Historical perspective…

Okay, I just have to share this, it’s giving me too much ironic humor.

As part of the research for my next novel, which I am finally getting seriously to work on finishing, I subscribed to an online newspaper archive service–which has proven to be exactly what I needed. Perusing the Lowell Sun for June 11, 1953–right after the big tornado hit Worcester, MA–I spotted this UP item on the front page:

“ATOMIC BOMB NOT TO BLAME FOR TORNADOES
Rep. Van Zandt withdraws claims against scientists”

Gee…sound familiar??? Yes, folks, 54 years before all the debate about global warming and its possible effects on hurricanes, there was a fierce argument about whether nuclear weapons testing was increasing severe weather! (Was it? I don’t know…but believe it or not, before one of the big tests, scientists speculated that the bomb might literally set fire to earth’s entire atmosphere. They exploded it anyway! The Defense Department, ya gotta love ’em! *wry look*)

That’s a great benefit to writing historical fiction: it helps you keep your sense of perspective. Americans have a historical memory of about 10.3 days, tops, and there are advantages to be reminded that there’s nothing new under the sun, after all.

This site has periodicals and newspapers going back several centuries, if anyone doing historical fiction thinks they might find it useful. Newspaper Archive. I only mention it as a possible resource, it is a for-pay site and it does have a BBB record.