62: A EARTHQUAKE IN POMPEII, ITALY.
Before or after the volcano? Either way, it sucks to be in Pompeii.
756: AN LUSHAN, LEADER OF A REVOLT AGAINST THE TANG DYNASTY, DECLARES HIMSELF EMPEROR AND ESTABLISHES THE STATE OF YAN.
And the second state will be called New Yan.
1631: ROGER WILLIAMS EMIGRATES TO BOSTON.
This is not the guy who played the piano.
1778: SOUTH CAROLINA BECOMES THE SECOND STATE TO RATIFY THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION.
So it takes almost 80 more years for this fight to begin?
1783: IN CALABRIA, A SEQUENCE OF STRONG EARTHQUAKES BEGINS.
Talk to the folks in Pompeii.
1818: JEAN-BAPTISTE BERNADOTTE ASCENDS TO THE THRONES OF SWEDEN AND NORWAY.
That's being a little piggy, if you ask me.
1852: THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, ONE OF THE LARGEST AND OLDEST MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD, OPENS TO THE PUBLIC.
And schoolchildren in Russia can be bored with the rest of us who had to endure class trips.
1869: THE LARGEST ALLUVIAL GOLD NUGGET IN HISTORY, IS FOUND IN AUSTRALIA.
Thar;s gold in them dere outbacks.
1900: THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM SIGN A TREATY FOR THE PANAMA CANAL.
Over tea and scones, no doubt.
1900: POLITICIAN ADLAI STEVENSON IS BORN.
And gets hit over the head with a picket sign in Dallas 63 years later.
1903: BUSINESSWOMAN JOAN WHITNEY PAYSON IS BORN.
Meet the Mets!
1909: BELGIAN CHEMIST LEO BAEKELAND ANNOUNCES THE CREATION OF BAKELITE, THE WORLD'S FIRST SYNTHETIC PLASTIC.
Like the guy told Dustin Hoffman in the Graduate...."Bakelite."
1917: THE CONGRESS OF THE US PASSES THE IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1917 OVER PRESIDENT WILSON'S VETO. IT FORBADE IMMIGRATION FROM NEARLY ALL OF SOUTHERN ASIA.
Can we bring this back please?
1918: SS TUSCANIA IS TORPEDOED OFF THE COAST OF IRELAND. IT IS THE FIRST SHIP CARRYING AMERICAN TROOPS TO EUROPE TO BE TORPEDOED.
And not the last.
1919: CHARLIE CHAPLIN, MARY PICKFORD, DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, AND DW GRIFFITH LAUNCH UNITED ARTISTS.
Coming soon to a multiplex near you.
1919: ACTOR RED BUTTONS IS BORN.
Had a birthday, but never a dinner.
1934: BASEBALL STAR HANK AARON IS BORN.
As far as I am concerned, he still is the only one to break Babe Ruth's HR record.
1937: PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT PROPOSES A PLAN TO ENLARGE THE SUPREME COURT OF THE US.
The Supreme Court, to this day, remains one of the biggest jokes in this country.
1939: GENERALISIMO FRANCISCO FRANCO BECOMES THE 68TH CAUDILLO DE ESPANA OR LEADER OF SPAIN.
Whatever. He's still dead.
1945: GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR RETURNS TO MANILA.
Well, he said he would.
1948: ACTRESS BARBARA HERSHEY IS BORN.
I'm sure that she endured some jokes in school with that last name.
1962: FRENCH PRESIDENT CHARLES DE GAULLE CALLS FOR ALGERIA TO BE GRANTED INDEPENDENCE.
Show of hands. Who cares?
1964: ACTRESS LAURA LINNEY IS BORN.
A talented actress. Could have used her. Too late.
1969: ACTRESS THELMA RITTER DIES.
A talented actress. Could have used her. Too late...for her.
1971: ASTRONAUTS LAND ON THE MOON FOR THE APOLLO 14 MISSION.
Not destined to be a Ron Howard movie.
1972: BOB DOUGLAS BECOMES THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN ELECTED TO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME.
I looked him up and an old newspaper clipping referred to him as the "first Negro." How times have flipped.
1976: THE 1976 SWINE FLU OUTBREAK BEGINS AT FORT DIX, NJ.
Oink.
1988: MANUEL NORIEGA IS INDICTED ON DRUG SMUGGLING AND MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES.
Plus his penmanship was really bad.
1991: ACTOR DEAN JAGGER DIES.
General Waverly in White Christmas.
1993: PRODUCER JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ DIES.
All About Death.
1994: BYRON DE LA BECKWITH IS CONVICTED OF THE 1963 MURDER OF CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER MEDGAR EVERS.
Thirty one years later?? That's one slow jury.
1995: ACTOR DOUG MCCLURE DIES.
Trampas on TV's The Virginian.
2006: ACTOR FRANKLIN COVER DIES.
Tom Willis on TV's The Jeffersons.
2007 ACTOR FRED BALL DIES.
Lucy's brother. Really.
Dinner last night: Hot dog.
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