1358: REPUBLIC OF DUBROVNIK IS FOUNDED.
I'm not seeing a lot of ads to vacation in Dubrovnik. Obviously, their Chamber of Commerce is asleep at the switch.
1497: CORNISH REBELS MICHAEL AN GOF AND THOMAS FLAMANK ARE EXECUTED.
And you thought the Cornish were only famous for their game hens??
1709: PETER THE GREAT DEFEATS CHARLES XII OF SWEDEN AT THE BATTLE OF POLTAVA.
I guess that's what makes him great.
1759: GENERAL JAMES WOLFE BEGINS THE SIEGE OF QUEBEC.
And Canada thought hockey was violent.
1806: BRITISH FORCES TAKE BUENOS AIRES DURING THE FIRST BRITISH INVASIONS OF THE RIO DE LA PLATA.
Well, that's smart. Conquer some nifty vacation spots.
1844: JOSEPH SMITH JR., FOUNDER OF THE LATTER DAY SAINT MOVEMENT, AND HIS BROTHER HYRUM SMITH ARE MURDERED BY A MOB.
A really latter day saint now.
1880: HELEN KELLER IS BORN.
Everybody wave and sing "Happy Birthday." Oh, yeah, right. Never mind.
1888: THEATER DIRECTOR ANTOINETTE PERRY IS BORN.
The Tonys are named after her. The theater award, not the home permanent.
1895: THE INAUGURAL RUN OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD'S ROYAL BLUE FROM WASHINGTON DC TO NEW YORK, THE FIRST US PASSENGER TRAIN TO USE ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES.
That has to be one long extension cord.
1899: A.E.J. COLLINS SCORES 628 RUNS NOT OUT, THE HIGHEST-EVER RECORDED SCORE IN CRICKET.
Ster-oids! Ster-oids!! Ster-oids!!!
1905: SAILORS START A MUTINY ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, DENOUNCING THE CRIMES OF AUTOCRACY, DEMANDING LIBERTY, AND AN END TO WAR.
Potemkin? Isn't that a Cadillac car dealership in NY?
1913: BILLIARDS PLAYER WILLIE MOSCONI IS BORN.
Eight ball, side pocket.
1927: TV HOST BOB KEESHAN IS BORN.
And a Fordham University graduate to boot. He was honored during my graduation ceremony.
1930: POLITICIAN ROSS PEROT IS BORN.
I'd say he was one of the biggest lunatics ever in politics, but my list has gotten a lot longer of late.
1941: GERMAN TROOPS CAPTURE THE CITY OF BIALYSTOK.
Two days later, they captured the city of Bloom.
1949: FASHION DESIGNER VERA WANG IS BORN.
If you go to an awards ceremony in Hollywood, you must wear her.
1950: THE UNITED STATES DECIDES TO SEND TROOPS TO FIGHT IN THE KOREAN WAR.
Had this not happened, we never would have seen Alan Alda star in M*A*S*H.
1967: THE WORLD'S FIRST ATM IS INSTALLED IN ENFIELD TOWN, ENGLAND.
And who was the first idiot to forget their PIN number???
1971: AFTER ONLY THREE YEARS IN BUSINESS, ROCK PROMOTER BILL GRAHAM CLOSES THE FILLMORE EAST IN NEW YORK.
Fillmore Least, apparently.
1974: US PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON VISITS THE SOVIET UNION.
Hmmm. June 1974? He probably should have stayed there.
1975: ACTOR TOBEY MAGUIRE IS BORN.
Spidey!!
1977: FRANCE GRANTS INDEPENDENCE TO DJIBOUTI.
Doesn't exactly trip off the tongue like Dubrovnik.
1988: IN PARIS, A TRAIN COLLIDES WITH A STATIONARY TRAIN KILLING 56 PEOPLE.
Stationary? We probably lost some pens and envelopes, too.
1996: PRODUCER ALBERT BROCCOLI DIES.
Producer of James Bond flicks. His nickname was Cubby. Just like the Mouseketeer.
2001: ACTOR JACK LEMMON DIES.
Some like it cold.
2002: MUSICIAN JOHN ENTWISTLE DIES.
Who?
2009: ACTRESS GALE STORM DIES.
My Dead Margie.
Dinner last night: Beef skewers and Japanese vegetables at Inakaya.
2 comments:
Any day with a Helen Keller joke is a good day.
You got Captain Kangaroo. The year behind me got Alan Alda. I got Edward Vilella. Give me the captain any day.
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