This Day in History - October 27

Greetings from Boston, the big losers in the snapshot above.  Yep, I was there for the Mets' Game 7 World Series win in 1986.  And then there was...

312:  CONSTANTINE THE GREAT IS SAID TO HAVE RECEIVED HIS FAMOUS VISION OF THE CROSS.

From the very first Lenscrafters franchise.

1275:  TRADITIONAL FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM.

Traditional?  Once you found a city, I think it's a one-time-only deal. 

1553:  CONDEMNED AS A HERETIC, MICHAEL SERVETUS IS BURNED AT THE STAKE JUST OUTSIDE GENEVA.

I have no idea who Michael Servetus is.  Except that he probably was a heretic.

1682: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA IS FOUNDED.

And, unlike the dopes in Amsterdam, they only did it once.  I am now anxiously awaiting the day when Philadelphia and the idiot fans that reside there are unfounded.

1795:  THE UNITED STATES AND SPAIN SIGN THE TREATY OF MADRID, WHICH ESTABLISHES THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN SPANISH COLONIES AND THE US.

As if anybody is still paying attention to them.

1806:  THE FRENCH ARMY ENTERS BERLIN.

So when Germany entered Paris years later, this was payback time?

1838:  MISSOURI GOVERNOR LILBURN BOGGS ISSUES THE EXTERMINATION ORDER, WHICH ORDERS ALL MORMONS TO LEAVE THE STATE OR BE EXTERMINATED.

Well, obviously, they chose the former.  Because I know where they all wound up.

1858:  FUTURE PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT IS BORN.

First word uttered:  Charge!

1904:  THE FIRST NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY LINE OPENS.

And the last time it was on time.

1920:  ACTRESS NANETTE FABRAY IS BORN.

Noting this only because a friend of mine knows her.

1922:  BASEBALL PLAYER/ANNOUNCER RALPH KINER IS BORN.

And he still works some Met games in the booth.  Except nobody can understand a word he says.

1936:  MRS. WALLIS SIMPSON FILES FOR DIVORCE WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY ALLOW HER TO MARRY KING EDWARD VIII OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THUS FORCING HIS ABDICATION FROM THE THRONE.

Did you ever get a good look at King Edward?  Yeech.  Makes you wonder just how ugly Mr. Simpson was.

1941:  AUTO RACER DICK TRICKLE IS BORN.

I'm only writing this because the name is funny.

1954:  BENJAMIN O DAVIS JR BECOMES THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN GENERAL IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.

Although the news headline at the time probably called him "the first Negro general in the United States Air Force."

1967:  CATHOLIC PRIEST PHILIP BERRIGAN AND OTHERS OF THE BALTIMORE FOUR PROTEST THE VIETNAM WAR BY POURING BLOOD ON SELECTIVE SERIVCE RECORDS.

If it's not government paper desecration, it's small boys in robes.

1986:  THE METS WIN THE WORLD SERIES.

If you don't remember this, you might want to look into those short term memory issues.

1990:  BANDLEADER XAVIER CUGAT DIES.

And another chihuahua is homeless.

1996:  COMEDIAN MOREY AMSTERDAM DIES.

But I wanna tell you...

2004:  THE BOSTON RED SOX WIN THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 86 YEARS.

Well, they could have won it in 1986....but, choke, Choke, CHOKE!!!!!!

Dinner last night:  Turkey club sandwich at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.