216 BC: THE CARTHAGINIAN ARMY LED BY HANNIBAL DEFEATS A NUMERICALLY SUPERIOR ROMAN ARMY.
Numerically superior? I guess that means there were more of them.
461: MAJORIAN IS ARRESTED NEAR TORTONA AND DEPOSED BY THE SUEBIAN GENERAL RICIMER AS PUPPET EMPEROR.
Kukla, Fran, and Majorian.
1343: AFTER THE EXECUTION OF HER HUSBAND, JEANNE DE CLISSON SELLS HER ESTATES AND RAISES A FORCE OF MEN WITH WHICH TO ATTACK FRENCH SHIPPING AND PORTS.
If that doesn't sound like a Lifetime movie, I don't know what does.
1610: DURING HENRY HUDSON'S SEARCH FOR THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE, HE SAILS INTO WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS HUDSON BAY.
Gives you a rough idea how far off he was.
1776: THE SIGNING OF THE UNITED STATES DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE TOOK PLACE.
A month after it was written. Red tape even then.
1790: THE FIRST US CENSUS IS CONDUCTED.
Nine, ten, eleven...
1869: JAPAN'S ED SOCIETY CLASS SYSTEM IS ABOLISHED AS PART OF THE MEJII RESTORATION REFORMS.
#OccupyJaps.
1870: TOWER SUBWAY, THE WORLD'S FIRST UNDERGROUND RAILWAY, OPENS IN LONDON, ENGLAND.
And was delayed due to signal trouble.
1873: THE CLAY STREET HILL RAILROAD BEGINS OPERATING THE FIRST CABLE CAR IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Good. Now there's someplace to put those Rice-A-Roni ads.
1876: WILD BILL HICKOK DIES.
And almost eighty years later, his TV series is cancelled.
1905: ACTRESS MYRNA LOY IS BORN.
The best year of her life.
1914: THE GERMAN OCCUPATION OF LUXEMBOURG DURING WORLD WAR I BEGINS.
Have no clue about Luxembourg but it would be cool to say you live there.
1918: THE FIRST GENERAL STRIKE IN CANADIAN HISTORY TAKES PLACE IN VANCOUVER.
Any excuse for a day off.
1923: VICE PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE BECOMES US PRESIDENT UPON THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT WARREN G. HARDING.
The democratic transfer of power. How civilized. Back then.
1922: INVENTOR ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL DIES.
Disconnected.
1924: ACTOR CARROLL O'CONNOR IS BORN.
Oh, Archie...
1932: THE POSITRON (ANTIPARTICLE OF THE ELECTRON) IS DISCOVERED BY CARL D. ANDERSON.
I guess this is a big deal to physicists.
1932: ACTOR PETER O'TOOLE IS BORN.
Lawrence. Of Arabia.
1934: ADOLF HITLER BECOMES FUHRER OF GERMANY FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT PAUL VON HINDENBURG.
They'll be sorry.
1937: THE MARIJUANA TAX ACT OF 1937 IS PASSED IN AMERICA, THE EFFECT OF WHICH IS TO RENDER MARIJUANA AND ALL ITS BY-PRODUCTS ILLEGAL.
Yeah, that was then.
1939: ALBERT EINSTEIN AND LEO SZILARD WRITE A LETTER TO FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, URGING HIM TO BEGIN THE MANHATTAN PROJECT TO DEVELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
Just in case. We'll probably never use it.
1943: WORLD WAR II - PT 109, WITH FUTURE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ON BOARD, IS RAMMED BY A JAPANESE DESTROYER.
Hey, this might make a great book. And a movie!
1945: ACTRESS JOANNA CASSIDY IS BORN.
In this strange Hollywood world, I actually know two people who dated her.
1947: A BRITISH SOUTH AMERICAN AIRWAYS AVRO LANCASTRIAN AIRLINER CRASHES INTO A MOUNTAIN ON ITS WAY TO CHILE. THE WRECKAGE WOULD NOT BE FOUND UNTIL 1998.
Damn, that was hidden.
1951: SINGER ANDREW GOLD IS BORN.
Thank you for being a friend.
1964: NORTH VIETNAMESE GUNBOATS ALLEGEDLY FIRE ON THE US DESTROYER MADDOX IN THE GULF OF TONKIN.
Lester or Elliott?
1979: YANKEE STAR THURMAN MUNSON DIES IN A SMALL PLANE CRASH.
Small or large, the outcome is the same. Remember this like it was yesterday.
1985: A DELTA AIR LINES FLIGHT CRASHES AT DALLAS/FORT WORTH AIRPORT KILLING 137.
Damn. I guess August 2 is not a good day to fly.
1990: IRAQ INVADES KUWAIT, EVENTUALLY LEADING THE GULF WAR.
As if the fighting never ends there.
1998: PUPPETEER SHARI LEWIS DIES.
I knew where she lived in Beverly Hills and drove past her house the day after she died. It was sad seeing Lamb Chop sitting on top of the garbage can.
2005: AN AIR FRANCE FLIGHT LANDS IN TORONTO AND RUNS OFF THE RUNWAY AND BURSTS INTO FLAMES.
Yeah, I'm never flying on August 2.
Dinner last night: BLT sandwich at Cafe 50s.
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