Wednesday, December 23, 2015

This Date in History - December 23

Happy birthday, Mr. Burns.   Well, not really him....see below.

484:  HUNERIC DIES AND IS SUCCEEDED BY HIS NEPHEW GUNTHAMUND, WHO BECOMES KING OF THE VANDALS.

Are these the same vandals you often find on the NYC subway system?

558:  CHLOTHAR I IS CROWNED KING OF THE FRANKS.

I thought that was Oscar Mayer.

562:  HAGIA SOPHIA IN CONSTANTINOPLE REOPENED WITH A REBUILT DOME AFTER A SERIES OF EARTHQUAKES CAUSED THE ORIGINAL TO COLLAPSE.

Are they going to put down some Astro turf?

679:  KING DAGOBERT II IS MURDERED WHILE HUNTING.

Who shot him?  A deer?

1783:  GEORGE WASHINGTON RESIGNS AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY IN MARYLAND.

See!   Telling the truth about that cherry tree did have some blowback.

1823:  A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, IS PUBLISHED ANONYMOUSLY.

Anonymously?   Okay, I'll come clean.  I wrote it.

1893:  THE OPERA HANSEL AND GRETEL BY ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK IS FIRST PERFORMED.

Okay, not that Engelbert Humperdinck.

1913:  THE FEDERAL RESERVE ACT IS SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON, CREATING THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM.

Over a hundred years later, there's probably not much left in it.

1919:  SEX DISQUALIFICATION (REMOVAL) ACT 1919 BECOMES LAW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

What?  Who?  How?  Ouch.

1935:  FOOTBALL STAR PAUL HORNUNG IS BORN.

For all you Cheese Heads out there.

1938:  DISCOVERY OF THE FIRST MODERN COELACANTH IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Any guesses?

1941:  WORLD WAR II - AFTER 15 DAYS OF FIGHTING, THE JAPANESE ARMY OCCUPIES WAKE ISLAND.

Oh, sure, they're on a roll.  For now.

1943:  ACTOR HARRY SHEARER IS BORN.

Smithers!!!!!

1946:  ACTRESS SUSAN LUCCI IS BORN.

And her mother welcomed....all her children.

1947:  THE TRANSISTOR IS FIRST DEMONSTRATED AT BELL LABS.

You mean I can hear radio out of this little thing?

1954:  THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL KIDNEY TRANSPLANT.

And how many were unsuccessful?

1968:  THE 82 SAILORS FROM THE USS PUEBLO ARE RELEASED AFTER ELEVEN MONTHS OF INTERNMENT IN NORTH KOREA.

Back then, they captured submarines.   Today, they hijack computer servers.

1970:  THE NORTH TOWER OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NY BECOMES THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD.

For the next 31 years.

1982:  ACTOR JACK WEBB DIES.

The obituary you are about to read is true.

1982:  THE US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ANNOUNCES IT HAS IDENTIFIED DANGEROUS LEVELS OF DIOXIN IN MISSOURI.

The stuff I wash my hair with is called Nioxin.   I wonder what the hell kind of damage I'm doing to my scalp.

1986:  VOYAGER, PILOTED BY DICK RUTAN AND JEANA YEAGER, LANDS IN CALIFORNIA, BECOMING THE FIRST AIRCRAFT TO FLY NON-STOP AROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT AERIAL OR GROUND REFUELING.

But I bet they still lost some luggage.

2000:  ACTOR BILLY BARTY DIES.

He was 76, so he didn't come up that short.

2000:  PIANIST VICTOR BORGE DIES.

Period semi-colon.

2010:  A MONSOONAL TROUGH CROSSES THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF AUSTRALIA FROM THE CORAL SEA.

Right in the middle of Australia's summer season.

2012:  MURDERER JEAN HARRIS DIES.

Guilty.

Dinner last night:  Leftover spaghetti and meatballs.

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