Denis Cummings

Most Recent Articles by Denis Cummings

• 
  On This Day: Gas Leak Causes New London School Explosion
  On March 18, 1937, the worst school disaster in American history occurred when a gas explosion killed nearly 300 schoolchildren in Texas.
• 
  On This Day: Supreme Court Rules Against Dred Scott
  On March 6, 1857, the Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, a slave who sued for freedom after spending time in free territory. The decision, which declared that slaves were not citizens and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, outraged Northerners and contributed to the start of the Civil War.
• 
  Happy Birthday, George Pullman, Inventor of the Sleeper Car
  Inventor and industrialist George Pullman literally raised Chicago from the sewer and built luxury railroad cars for the elite. The media praised his “utopian” company town, but in reality, the town’s residents lived in misery. His unwillingness to negotiate with strikers drew the ire of workers and railroad owners alike, and he died as one of the most hated anti-union figures in America.
• 
  Has the Performance of Olympic Athletes Reached Its Natural Peak?
  The number of world records set in track and field and other Olympic events has decreased substantially over the last two decades, indicating that athletes may have reached the natural limits for athletic performance.
• 
  On This Day: Wilt Chamberlain Scores 100 Points
  On March 2, 1962, Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks, setting the NBA single-game scoring record.