History Captain

01/14/2026

01/14/2026

Homesteaders in Central Nebraska, 1888

01/14/2026

The most powerful CEOs in history

01/14/2026

On This Day in History — 1834

William Polk, the last surviving field officer of the North Carolina Continental Line, died at age 75 in Raleigh.

His life was forged in war.

At just 17, Polk was commissioned a second lieutenant and was severely wounded in 1775, a shoulder shot that nearly killed him. After almost a year of recovery, he returned to service — and by 18, he was a major in the North Carolina Continental Line, joining George Washington’s army in New Jersey.

He fought at Brandywine, then suffered another brutal wound at Germantown, where a musket ball tore through his jaw and knocked out several teeth. Polk spent the winter of 1777–78 at Valley Forge, hospitalized with the army.

Back in the field by 1780, he fought at Camden, Cowan’s Ford, and during the Race to the Dan. After Guilford Courthouse, at just 22, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel under Thomas Sumter. He fought through South Carolina until Eutaw Springs, where his younger brother was killed and Polk narrowly survived. General Nathanael Greene later praised him for his “bravery and intrepidity.”

After the war, Polk continued to serve the nation he had nearly died for:
• North Carolina legislator
• Federalist leader
• Appointed by George Washington as federal supervisor of internal revenue (17 years)
• UNC trustee for 44 years
• Polk County, NC, named in his honor

At his death, a newspaper wrote that no officer more gallantly exposed his life or more cheerfully endured suffering for his country.

A life of sacrifice — remembered long after the last musket fell silent. 🇺🇸📜

01/14/2026

In 1999, skydiver Joan Murray survived a 14,500 foot fall after both her main and reserve parachutes failed, causing her to hit the ground at around 80 mph.

She landed on a fire ant mound and was stung more than 200 times. Doctors later said the ants’ venom likely triggered intense adrenaline like responses that kept her heart beating and prevented fatal shock until help arrived. She survived with severe injuries but eventually recovered making it one of the most extraordinary survival stories in skydiving history.

01/13/2026

Weird foods people ate in the old world

01/13/2026

IShowSpeed experienced cultural shock in Ethiopia from the first moment.

He learned Ethiopia does not mark independence the same way many countries do. Ethiopians honor Victory Day, the Battle of Adwa in 1896. Ethiopian forces defeated Italian colonial troops. Ethiopia stayed unconquered during the Scramble for Africa. Adwa stands as a symbol of African resistance and sovereignty. Schools teach it. Streets, songs, and national pride reflect it.

He also reacted to Ethiopia’s unique calendar. Ethiopia follows its own calendar system. The country is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. While the world counts 2025, Ethiopia counts 2017 or 2018 depending on the month. The year has 13 months. Twelve months have 30 days. One short month holds five or six days. This made him joke he returned to his teenage years. He laughed about Cristiano Ronaldo still playing for Real Madrid in Ethiopian time.

Another moment left him stunned. He tasted Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Coffee ceremonies remain central to daily life. Beans are roasted by hand. The aroma fills the room. Coffee is brewed slowly and shared socially. UNESCO recognizes the ceremony as cultural heritage. Many global coffee brands trace origins back to Ethiopian regions like Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, and Harrar.

The trip exposed him to history, time, and culture working differently. It showed Africa writing its own story, on its own clock, with its own victories.

01/13/2026

First cousins Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and King George V of Great Britain posed for many photos together throughout their lives.

Nicholas II was born in 1868 and became Emperor of Russia in 1894. His cousin George V was born in 1865 and became King of Great Britain in 1910. They wer both grandsons of queen Victoria and their mothers were sisters.

At the time, European royal families often married across national borders. Nicholas’s mother and George’s mother were sisters who both became queens, one of Russia and one of Britain.

The two men looked strikingly alike and became close as young princes. They often met at family gatherings.

In 1914, World War One began, and the two cousins and their countries fought on the same side. Three years later, the Russian Revolution broke out, and Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown.

Nicholas asked George for asylum in Britain, but George refused. He feared the revolution might spread to his own country. On July 17, 1918, Communist forces killed Nicholas II and much of the Russian royal family.

01/13/2026

The excavation pits at Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey reveal one of the most astonishing discoveries in human history. Uncovered in the 1990s, this ancient site contains massive stone pillars carved with animals and symbolic figures, pointing to complex beliefs held by early humans long before written history.

Dating back to the 10th millennium BCE, Göbekli Tepe is thousands of years older than Stonehenge and challenges what we know about the origins of religion and society. Ongoing excavations continue to uncover new pits, offering deeper insight into the spiritual life and social organization of prehistoric communities.

01/12/2026

Wedding traditions with dark origins

01/12/2026

During the Soviet–Afghan War, a Soviet soldier vanished in combat — and was found alive 33 years later, living a completely different life.

In September 1980, Bakhretdin Khakimov disappeared near Herat after being badly wounded. He was officially listed as killed in action.

But Khakimov hadn’t died.

Local Afghan villagers rescued him, treated his wounds, and helped him recover. Over time, he stayed. He converted to Islam, took the name Sheikh Abdullah, and became a traditional healer and herbalist. He wore local clothing, spoke little Russian, and fully blended into village life.

In 2013, Russian veterans’ organizations searching for missing soldiers finally located him. His identity was confirmed through memories, records, and personal details only he could know.

Though offered the chance to return home, Khakimov had lived so long as someone else that his life in Afghanistan had become his reality.

One war. One man. Two lives — separated by 33 lost years.