Wednesday, February 10, 2016

This Date in History - February 10

Happy birthday, Robert Wagner.   Take any yacht rides lately?

1306:  IN FRONT OF THE HIGH ALTAR OF GREYFRIARS CHURCH IN DUMFRIES, ROBERT THE BRUCE MURDERS JOHN COMYN.

What are dumfries and do they come with ketchup?

1355:  THE ST. SCHOLASTICA DAY RIOT BREAKS OUT IN OXFORD, ENGLAND, LEAVING 63 SCHOLARS DEAD IN TWO DAYS.

Well, that's not a nice way to honor them.

1567:  LORD DARNLEY, SECOND HUSBAND OF MARY, QUEENS OF SCOTS, IS FOUND STRANGLED FOLLOWING AN EXPLOSION, A SUSPECTED ASSASSINATION.

Death by strangulation.   And, oh yeah, explosion.

1763:  FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR - THE TREATY OF PARIS ENDS THE WAR AND FRANCE CEDES QUEBEC TO GREAT BRITAIN.

Back in the day when England owned everything.

1840:  QUEEN VICTORIA OF THE UNITED KINGDOM MARRIES PRINCE ALBERT.

Not in a can.

1861:  JEFFERSON DAVIS IS CHOSEN AS PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.

Another Jefferson movin' on up.

1870:  THE YWCA IS FOUNDED IN NEW YORK CITY.

Separate locker room please.

1893:  COMIC JIMMY DURANTE IS BORN.

How about that nose coming down the birth canal?

1920:  JOZEF HALLER DE HALLENBURG PERFORMS SYMBOLIC WEDDING OF POLAND TO THE SEA.  

Huh?   Perhaps the very first Polish joke.

1922-29:  MY MOTHER IS BORN.

We never ever got an exact year.

1930:  ACTOR ROBERT WAGNER IS BORN.

Seriously, what really happened that night?

1933:  IN ROUND 13 OF A NEW YORK BOXING MATCH, PRIMO CARNERA KNOCKS OUT ERNIE SCHAAF, WHO DIES FOUR DAYS LATER.

The ultimate knock-out.

1937:  SINGER ROBERTA FLACK IS BORN.

The first time we ever saw her face.

1942:  THE FIRST GOLD RECORD IS PRESENTED TO GLENN MILLER FOR "CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO."

Track 29.

1943:  WORLD WAR II - THE SOVIET RED ARMY ENGAGES GERMAN TROOPS IN THE BATTLE OF KRASNY BOR.

Last time we were rooting for the Russkies.

1944:  SINGER PETER ALLEN IS BORN.

Married to Liza Minnelli.  Like mother, like daughter.

1950:  SWIMMER MARK SPITZ IS BORN.

Does chlorine tarnish gold?

1954:  US PRESIDENT DWIGHT EISENHOWER WARNS AGAINST US INTERVENTION IN VIETNAM.

He was smarter than he looked.

1957:  AUTHOR LAURA INGALLS WILDER DIES.

The Little Burial Plot on the Prairie.

1962:  CAPTURED AMERICAN U2 SPY-PLANE PILOT GARY POWER IS EXCHANGED FOR A SOVIET SPY.

And a fugitive to be named later.

1967:  THE 25TH AMENDMENT TO THE US CONSTITUTION IS RATIFIED.

The Constitution.  Remember that?

1981:  A FIRE AT THE LAS VEGAS HILTON HOTEL KILLS EIGHT.

Craps!

1989:  RON BROWN IS ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE, BECOMING THE THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO LEAD A MAJOR AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTY.

Ron Brown, ask me again and I'll knock you down.

1992:  AUTHOR ALEX HALEY DIES.

He wrote "Roots."  Now he is one.

1996:  THE IBM SUPERCOMPUTER DEEP BLUE DEFEATS GARRY KASPAROV IN CHESS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Reboot.

2005:  AUTHOR ARTHUR MILLER DIES.

Once married to Marilyn Monroe.  No dope.

2008:  ACTOR ROY SCHEIDER DIES.

You're gonna need a bigger casket.

2014:  ACTRESS SHIRLEY TEMPLE DIES.

The Good Ship Lollipop's final voyage.

Dinner last night:  Had rehearsal so really nothing.

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