May 2010

Cinco de Mayo: NOT Mexican Independence Day

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This week, Mexicans and other people who just need a reason to drink, will celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which, contrary to popular belief is not Mexican Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of Mexican forces over French troops at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. In a strange little twist of history, France was after Mexico for debt, which the Mexican president Benito Juarez had stopped making payment on. In an attempt to occupy Mexico, France sent an invasion fleet to Mexico. Although the Battle of Puebla went well for the Mexican army, it was one of few victories as the French army had taken Mexico City within a year. Mexican Emperor Maximillian I was installed.

History Spots: Major Oak

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Robin Hood, England's most famous outlaw who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, is forever linked to a tree known as the Major Oak. Located near the village of Edwinstowe, about 110 miles North of London, the huge oak tree is said to have been the home base of Mr. Hood and his famed Merry Men, including Little John. Although there are no major historical links that definitively link the tree to the man, it is the right age. The tree is estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 yearss old. The first historical references to a 'Robin Hood' occur in 1228 on the roles of an English justice. The ungainly tree is supported by what appear to be wooden posts as its massive limbs would snap without the buttress.