Wednesday, January 17, 2024

This Date in History - January 17

 

Remembering the Northridge earthquake which happened on this date in 1994.  Mercifully, I was in my living room in Yonkers, New York.

38 BC:  OCTAVIAN DIVORCES HIS WIFE SCRIBONIA AND MARRIES LIVIA DRUSILLA, ENDING THE FRAGILE PEACE BETWEEN THE SECOND TRIUMVIRATE AND SEXTUS POMPEY.

I want to know more about this Sextus thing.

395:  UPON THE DEATH OF EMPEROR THEODOSIUS I, THE ROMAN EMPIRE IS PERMANENTLY DIVIDED INTO THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE UNDER ARCADIUS.

At the Arcadius, can you play Pacmanius?

1524:  GIOVANNI DA VERRAZZANO SETS SAIL WESTWARD FROM MADEIRA TO FIND A SEA ROUTE TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

So how come the bridge goes to Staten Island?

1608:  EMPEROR SUSENYOS I OF ETHIOPIA SURPRISES AN OROMO ARMY AT EBERNAT.  HIS ARMY REPORTEDLY KILLS 12,000 AT THE COST OF 400 OF HIS MEN.

12,000 to 400?  That's like a New York Giants score this past season.

1773:  CAPTAIN JAMES COOK COMMANDS THE FIRST EXPEDITION TO SAIL SOUTH OF THE ANTARCTIC CIRCLE.

You know it's going to be cold there?

1799:  MALTESE PATRIOT DUN MIKIEL XERRI AND OTHER PATRIOTS ARE EXECUTED.

And    Tom Brady was spared.

1880:  FILM PRODUCER MACK SENNETT IS BORN.

Hit somebody in the face with a pie.

1885:  A BRITISH FORCE DEFEATS A LARGE DERVISH ARMY IN THE SUDAN.

Those Dervish were sent whirling.

1899:  THE UNITED STATES TAKES POSSESSION OF WAKE ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC.

World War II battle to follow.

1899:  MOBSTER AL CAPONE IS BORN.

Chicago gun battle to follow.

1904:  CHEKHOV'S "THE CHERRY ORCHARD" RECEIVES ITS PREMIERE PERFORMANCE AT THE MOSCOW ART THEATER.

Book report to follow.

1912:  CAPTAIN ROBERT FALCON SCOTT REACHES THE SOUTH POLE, ONE MONTH AFTER ROALD AMUNDSEN.

What was this?  Season 1 of the Amazing Race?

1917:  THE UNITED STATES PAYS DENMARK $25 MILLION FOR THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

It would been $20 million if they were the Non-Virgin Islands.

1922:  ACTRESS BETTY WHITE IS BORN.

Still pissed that she just missed 100.

1927:  SINGER EARTHA KITT IS BORN.

Santa baby, I'm gonna need a crib.

1928:  HAIR STYLIST VIDAL SASSOON IS BORN.

Oooh la la.

1929:  POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN FIRST APPEARS AS A COMIC STRIP.

Well, blow me down.

1931:  BASEBALL STAR DON ZIMMER IS BORN.

The metal plate in his head came later.

1933:  PUPPETEER SHARI LEWIS IS BORN.

Oddly, Lamb Chop was born the previous year.

1942:  BOXER MUHAMMAD ALI IS BORN.

Well, he was Cassius Clay on that day.

1946:  THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS ITS FIRST SESSION.

And immediately breaks for lunch.

1949:  COMIC ANDY KAUFMAN IS BORN.

Or so we're told.

1950:  THE GREAT BRINK'S ROBBERY IN BOSTON.

Two million dollars stolen from an armored car.  Which makes it a lousy armored car.

1961:  US PRESIDENT DWIGHT EISENHOWER DELIVERS A FAREWELL ADDRESS TO THE NATION BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE, WARNING PEOPLE AGAINST THE DANGERS OF MASSIVE SPENDING.

Meanwhile, when is tee off time?

1964:  MICHELLE OBAMA IS BORN.

Calorie count on that birthday cake:  850.

1977:  CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE US RESUMES AFTER A TEN YEAR HIATUS, AS CONVICTED MURDERED GARY GILMORE IS EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD.

Glad they didn't miss.

1991:  OPERATION DESERT STORM BEGINS EARLY IN THE MORNING.

And was over six weeks later.

1994:  THE 6.7 NORTHRIDGE EARTHQUAKE.

And, to think, they're waiting for the one here that will be 7.3.

1998:  MATT DRUDGE BREAKS THE STORY OF THE BILL CLINTON-MONICA LEWINSKY AFFAIR ON HIS WEBSITE.

Who broke the story about the ten others he screwed?

2003:  ACTOR RICHARD CRENNA DIES.

The Real McCoy.

2005:  ACTRESS VIRGINIA MAYO DIES.

Held.

2008:  CHESS PLAYER BOBBY FISCHER DIES.

Checkmate.

2010:  AUTHOR ERICH SEGAL DIES.

Death Story.

2011:  PRODUCER DON KIRSHNER DIES.

It's midnight again.

Dinner last night:  Coconut chicken tenders.

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