It was 1883 in the village of Eagle, Wisconsin, and Clarissa Wood had a rock. Well, it was slightly more than a rock - it was a 12-sided stone, of a “warm sunny color”. She brought it to a jeweler in Milwaukee, who examined briefly before agreeing that it was probably topaz. He bought it for $1.
By September of 1944, the Western Allies had broken out of the Normandy beachehead, and suddenly and quickly moved across northern France . By September 7th, the 90th division was stretched across the northern sector on Patton’s Third Army’s left, advancing slowly northeast. As they did so the German defenders made a risky attack in an effort to spoil the allied advance, cutting through Allied lines in a surprise action at the small town of Mairy-Mannville.