This Date in History: March 23

 

Hello, dere!!  In Heaven.

1708:  JAMES FRANCIS EDWARD STUART LANDS AT THE FIRTH OF FORTH.

That looks like one of those sentences they make you do over and over in typing class.

1775:  DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, PATRICK HENRY DELIVERS HIS "GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH" SPEECH.

Is that the only choice you got?

1801:  TSAR PAUL I OF RUSSIA IS STRUCK WITH A SWORD, THEN STRANGLED, AND FINALLY TRAMPLED TO DEATH IN HIS BEDROOM AT ST. MICHAEL'S CASTLE.

Overkill.

1821:  DURING THE GREEK WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, THE CITY OF KALAMATA FALLS.

And the price of olives went way, way up.

1857:  ELISHA OTIS' FIRST ELEVATOR IS INSTALLED AT 488 BROADWAY IN NEW YORK CITY.

Bet their stock went up, too.

1868:  THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IS FOUNDED IN OAKLAND WHEN THE ORGANIC ACT IS ENACTED INTO LAW.

The Organic Act?  Has this got something to do with Whole Foods?  Meanwhile, now that this college exists, Chinese math students finally have a destination.

1889:  THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY IS ESTABLISHED BY MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD IN QADIAN INDIA.

It must be really easy to score a lot of points in the Muslim edition of Scrabble.

1903:  THE WRIGHT BROTHERS APPLY FOR A PATENT ON THEIR INVENTION OF ONE OF THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL AIRPLANES.

Looking at one of these very early planes, there was definitely more legroom.  Even if you were lying across the wings.

1905:  ACTRESS JOAN CRAWFORD IS BORN.

We love you, Mommie dearest.

1908:  AMERICAN DIPLOMAT DURHAM STEVENS IS ATTACKED BY KOREAN ASSASSINS JEON MYEONG-UN AND JANG IN-HWAN, LEADING TO HIS DEATH IN A HOSPITAL TWO DAYS LATER.

It must be really easy to score a lot of points in the Korean edition of Scrabble.

1919:  IN MILAN, ITALY, BENITO MUSSOLINI FOUNDS HIS FASCIST POLITICAL MOVEMENT.

He'll be hanging around until the day when he is...er, hanging around.

1922:  COMEDIAN MARTY ALLEN IS BORN.

A very bad hair day.

1933:  THE REICHSTAG PASSES THE ENABLING ACT OF 1933, MAKING ADOLF HITLER DICTATOR OF GERMANY.

What's with March 23 and rising dictators?

1953:  SINGER CHAKA KHAN IS BORN.

I once went to an industry function and, in the green room, she was so stoned that they had to prop her up against the wall for photo opportunities.

1956:  PAKISTAN BECOMES THE FIRST ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IN THE WORLD.

It's all downhill now.

1964:  ACTOR PETER LORRE DIES.

The undertaker needed a crowbar to close his eyes for the viewing.

1965:  NASA LAUNCHES GEMINI 3, THE UNITED STATES' FIRST TWO-MAN SPACE FLIGHT WITH GUS GRISSOM AND JOHN YOUNG ON BOARD.

The euphoria would be short-lived for Grissom who burned up while testing the Apollo capsule the following January.

1966:  MY GRANDFATHER DIES.

While I don't usually recall the dates when relatives die, this one was easy as it was the day after his birthday.

1982:  ARTIFICIAL HEART RECIPIENT BARNEY CLARK DIES.

So much for that extended warranty.

1983:  PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN MAKES HIS INITIAL PROPOSAL TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY TO INTERCEPT ENEMY MISSILES.

Well, there he goes again.

2005:  THE UNITED STATES 11TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, IN A 2-1 DECISION, REFUSES TO ORDER THE REINSERTING OF TERRI SCHIAVO'S FEEDING TUBE.

Bye, bye.

2011:  ACTRESS ELIZABETH TAYLOR DIES.

Cats are envious.  She had about twelve lives.

2016:  SPORTSCASTER JOE GARAGIOLA DIES.

My grandmother used to call him Garabaldi.

2016:  ACTOR KEN HOWARD DIES.

The White Shadow.   Can we say that in 2022?

2020:   BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON LOCKS DOWN ENGLAND DUE TO COVID-19.

My memory is fuzzy.  Was this a thing?

2021:  ACTOR GEORGE SEGAL DIES.   

Should have been afraid of more than Virginia Woolf.

Dinner last night:   Leftover Beef Stroganoff.