This Date in History - December 20

 

Happy birthday to David Wright, who should have had a more robust baseball career than he did.   Damn injuries.

217:  CALLIXTUS I IS ELECTED AS THE SIXTEENTH POPE, ALTHOUGH HIPPOLYTUS OF ROME IS ELECTED AS A RIVAL POPE.

I see a reality TV show here.

1192:  RICHARD I OF ENGLAND IS CAPTURED AND IMPRISONED BY LEOPOLD V OF AUSTRIA ON HIS WAY HOME TO ENGLAND AFTER THE THIRD CRUSADE.

Another day I slept through in tenth grade World History.

1606:  THE VIRGINIA COMPANY LOADS THREE SHIPS WITH SETTLERS AND SETS SAIL TO ESTABLISH JAMESTOWN, THE FIRST PERMANENT ENGLISH SETTLE IN THE AMERICAS.

Permanent as in these guys are still there?

1803:  THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE IS COMPLETED AT A CEREMONY IN NEW ORLEANS.

Keep the receipt.

1860:  SOUTH CAROLINA BECOMES THE FIRST STATE TO ATTEMPT TO SECEDE FROM THE UNITED STATES.

If only that had been permanent.

1881:  BASEBALL EXECUTIVE BRANCH RICKEY IS BORN.

His father's name was Lime.

1916:  WORLD WAR I - THE BATTLE OF VERDUN RESULTS IN A FRENCH VICTORY AFTER MORE THAN 9 MONTHS OF FIGHTING.

The French had to win something sooner or later.

1924:  ADOLF HITLER IS RELEASED FROM LANDSBERG PRISON.

What a stupid parole officer.

1932:  ACTOR JOHN HILLERMAN IS BORN.

From "Magnum, PI."  One of those actors that I thought had already died until he actually did.

1942:  WORLD WAR II - JAPANESE AIR FORCES BOMB CALCUTTA, INDIA.

Meh.   But "Calcutta" was a great instrumental hit by Lawrence Welk.

1946:  PSYCHIC URI GELLER IS BORN.

Attention, all you spoons and forks.

1946:  TV PRODUCER DICK WOLF IS BORN.

At one time, he had every single show telecast on NBC.

1946:  THE MOVIE "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" IS RELEASED IN NY.

Oddly enough, it had originally come out in August.

1951:  THE EBR-1 IN ARCO, IDAHO BECOMES THE FIRST NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY, POWERING FOUR LIGHT BULBS.

Four light bulbs that are probably illegal in 2017.

1957:  THE INITIAL PRODUCTION VERSION OF THE BOEING 707 MAKES ITS FIRST FLIGHT.

Food for purchase.

1961:  PLAYWRIGHT MOSS HART DIES.

Mr. Kitty Carlisle.

1967:  A PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD METROLINER EXCEEDS 155 MPH ON WHAT IS NOW AMTRAK'S NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.

Which means it forgot to stop at any stations.

1968:  THE ZODIAC KILLER KILLS TWO IN VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA.

Bad horoscopes.

1968:  AUTHOR JOHN STEINBECK DIES.

Of Mice and Corpses.

1971:  BUSINESSMAN ROY O. DISNEY DIES.

I didn't know they were Irish.

1971:  THE INTERNATIONAL AID ORGANIZATION DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS IS FOUNDED IN FRANCE.

Hey, we're all without Borders now that the book chain closed.

1973:  SINGER BOBBY DARIN DIES.

At 37.   Now that's young.

1982:  NEW YORK MET DAVID WRIGHT IS BORN.

Wow, he is already 41???

1985:  POPE JOHN PAUL II ANNOUNCES THE INSTITUTION OF WORLD YOUTH DAY.

Take a Youth to lunch.

1989:  THE UNITED STATES INVASION OF PANAMA DEPOSES MANUEL NORIEGA.

Adios.

1994:  POLITICIAN DEAN RUSK DIES.

The head of Rusk University?

1996:  AUTHOR CARL SAGAN DIES.

Into the cosmos.

2001:  COMIC FOSTER BROOKS DIES.

With all the liquor in him, he will never decompose.

2007:  ELIZABETH II BECOMES THE OLDEST MONARCH OF THE UNITED KINGDOM..

And used the same handbag all these years.

2009:  ACTOR ARNOLD STANG DIES.

Top Cat now on the bottom.

Dinner last night:  SPO from my freezer.