Wednesday, July 1, 2015

This Date in History - July 1

Happy birthday, Olivia de Havilland.  There's lots of people we could have used in the photo spotlight today, but, heck, she's turning 99 on her way to 100.  That works for me.

69:  TIBERIUS JULIUS ALEXANDER ORDERS HIS ROMAN LEGIONS IN ALEXANDRIA TO SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO VESPASIAN AS EMPEROR.

Since those soldiers probably like to swear anyway.

1097:  CRUSADERS LED BY PRINCE BOHEMOND OF TARANTO DEFEAT A SELJUK ARMY LET BY SULTAN KILIJ ARSIAN I.

Does anybody know how to pronounce any of that??

1523:  JOHANN ESCH AND HEINRICH VOES BECOME THE FIRST LUTHERAN MARTYRS, BURNED AT THE STAKE BY ROMAN CATHOLICS.

Plus they forgot to put something in the offering plate.

1643:  FIRST MEETING OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY IN LONDON.

Did they start the dog show?

1766:  JEAN-FRANCOIS DE LA BARRE, A YOUNG FRENCH NOBLEMAN, IS TORTURED AND BEHEADED BEFORE HIS BODY IS BURNT ON A PYRE ALONG WITH A COPY OF VOLTAIRE'S DICTIONNAIRE NAILED TO HIS TORSO FOR THE CRIME OF NOT SALUTING A CATHOLIC PROCESSION IN FRANCE.

That's a lot of typing just to say "he's dead."

1837:  A SYSTEM OF CIVIL REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS IS ESTABLISHED IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

The beginning, the middle, and the end.

1858:  JOINT READING OF CHARLES DARWIN AND ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE'S PAPERS ON EVOLUTION IN LONDON.

Who's a monkey???

1863:  DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG BEGINS.

Start writing that speech, Abe.

1870:  THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FORMALLY COMES INTO EXISTENCE.

Good.  Now crime can begin.

1874:  THE SHOLES AND GLIDDEN TYPEWRITER, THE FIRST COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL TYPEWRITER, GOES ON SALE.

The first unsuccessful one?     lyltkwsfgqtrercxvas.

1879:  CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL PUBLISHES THE FIRST EDITION OF THE WATCHTOWER.

Get off my front porch!

1903:  START OF THE FIRST TOUR DE FRANCE BIKE RACE.

No word on what year it ended.

1906:  BUSINESSWOMAN ESTEE LAUDER IS BORN.

The only perfume my mother wore.

1908:  SOS IS ADOPTED AS THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRESS SIGNAL.

Replacing.....Help!!!!!!!!!

1916:  ACTRESS OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND IS BORN.

Ordering one cake and one fire extinguisher.

1916:  WORLD WAR I - ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME 19,000 SOLDIERS OF THE BRITISH ARM ARE KILLED AND 40,000 WOUNDED.

Those are Somme casualties.

1920:  ACTOR HAROLD SAKATA IS BORN.

Oddjob!

1925:  ACTOR FARLEY GRANGER IS BORN.

A stranger on a train.

1931:  ACTRESS LESLIE CARON IS BORN.

Gigi!

1934:  ACTOR JAMIE FARR IS BORN.

Nice dress.

1943:  TOKYO CITY MERGES WITH TOKYO PREFECTURE AND IS DISSOLVED.  SINCE THIS DATE, NO CITY IN JAPAN HAS THE NAME "TOKYO."

Or, for that matter, "Mothra."

1952:  ACTOR DAN AYKROYD IS BORN.

That's good bass.

1958:  THE CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION LINKS TELEVISION BROADCASTING ACROSS CANADA VIA MICROWAVE.

Linking TV with popcorn forever.

1960:  INDEPENDENCE OF SOMALIA.

Good, I was worried.

1962:  INDEPENDENCE OF RWANDA.

Okay, now redundant.

1962:  INDEPENDENCE OF BURUNDI.

Obviously, a slow news day unless you live in Burundi.

1963:  ZIP CODES ARE INTRODUCED FOR US MAIL.

And still my mailman sometimes doesn't show up until 7PM.

1967:  CANADA CELEBRATES ITS 100TH BIRTHDAY.

Why not celebrate it with an Expo??

1979:  SONY INTRODUCES THE WALKMAN.

Remember those????

1980:  "O CANADA" OFFICIALLY BECOMES THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF CANADA.

That's funny.   I thought it always was.

1984:  THE PG-13 RATING IS INTRODUCED BY THE MPAA.

Goodbye, M.

1987:  WFAN RADIO IN NY IS LAUNCHED AS THE WORLD'S FIRST ALL-SPORTS RADIO STATION.

Hello, Vinnie from Passaic.

1991:  ACTOR MICHAEL LANDON DIES.

Little Grave on the Prairie.

1995:  RADIO HOST WOLFMAN JACK DIES.

Spinning the hits on that great AM station in the sky.

1996:  MODEL MARGAUX HEMINGWAY DIES.

Even beautiful people have demons.

1997:  ACTOR ROBERT MITCHUM DIES.

I always thought he was eating way too much beef.

2000:  ACTOR WALTER MATTHAU DIES.

Never a bad performance ever.

2004:  ACTOR MARLON BRANDO DIES.

He actually was a contender.

2005:  SINGER LUTHER VANDROSS DIES. 

Grammys kill.

2009:  ACTOR KARL MALDEN DIES.

Wonder if Karl and Marlon knew they would share the same date of death when they worked together in "On the Waterfront."

Dinner last night:  Chef's salad.









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