In 1796, an enterprising sea captain named Jacob Crowninshield sailed his ship from Calcutta to New York. His most important cargo was the first live elephant ever to be seen in America. Word of this exotic import spread rapidly and soon visitors were arriving from hundreds of miles away to view the sensational creature on display. Upon returning home, they shared breathless tales of how they had gone to see the elephant. . .

It all began in August 1980 on the island of Antigua. Most of the tourists had already fled the Caribbean to avoid hurricane season. Thanks to a sweet deal from Eastern Airlines, we found ourselves basking in the sun on one of the island's postcard beaches. It felt like we had our own private strand of white sand and palm trees. And then another couple arrived, speaking German. . .

1968 was no ordinary year. In fact, it was one of the most turbulent years in history. America was mired in Vietnam, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were shockingly assassinated, massive student demonstrations were taking place all over the world, the chaos in Chicago was broadcast on live TV and Richard Nixon was elected president. What else could possibly happen? Well, actually, a lot of things. . .

In the spring of 1968 my brother, Bill, needed some help. His duties as a Naval officer required him to report to Hawaii soon and he wanted to ship his 1962 VW Beetle from San Francisco to Oahu. He asked me if I wanted to share the driving from Michigan to California with him. He didn't need to ask twice. I was all in. . .

It was just an ordinary summer day in Michigan. Nobody expected anything important to happen. The only event on the calendar was our wedding and that was still six weeks away. Sharon and I had just spent a pleasant afternoon with her mom and dad in Garden City. Now, she was driving me home to my family's house in Wayne, about five miles away. We didn't know our world was about to explode. . .

The English language can be a little tricky sometimes. If the title of a story is "Our Late August Wedding", does that mean "our wedding was in late August" or "our August wedding was late"? In the case of our 1968 marriage ceremony, both interpretations are true. The event took place on August 23rd and it definitely did not start on time. At the appointed hour, the groom was nowhere to be found. . .

There is no question that 1968 was one of the most eventful years in history. It was jam-packed full of personal, national and global life-changing moments. In some ways, that year feels like ancient history. At other times, it feels like just yesterday. . .

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Fermentum leo vel orci porta non pulvinar neque laoreet suspendisse. Habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit. Nulla aliquet enim tortor at auctor urna. Ornare suspendisse sed nisi lacus sed viverra. . .

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Fermentum leo vel orci porta non pulvinar neque laoreet suspendisse. Habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit. Nulla aliquet enim tortor at auctor urna. Ornare suspendisse sed nisi lacus sed viverra. . .

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Fermentum leo vel orci porta non pulvinar neque laoreet suspendisse. Habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit. Nulla aliquet enim tortor at auctor urna. Ornare suspendisse sed nisi lacus sed viverra. . .

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Fermentum leo vel orci porta non pulvinar neque laoreet suspendisse. Habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit. Nulla aliquet enim tortor at auctor urna. Ornare suspendisse sed nisi lacus sed viverra. . .

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Fermentum leo vel orci porta non pulvinar neque laoreet suspendisse. Habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit. Nulla aliquet enim tortor at auctor urna. Ornare suspendisse sed nisi lacus sed viverra. . .

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Fermentum leo vel orci porta non pulvinar neque laoreet suspendisse. Habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit. Nulla aliquet enim tortor at auctor urna. Ornare suspendisse sed nisi lacus sed viverra. . .