Goebbels,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified October 28, 2025, accessed November 19, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Goebbels.

Suggested Reading

Gilbert, Martin. Kristallnacht: Prelude to Destruction. Harper Collins, 2007.

———. The Second World War: A Complete History. Elsevier, 2004.

———. The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy. HarperCollins Publishers, 1987.

Longerich, Peter. Goebbels. Random House, 2016.

Manvell, Roger, and Heinrich Fraenkel. Doctor Goebbels: His Life and Death. Skyhorse Publishing Inc., 2010.

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History

Remembering the Gettysburg Address (19 November 1863)

Photo: Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id# cph.3a53289)

On 19 November 1863 President Abraham Lincoln delivered what would be the most memorable speech given by a president in U.S. history. He was attending the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery (now called Gettysburg National Cemetery) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Four and a half months prior the Battle of Gettysburg had taken place resulting in a major victory for the Union armies. The casualties to both sides were considerable. It also had the highest number of Confederate and Union generals who died in battle as well.

Edward Everett, the best orator of the time, delivered a two hour speech preceding Lincoln’s. When Lincoln spoke, it was only for a few minutes. His speech was only 271 words long after the long speech of Everett’s, so it could have been easily forgotten. People attending gave different accounts of how it was received. Some said a dignified silence, others polite applause. Edward Everett thought it was well done and said so to Lincoln in a letter. Once the text got out to the general public, Democrat leaning newspapers derided it while Republican ones praised. The Times of London thought it a ludicrous speech.

Yet this speech would become famous. It would become oft quoted and praised by many as time went on. Far from being ludicrous, as the Times of London thought it was, it became a standard for other orators to try and emulate. And his eloquent words: “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, shall not perish from the earth,” are still stirring to this day.

The Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln
19 November 1863

Sources

“The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln,” https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm.

“Gettysburg Address,” Britannica, last modified November 12, 2025, accessed November 18, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Gettysburg-Address.

“President Lincoln Delivers Gettysburg Address | November 19, 1863 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified May 28, 2025, accessed November 18, 2025, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-19/lincoln-delivers-gettysburg-address.

Suggested Reading

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