This Day in History - October 6

You ain't read nuthin' yet.  There's a reason this photo shows up today.  But you'll have to wait until we get to 1927 before I tell you.

105 BC:  DURING THE BATTLE OF ARAUSIO, THE CIMBRI INFLICT THE HEAVIEST DEFEAT ON THE ROMAN ARMY OF GNAEUS MALLIUS MAXIMUS.

Any word from his brother Glutteus?  That simple ass.

869:  ERMENTRUDE OF ORLEANS DIES.  SHE WAS A CONSORT OF CHARLES THE BALD.

Joke coming...

877:  CHARLES THE BALD DIES.

Those eight years without Ermentrude must have been sheer hell.  Meanwhile, who is actually proud of being called through world history "the Bald?"

1582:  BECAUSE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR, THIS DAY IS SKIPPED IN ITALY, POLAND, PORTUGAL, AND SPAIN.

Does this mean that, if I was born in Italy, my birthday is really February 12?  And, as if the Polish didn't have enough to remember...

1683:  WILLIAM PENN BRINGS 13 GERMAN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES TO THE COLONY OF PENNSYLVANIA, MARKING THE FIRST IMMIGRATION OF GERMAN PEOPLE TO AMERICA.

The egg noodle couldn't have been far behind.  My German relatives didn't show up for another 225 years.  My family was never one to jump on a trend too quickly.

1789:  DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, LOUIS XVI RETURNS TO PARIS FROM VERSAILLES AFTER BEING CONFRONTED BY SOME PARISIAN WOMEN.

On the earliest known episode of Jerry Springer.

1846:  INVENTOR GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE IS BORN.

You can be sure.

1889:  THOMAS EDISON SHOWS HIS FIRST MOTION PICTURE.

And amazingly it came in third place for the weekend box office.

1903:  THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA SITS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

How long did they make them stand?

1927:  OPENING OF THE JAZZ SINGER, THE FIRST TALKING MOVIE.

And, in 2010, there are lots of movies that would be better off with no sound.

1935:  WRESTLER BRUNO SAMMARTINO IS BORN.

My grandmother's idea of an athlete.  She loved it when he used to talk to his fans in his native Italian.  As if she could understand a single word he was saying...

1939:  DURING WORLD WAR II, THE LAST POLISH ARMY IS DEFEATED.

But, in Poland, they are saying this happened on October 7.  If you don't get that joke, you are reading this blog way too fast.

1945:  BILLY SIANIS AND HIS PET BILLY GOAT ARE EJECTED FROM WRIGLEY FIELD DURING GAME 4 OF THE WORLD SERIES - THE ALLEGED BIRTH OF THE BILLY GOAT CURSE.

Yeah, the Cubs' futility ever since has had nothing to do with a lot of bad pitching, expensive player contracts, and poor management.  You're still a dirtbag, Ron Santo!

1977:  POPE JOHN PAUL II BECOMES THE FIRST PONTIFF TO VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE.

He brought a simple cheese strudel.  Rosalyn Carter made Sanka.

1981:  EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT ANWAR AL-SADAT IS ASSASSINATED.

Not everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when the news of Sadat's murder broke.  For some bizarre reason, I do.  P.S. the story isn't particularly interesting.

1987:  FIJI BECOMES A REPUBLIC.

And later on, a bottled water.

1989:  ACTRESS BETTE DAVIS DIES.

I really hope she was cremated.  What a fitting final tribute.

1999:  WRESTLER GORILLA MONSOON DIES.

On Bruno's birthday??  My grandmother would have been heartbroken.

2000:  YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC RESIGNS.

Gee, if he lived in either Italy, Poland, Portugal, or Spain, this may never have happened.

Dinner last night:  A Fletcher's corn dog at the Texas State Fair.