This Date in History - October 20

 

Mickey Mantle today? Why? Pay attention....

460: AELIA EUDOCIA, BYZANTINE EMPRESS, DIES.

Okay, all together now. One-two-three...WHO??????

1620: DUTCH PAINTER AELBERT CUYP IS BORN.

His birth date got shortchanged, since all the newspapers were busy covering the Pilgrims' move to America.

1781: PATENT OF TOLERATION, PROVIDING LIMITED FREEDOM OF WORSHIP, IS APPROVED IN HABSBURG MONARCHY.

So, you Muslims looking to build a mosque, Habsburg might be your spot.

1803:  THE UNITED STATES SENATE RATIFIES THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.

Lucky us, we got stuck with those assholes and broken levees in New Orleans.  Customer Service, please...

1882:  BELA "DRACULA" LUGOSI IS BORN.

Something we can really get our teeth into.

1883:  PERU AND CHILE SIGNED THE TREATY OF ANCON, BY WHICH THE TARAPACA PROVINCE IS CEDED TO THE LATTER, BRINGING AN END TO PERU'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR OF THE PACIFIC.

News to me.  I guess Tom Hanks hasn't gotten around to this one yet.

1907:  ARLENE FRANCIS IS BORN.

I'm stuck.  What's my line here?

1910:  YANKEE PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER BOB SHEPPARD IS BORN.

Birth announcements...are now available...from Stadium vendors.

1931:  MICKEY MANTLE IS BORN.

The same day as Bob Sheppard.  Is this a neat blog entry or what?

1935:  THE LONG MARCH ENDS.

It's October.  Doesn't April come after March?  Yeah, you might have a better joke for this, but I'm the one with the blog site.

1941:  DURING WORLD WAR TWO, THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS IN KRAGUJEVAC IN GERMAN-OCCUPIED SERBIA ARE KILLED IN THE KRAGUJEVAC MASSACRE.

Well, what else would you call a massacre of thousands of people in Kragujevac?  Sometimes, historical facts can be so obvious.

1944:  GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR FULFILLS HIS PROMISE TO RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES WHEN HE COMMANDS AN ALLIED ASSAULT ON THE ISLANDS, RECLAIMING THEM FROM THE JAPANESE.

Give him credit for showing up again.  Who the hell wants to see the Philippines twice in one lifetime??

1947:  THE HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE BEGINS ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE COMMUNIST INFILTRATION OF HOLLYWOOD.

And I'm all for another housecleaning out here, as long as it helps us get rid of the Kardashians.

1968:  JACQUELINE KENNEDY MARRIES ARISTOTLE ONASSIS.

Boy, did she sell short or what?  The guy looked like a baboon.  I guess this is what happens when a woman skips her eye doctor appointments for a couple of years.

1973:  IN THE SATURDAY NIGHT MASSACRE, PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON FIRES US ATTORNEY GENERAL ELLIOT RICHARDSON AND DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM RUCKELSHAUS AFTER THEY REFUSE TO FIRE WATERGATE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR ARCHIBALD COX.

And they didn't even live in Kragujevac.

1977:  A PLANE CARRYING LYNYRD SKYNYRD CRASHES IN MISSISSIPPI.

Nbdy srvvd.

1979:  THE JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY OPENS IN BOSTON.

With about 100 or so copies of "Profiles in Courage" no doubt.

2006:  ACTRESS JANE WYATT DIES.

Mother Lasted Best.

2014:  DESIGNER OSCAR DE LA RENTA DIES.

As opposed to Oscar De La Buyer.

2020:  MAGICIAN JAMES RANDI DIES.

Now that's a disappearing act.

Dinner last night:  Leftover chicken.