World History   

This course will introduce the world of ancient Rome by using its coins to tell the story of its history, culture and language. The basic coin units, their images, as well as their inscriptions will be used as a way of discussing Roman civilization. Participants will learn how to identify and interpret ancient Roman coinage as well as gain insight into the world of Ancient Rome.

Before the introduction of opium in the 1500s, Singapore was a trading port for Chinese, Arabs, and Portuguese merchants. Under British rule, this swampy, little island became the world center for the opium trade. Learn how Singapore survived wars, invasions, and betrayal to become one of the world's most beautiful, safest, richest, and undoubtedly cleanest nations in the world.

Captain Puckett will cover America's construct of a Canal across the Isthmus of Panama. He will introduce the engineers that actually built the Panama Canal, the design and location of a lake lock system, construction of a mammoth set of concrete locks, manufactured floating steel gates, electric locomotives that controlled the ships as they pass through the Canal.

Construction of the Panama Canal was completed in 1914 and immediately began taking ships through on a limited basis. There were numerous problems with topography, rockslides, electrical issues, channel depths, and operations in general. It would not be until 1920 that the Panama Canal was fully operational.                                                                                                                                                          

Captain Puckett will outline the history of the United States relationship with the Republic of Panama relating to the Panama Canal Zone. He will explain the reason President Jimmy Carter decided to turn the Canal over to Panama.

The Panama Canal Authority's design of a mega set of locks to accommodate the larger world ships. The Panama Canal also instituted a new advanced vessel communication and accounting system, purchased a fleet of larger tugboats to assist in handling the larger ships that would be passing through the new Panama Canal Mega Lock and reorganized the Panama Canal Pilot training and advancement system. The new Mega locks would limit operation mostly to daylight hours and would take an average of 12 ships a day through those new locks.

 The Japanese fleet attacked the US base Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Shortly thereafter the Japanese Navy began construction of a new vessel with extremely long-range capabilities that carried an enhanced weapon designed to destroy the Panama Canal locks, dam system and US port along the West coast. Captain Puckett will outline this little known military secret of WWII.

Throughout the ages, perhaps no city has had the influence, impact and captured the human imagination more than the city of Rome. This course will trace the story of this fascinating city and discuss how it has contributed to the world we live in through the millennia of its history. From Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages and Renaissance to the twentieth century and beyond, we will cover some of the highlights (and controversies) which have defined Rome as the ultimate Eternal City.

Considering its huge presence in daily life, the internet began more humbly in the mid-1960’s as an idea for secure military communications in the cold war. Though some tech communications, like email and file transfers are older, the idea of an interconnected network of computer systems available for general use got its start in November 1966. This class is a video presentation and discussion forum on the history and influence of what we now know the internet to be. Come to participate with your perspective and thoughts about this world changing technology.

Welcome to the Renaissance- 200 years of glorious artistic achievements. Instead of art, this program reveals the people, the power, the plots, and the murders that fueled the dark side of the Renaissance.

This class will provide overviews of the reasons Japan and the U.S. went to war, Japan's decision to attack Pearl Harbor and the mistakes by the U.S. that exacerbated the disaster. This is an updated, abbreviated, less detailed version of an earlier MTP class.