Rafer Johnson: Possibly the True “Most Interesting Man in the World”

Recent popular commercials for the beer “Dos Equis” have featured a character they call “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” That character is fictional. If they were looking for a real life person to fill that title, Rafer Johnson would deserve a nomination. He has been an olympic decathlon champion, accomplished actor, bodyguard and […]

Harrison Ford: From Building the Set to Starring On It

Happy 77th birthday to Harrison Ford, the highest grossing domestic actor in American history! Ford is a lesson in perseverance. When he was in his late 20’s, he was married with children and getting very small acting roles, if any. He was frustrated, but wanted to keep giving acting a try while supporting his family. […]

Los Angeles, March 3, 1991: The Beginning of Viral Videos and Citizen Journalists

28 years ago tonight, George Holliday was awakened by the sounds of yelling, helicopters, and sirens coming from the street behind his bedroom. The then 31 year old plumber who was born in Argentina and not yet a U.S. citizen sleepily wandered out to his back balcony to see what all the commotion was about. […]

The Strange Story of the Battle of Los Angeles

Late February 1942 was a time of great angst for all of America, especially along the west coast. A little more than three months earlier, America had been shocked out of its isolationism by the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. The laid back culture of sunny southern California had become one of […]

Happy Birthday to Kenny Washington, the First African American in the Modern N.F.L.

History has an interesting, often unspoken power. It is the capacity to determine which stories to tell, and which to not. Text book writers, history teachers, monument builders, film makers, etc. all have the tremendous responsibility to decide what we see, hear, and learn. For example, there are few Americans who don’t know who Jackie […]