475: BYZANTINE EMPEROR ZENO IS FORCED TO FLEE HIS CAPITAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
Emperor Zeno? Sounds like a villain in the "Star Wars" franchise.
1349: THE JEIWSH POPULATION OF BASEL, SWITZERLAND, BELIEVED BY THE RESIDENTS TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE BLACK DEATH, IS ROUNDED UP AND INCINERATED.
Just in case you thought Adolf Hitler was the only one who had this idea.
1431: JUDGES' INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC BEGIN IN ROUEN, FRANCE.
And speaking of incineration...
1768: IN LONDON, ENGLAND, PHILIP ASTLEY STAGES THE FIRST MODERN CIRCUS.
Nowadays, they call it a meeting of Parliament.
1788: CONNECTICUT BECOMES THE FIFTH STATE TO BE ADMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES.
Have some nutmeg for dinner.
1793: JEAN-PIERRE BLANCHARD BECOMES THE FIRST PERSON TO FLY IN A BALLOON IN THE UNITED STATES.
That was way before we learned how much hot air came out of politicians.
1806: ADMIRAL HORATIO LORD NELSON RECEIVES A STATE FUNERAL AND IS INTERRED IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.
Conveniently, he had died several days before.
1857: THE FORT TEJON EARTHQUAKE OF CALIFORNIA OCCURS, REGISTERING AN ESTIMATED MAGNITUDE OF 7.9.
As a result, Fort Tejon is now in Nevada.
1861: THE STAR OF THE WEST INCIDENT OCCURS NEAR CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, CONSIDERED BY MANY HISTORIANS TO BE THE "FIRST SHOTS OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR."
Others claim the first shots came from a bottle of whiskey in Ulysses S. Grant's tent.
1861: MISSISSIPPI BECOMES THE SECOND STATE TO SECEDE FROM THE UNION BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR.
And who was the idiot that let them back in?
1880: THE GREAT GALE OF 1880 DEVASTATES PARTS OF OREGON AND WASHINGTON WITH HIGH WIND AND HEAVY SNOW.
The Great Gale of 1950 starred in "My Little Margie."
1894: NEW ENGLAND TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH INSTALLS THE FIRST BATTERY-OPERATED SWITCHBOARD IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Number, please.
1901: CARTOONIST CHIC YOUNG IS BORN.
He created my very favorite comic strip, "Blondie."
1911: STRIPPER GYPSY ROSE LEE IS BORN.
Lose the gloves, lady.
1913: PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON IS BORN.
His mother's labor pains came 18 1/2 minutes apart.
1914: PHI BETA SIGMA, THE FIRST HISTORICALLY BLACK FRATERNITY, IS FOUNDED AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
Howard University? Big surprise.
1915: ACTOR FERNANDO LAMAS IS BORN.
He looks marvelous.
1916: COMPOSER VIC MIZZY IS BORN.
"Green Acres is the place to be...."
1923: JUAN DE LA CIERVA MAKES THE FIRST AUTOGYRO FLIGHT.
Now you can get gyros at most Greek diners in New York.
1927: A FIRE AT A MOVIE THEATER IN MONTREAL, CANADA KILLS 78 CHILDREN.
So much for the class trip.
1935: ACTOR BOB DENVER IS BORN.
Gilligan!!!
1935: SPORTSCASTER DICK ENBERG IS BORN.
I saw him in person the same night I met Vin Scully. Talk about royalty.
1940: BASEBALL PITCHER AL DOWNING IS BORN.
He gave up the home run that Hank Aaron hit to break Babe Ruth's record. And no steroids were needed.
1947: ELIZABETH SHORT, "THE BLACK DAHLIA," IS LAST SEEN ALIVE.
Plucked.
1960: PRESIDENT OF EGYPT ABDEL NASSER OPENS CONSTRUCTION ON THE ASWAN DAM BY DETONATING TEN TONS OF DYNAMITE.
Finally explosives are used for positive reasons in the Middle East.
1981: DRUMMER COZY COLE DIES.
Mentioned here only because he's got a cool name.
1987: ACTOR ARTHUR LAKE DIES.
Dagwood!!!!!
1997: ACTOR JESSE WHITE DIES.
Okay, who's gonna fix my washing machine now?
2005: MAHMOUD ABBAS WINS THE ELECTION TO REPLACE YASSER ARAFAT AS PRESIDENT OF PALESTINE.
Abbas wins? Mamma mia!
2007: FILM MOGUL CARLO PONTI DIES.
Sophia's available?
2008: MAYOR OF HOLLYWOOD JOHNNY GRANT DIES.
I met him at a function once. He was really nasty. Just sayin'.
Dinner last night: Steak, fries, and broccoli.
No comments:
Post a Comment