Tag: john f. kennedy

World's most Exclusive Bars - 21 Club

25 August 2009

America is a culture that works extremely hard to glorify excess. It is how money is made, pure and simple. We see this predominantly in the many alcohol advertisements on the TV; however, it wasn’t always like that.

America went through a long period of prohibition, where all alcoholic beverages were forbidden to be sold or consumed. As a result, many establishments opened “underground” and were referred to in some circles as speakeasies. One of the most famous speakeasies of the era was the 21 Club in New York - opened on New Year’s Eve 1930.

The club had first opened in Greenwich Village in 1922 as a speakeasy, but it wasn’t until it reached its destination of 21 West 52nd Street that it adopted its now current name. After the police raided the establishment, the wine cellar was placed behind an extremely large steel door where it remains to date. This raid was the first of many to take place during the prohibition era, but the owners were never caught in possession of alcohol.

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Worlds Most Expensive Properties - Hearst Castle

22 May 2009

William Randolph Hearst I is one of the most famous Americans in the country’s short history. Moreover, his family name, Hearst, rivals that of the Rockefeller’s. Hearst was also the inspiration for Citizen Kane, often considered one of the all-time greatest movies.

Not only is the man’s name famous, but his home has an equally impressive resume. Fans of classic cinema may remember the first Godfather movie. In the classic scene where the horse head ends up in bed - that takes place in Hearst’s mansion. His beautiful mansion is currently for sale on the market.

Hearst purchased the home in 1947 for $120,000 - a lot of money at the time - and its most recent owner, Leonard M. Ross, who purchased the home in 1967, put it on the market in 2006 with a price tag of $165-million.

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Biography of James Bond creator Ian Fleming

04 July 2008

Born in Mayfair, London, 1908, Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist, and World War II Navy Commander. Though, in popular culture, Fleming is best known for creating the James Bond character, chronicling his adventures in twelve novels and nine short stories.

Also accredited to Fleming are the children’s story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and two other non-fiction books. Fleming died in 1964, but his timeless character James Bond continues to live on with numerous movies, the more recent movies being throwbacks to the first book, Casino Royale, and its sequel, Quantum of Solace.

Fleming was born to Valentine Fleming, a Member of Parliament, and his wife Evelyn Ste Croix Fleming. He was the younger brother of travel writer Peter Fleming and the older brother of Michael and Richard Fleming. Fleming was educated at Sunningdale School in Berkshire, Eton College, and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

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