Wednesday, December 12, 2012

This Date in History - December 12


Happy birthday, Connie Francis.  Inappropriate joke to follow below.

1098:  AT THE MASSACRE OF MA'ARRAT AL-NUMAN, CRUSADERS BREACHE THE TOWN'S WALLS AND MASSACRE 20,000 INHABITANTS.  AFTER FINDING THEMSELVES WITH INSUFFICIENT FOOD, THEY RESORT TO CANNIBALISM.

Pass the ketchup.

1787:  PENNSYLVANIA BECOMES THE SECOND STATE TO RATIFY THE US CONSTITUTION FIVE DAYS AFTER DELAWARE BECOMES THE FIRST.

Who knew that Delaware, such a small state, could be a trendsetter?

1862:  USS CAIRO SINKS ON THE YAZOO RIVER, BECOMING THE FIRST ARMORED SHIP TO BE SUNK BY AN ELECTRICALLY DETONATED MINE.

Yazoo goes kerblooey.

1870:  JOSEPH H. RAINEY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BECOMES THE SECOND BLACK US CONGRESSMAN, THE FIRST ONE BEING HIRAM REVELS.

Back then, history books probably said he was "the second colored US congressman."

1900:  ENTERTAINER SAMMY DAVIS SR. IS BORN.

Ya think Sammy Jr. came out of a test tube?

1901:  GUGLIELMO MARCONI RECEIVES THE FIRST TRANSATLANTIC RADIO SIGNAL IN NEWFOUNDLAND.

Can Wolfman Jack be far behind?

1915:  SINGER FRANK SINATRA IS BORN.

Doobie doobie dope.

1917:  IN NEBRASKA, FATHER FLANAGAN STARTS BOYS TOWN.

I'll refrain from the expected Catholic priest/pedophile joke.

1923:  GAME SHOW HOST BOB BARKER IS BORN.

Wonder if he had a fur blanket in the crib.

1924:  POLITICIAN ED KOCH IS BORN.

New York's beloved Mayor...and crook.

1937:  JAPANESE AIRCRAFT BOMB AND SINK US GUNBOAT USS PANAY ON THE YANGTZE RIVER IN CHINA.

Damn Yangtze.

1938:  SINGER CONNIE FRANCIS IS BORN.

She found out where the boys were.  Hiding in the closet and under the bed in a Westbury, LI hotel.

1940:  SINGER DIONNE WARWICK IS BORN.

The way she stole money via that Psychic Friends network, she should know the way to San Quentin.

1941:  USMC WILDCATS SINK THE FIRST FOUR MAJOR JAPANESE SHIPS OFF WAKE ISLAND.

Bonsai!

1941:  ADOLF HITLER ANNOUNCES EXTERMINATION OF THE JEWS AT A MEETING IN THE REICH CHANCELLERY.

Maybe it's me, but I don't think this is something you should brag about.

1946:  A FIRE AT A NEW YORK CITY ICE PLANT KILLS 37 PEOPLE.

Fire at an ice factory.  Really???

1950:  PAULA ACKERMAN, THE FIRST WOMAN TO PERFORM RABBINICAL FUNCTIONS IN THE US, LEADS THE CONGREGATION IN HER FIRST SERVICES. 

Shalom, Lady!

1964:  PRIME MINISTER JOMO KENYATTA BECOMES THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF KENYA.

With that last name, did you think he would be president of Nigeria?

1968:  ACTRESS TALLULAH BANKHEAD DIES.

Dahhhhh-ling.

1976:  ACTOR JACK CASSIDY DIES.

Burned up in a fire that he started.  With or without ice.

1979:  A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI KILL 259 PEOPLE IN COLOMBIA.

252 of them drug dealers.

1985:  ACTRESS ANNE BAXTER DIES.

Dropped dead on a Manhattan street.  All About Sidewalk.

1998:  POLITICIAN MO UDALL DIES.

I wish he had a brother named Les.

2000:  THE US SUPREME COURT RELEASES ITS DECISION ON GORE VS. BUSH.

I forget what happened.  Did this make the news?

2006:  ACTOR PETER BOYLE DIES.

Brilliant work as Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond.

2007:  SINGER IKE TURNER DIES.

The one thing he couldn't beat.

2008:  ACTOR VAN JOHNSON DIES.

Van Johnson is right...and dead.

Dinner last night:  Szechwan beef at PF Chang's in White Plains.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have to defend Ed Koch. He is not, to my knowledge, a crook. You're thinking of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew and David Dinkins and Charles Rangel and Jesse Jackson, Jr., and Jesse Jackson and the mayors of Newark, Baltimore, D.C. and Detroit. I'll stop now.