Wednesday, August 14, 2013

This Date in History - August 14

Happy birthday to this wild-and-crazy guy.

1183:  TAIRA NO MUNEMORI AND THE TAIRA CLAN TAKE THE YOUNG EMPEROR ANTOKU AND THE THREE SACRED TREASURES AND FLEE TO WESTERN JAPAN.

The Taira Clan?  A busted TV pilot from Sherwood Schwartz?

1415:  HENRY THE NAVIGATOR LEADS PORTUGUESE FORCES TO VICTORY OVER THE MARINIDS AT THE BATTLE OF CEUTA.

Why does everything in this sentence look misspelled?

1592:  DURING THE IMJIN WAR, ADMIRAL YI SUN-SIN DECISIVELY DFEATS THE JAPANESE NAVY AT HANSAN ISLAND.

As we later find out, they're much better from the air.

1816:  THE UNITED KINGDOM FORMALLY ANNEXED THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA ARCHIPELAGO, RULING THEM FROM THE CAPE COLONY IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Also a candidate for spell check.

1842:  THE SECOND SEMINOLE WAR ENDS, WITH THE SEMINOLES FORCED FROM FLORIDA TO OKLAHOMA.

In the middle of tornado season.  Yeah, the Seminoles will be safe there.

1851:  GAMBLER DOC HOLLIDAY IS BORN.

I repeat, this is not the pitcher on the Philadelphia Phillies.  Just in case you are confused.

1880:  CONSTRUCTION OF COLOGNE CATHEDRAL, THE MOST FAMOUS LANDMARK IN COLOGNE, GERMANY, IS COMPLETED.

Until, of course, Romy Schneider came along.

1885:  JAPAN'S FIRST PATENT IS ISSUED TO THE INVENTOR OF A RUST-PROOF PAINT.

Rust-proof?  Wait for the first tsunami.

1893:  FRANCE BECOMES THE FIRST COUNTRY TO INTRODUCE MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION. 

With a first-day line that stretched from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame.

1901:  THE FIRST CLAIMED POWERED FLIGHT, BY GUSTAVE WHITEHEAD IN HIS NUMBER 21.

Claimed?  He could be lying??

1911:  US SENATE LEADERS AGREE TO ROTATE THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE AMONG LEADING CANDIDATES TO FILL THE VACANCY LEFT BY WILLIAM P. FRYE'S DEATH.

Harry Reid was there, right?

1916:  GIANTS OWNER WELLINGTON MARA IS BORN.

Little known first name: Beef.

1926:  ACTRESS ALICE GHOSTLEY IS BORN.

The female Paul Lynde.  Except she was straight.

1926:  DIRECTOR LINA WERTMULLER IS BORN.

I saw her "Seven Beauties."  About seven too many for me.

1930:  BASEBALL MANAGER EARL WEAVER IS BORN.

He argued that it really happened on August 13.

1935:  THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT CREATES A PENSION SYSTEM FOR THE RETIRED.

And, by 2025, most of the money will be gone.

1936:  RAINEY BETHEA IS HANGED IN OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY IN THE LAST PUBLIC EXECUTION IN THE UNITED STATES.

You mean there's still privately held?  How do I get on that e-mail alert?

1941:  ROCK SINGER DAVID CROSBY IS BORN.

Stills, Nash, and Young are waiting for you.

1941:  WINSTON CHURCHILL AND FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT SIGN THE ATLANTIC CHARTER OF WAR STATING POSTWAR AIMS.

Any excuse for these guys to open up the good scotch.

1945:  JAPAN ACCEPTS THE ALLIED TERMS OF SURRENDER IN WORLD WAR II AND THE EMPEROR RECORDS THE IMPERIAL RESCRIPT ON SURRENDER.

Bonsai yourself!

1945:  COMIC ACTOR STEVE MARTIN IS BORN.

Why they don't let him host the Oscars every year is beyond me.

1946:  ACTRESS SUSAN SAINT JAMES IS BORN.

Jane Curtin is waiting for you.

1951:  PUBLISHER WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST DIES.

Rosebud.

1959:  FOUNDING AND FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

And you'll be waiting for Joe Namath.

1972:  ACTOR OSCAR LEVANT DIES.

An American in Casket.

1975:  THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, THE LONGEST RUNNING RELEASE IN FILM HISTORY, OPENS AT THE USA THEATER IN WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

And the theater is long gone.  But it still plays frequently at the Nuart several blocks from my house.

1980:  ACTRESS DOROTHY STRATTEN DIES.

I've seen pictures.  She was hot.  Now she's cold.

1985:  ACTRESS GALE SONDERGAARD DIES.

Everybody's favorite creepy housekeeper.

1999:  BASEBALL STAR PEE WEE REESE DIES.

And is still, to this day, hitting better than Dodger third basemen in 2013.

2003:  WIDESCALE POWER BLACKOUT IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES AND CANADA.

Every time the lights went out when my grandfather was alive, he blamed the Communists.

2012:  ACTOR RON PALILLO DIES.

Welcome back....oh, never mind.

2012:  ACTRESS PHYLLIS THAXTER DIES.

Thirty Seconds Over Heaven.

Dinner last night:  New York hot dog at the Dodger game.

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