The Three Greatest Miracles in My Lifetime

By Denny Hatch

1. World War II Leadership

World War II was arguably the greatest struggle between good and evil in the history of the world (so far). And the good guys won for one reason only—the miraculous confluence of gifted men without whom we might be eating sushi for Thanksgiving and sauerbraten for Christmas. Etched in the memory of my childhood and historical readings ever since are the towering achievements of Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, Marshall, Nimitz, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Bradley, Patton, Montgomery and Zhukov.

2. Man Walks on the Moon

As a kid I read science fiction, but nothing compared to the science fact of the desolate moonscape in black-and-white and the electric thrill of that voice over the television speaker, "Houston, the Eagle has landed." The only thing that could beat that is absolute proof of life after death.

3. Google

In Don Jackson's and my 1998 book, "2,239 Tested Secrets for Direct Marketing Success," direct marketing guru Bob Hacker wrote, "The Internet is a huge library with 2,500 branches and no Dewey Decimal System." All that changed thanks to two geniuses, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. From the Google Web site:

On September 7, 1998, Google Inc. opened its door in Menlo Park, California. The door came with a remote control, as it was attached to the garage of a friend who sublet space to the new corporation's staff of three. The office offered several big advantages, including a washer and dryer and a hot tub.

Ten years later, Google has a market cap of $61.5 billion and is bigger than Disney and Viacom.

What prompted this column was my decision to republish my first novel. Written 35 years ago, it is an autobiographical, anti-airport story set in Somerleas, my family's house in Cedarhurst, Long Island, N.Y. On a whim I Googled "Somerleas" and was treated to a Googlewhack (a single entry on Google):