Wednesday, January 30, 2013

This Date in History - January 30

Happy birthday, Davey Johnson.  Naturally I will post a picture of him in his 1986 uniform.

1648:  THE TREATY OF MUNSTER AND OSNABRUCK IS SIGNED, ENDING THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE NETHERLANDS AND SPAIN.

However, there's still a battle raging between Munster and Addams Family.

1649:  KING CHARLES I OF ENGLAND IS BEHEADED.

He had just gone in for a trim.

1661:  OLIVER CROMWELLL, LORD PROTECTOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND, IS RITUALLY EXECUTED TWO YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH.

Obviously, there was quite the backlog in the ritual execution department.

1703:  THE FORTY SEVEN RONIN, UNDER THE COMMAND OF OISHI KURANOSUKE, AVENGE THE DEATH OF THEIR MASTER.

Later on, with budget cuts, it was only the thirty eight Ronin.

1790:  THE FIRST LIFEBOAT IS TESTED ON THE RIVER TYNE.

And???

1806:  THE ORIGINAL LOWER TRENTON BRIDGES WHICH SPANS THE DELAWARE RIVER BETWEEN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY IS OPENED.

The Original.  Apparently it was later New and Improved.

1826:  THE MENAI SUSPENSION BRIDGE, CONSIDERED THE WORLD'S FIRST MODERN SUSPENSION BRIDGE, IS OPENED IN WALES.

But, was it the Original?

1835:  IN THE FIRST ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, RICHARD LAWRENCE ATTEMPTS TO SHOOT PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON, BUT FAILS.

Others would later show him the way.

1836:  SEAMSTRESS BETSY ROSS DIES.

Sew what?

1847:  YERBA BUENA, CALIFORNIA, IS RENAMED SAN FRANCISCO.

So it would have been the Yerba Buena Giants?

1862:  THE FIRST AMERICAN IRONCLAD WARSHIP, THE USS MONITOR, IS LAUNCHED.

And later became a NBC network radio show.

1882:  PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT IS BORN.

Just to to be clear, he wasn't President when he was born.  Or was he?

1911:  THE CANADIAN NAVAL SERVICE BECOMES THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY.

No mention of Guy Lombardo.

1922:  COMIC DICK MARTIN IS BORN.

Look that up in your Funk and Wagnall.

1925:  ACTRESS DOROTHY MALONE IS BORN.

Constance McKenzie from TV's Peyton Place.

1930:  ACTOR GENE HACKMAN IS BORN.

Don't ride with him.  Better you should take the subway.

1933:  ADOLF HITLER IS SWORN IN AS CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY.

Ach-tung.

1934:  PUBLISHER FRANK NELSON DOUBLEDAY DIES.

Final printing.

1943:  BASEBALL MANAGER DAVEY JOHNSON IS BORN.

Thanks for the lasting memories of a Met world championship.  There may never be another.

1944:  DURING WORLD WAR II, THE BATTLE OF CISTERNA, PART OF OPERATION SHINGLE, BEGINS IN CENTRAL ITALY.

Operation Shingle?  What is the objective?  Give everybody chicken pox?

1948:  AVIATOR ORVILLE WRIGHT DIES.

He came back to Earth...and then kept going.

1951:  ROCK STAR PHIL COLLINS IS BORN.

His real Genesis.

1956:  AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S HOME IS BOMBED IN RETALIATION FOR THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT.

Which later made him go out and get bombed at the local bar.

1959:  MS HANS HEDTOFT, SAID TO BE THE SAFEST SHIP AFLOAT AND UNSINKABLE, STRUCK AN ICEBERG ON ITS MAIDEN VOYAGE AND SUNK.

But it didn't merit a song from Celine Dion.

1969:  THE BEATLES' LAST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE HAPPENS ON THE ROOF OF APPLE RECORDS IN LONDON.  THE IMPROMPTU CONCERT IS BROKEN UP BY THE POLICE.

Who was the crabby neighbor that complained?

1971:  CAROLE KING'S TAPESTRY ALBUM IS RELEASED.  IT WOULD BECOME THE LONGEST CHARTING ALBUM BY A FEMALE SOLO ARTIST AND SELL 24 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE.

It's too late.

1982:  RICHARD SKRENTA WRITES THE FIRST PC VIRUS CODE CALLED "ELK CLONER."

The folks at McAfee thank you.

1994:  PETER LEKO BECOMES THE YOUNGEST CHESS GRAND MASTER.

A game I never learned to play.

1999:  ACTOR HUNTZ HALL DIES.

Satch!

1999:  TV ANNOUNCER ED HERLIHY DIES.

So, macaroni and cheese can kill?

2006:  CORETTA SCOTT KING DIES.

And the kids are still fighting over the old lady's dough.

2007:  AUTHOR SIDNEY SHELDON DIES.

On the other side, there is no midnight.

2010:  TV PRODUCER AARON RUBEN DIES.

The genius responsible for the Andy Griffith Show.

2011:  COMPOSER JOHN BARRY DIES.

The genius responsible for the James Bond theme.

Dinner last night:  Pork yakisoba from Ramenya.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

How did they execute a dead guy? Does Barbara know?