This Date in History - November 7

Happy birthday and post-Election Day, Peter Brady.  Let's look at this date and see all the people that got elected today in the past.

335:  ATHANASIUS IS BANISHED TO TRIER ON THE CHARGE THAT HE PREVENTED A GRAIN FLEET FROM SAILING TO CONSTANTINOPLE.

Okay, the electoral history doesn't start quite yet.  Back then, you changed out leaders by killing them,

680:  THE SIXTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL COMMENCES IN CONSTANTINOPLE.

I can't believe I typed "Constantinople" twice already.

1619:  ELIZABETH OF SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND IS CROWNED QUEEN OF BOHEMIA.

Since Constantinople was unavailable....

1775:  JOHN MURRAY, THE ROYAL GOVERNOR OF THE COLONY OF VIRGINIA, STARTS THE FIRST MASS EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES IN NORTH AMERICA BY ISSUING LORD DUNMORE'S OFFER OF EMANCIPATION. 

That's a lot of typing just to say, "Chains are off.  Go!"

1786:  THE OLDEST MUSICAL ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES IS FOUNDED AS THE STOUGHTON MUSICAL SOCIETY.

And, gee, I thought the oldest was the Lennon Sisters.

1811:  THE BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE IS FOUGHT IN INDIANA.

And Tyler, too?

1837:  IN ALTON, ILLINOIS, ABOLITIONIST PRINTER ELIJAH P. LOVEJOY IS SHOT DEAD BY A MOB WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PROTECT HIS PRINT SHOP.

#OccupyAlton.

1861:  IN BELMONT, MISSOURI, UNION FORCES LED BY GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT OVERRUN A CONFEDERATE CAMP BUT ARE THEN FORCED TO RETREAT WHEN CONFEDERATE REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE.

And so the Civil War starts to kick into overdrive.

1874:  A CARTOON BY THOMAS NAST IN HARPER'S WEEKLY IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST IMPORTANT USE OF AN ELEPHANT AS A SYMBOL FOR THE UNITED STATES REPUBLICAN PARTY.

So when does the jackass first used for the Democrats?  Oh, wait, Joe Biden hasn't been born yet.

1893:  WOMEN IN THE US STATE OF COLORADO ARE GRANTED THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

Except it's probably too damn cold to go to the polling place.

1907:  JESUS GARCIA SAVES THE ENTIRE TOWN OF NACOZARI DE GARCIA, SONORA BY DRIVING A BURNING TRAIN FULL OF DYNAMITE SIX KILOMETERS AWAY BEFORE IT CAN EXPLORE.

Sounds like the logline for a new Stallone movie.

1908:  BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID ARE KILLED IN BOLIVIA.

"Raindrops keep falling on....OUCH!!"

1913:  WRITER ALBERT CAMUS IS BORN.

I love his soap.

1916:  JEANNETTE RANKIN IS THE FIRST WOMAN ELECTED TO THE US CONGRESS.

Okay, we're gonna need to build a ladies room.

1918:  EVANGELIST BILLY GRAHAM IS BORN.

The original Cracker.

1918:  THE 1918 INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC SPREADS TO SAMOA, KILLING 7,542. 

Poor Samoa.  Who's gonna buy all those Girl Scout cookies?

1921:  THE NATIONAL FASCIST PARTY COMES INTO EXISTENCE. 

Those who want to make a Republican joke, please form a line on the right.  Those who want to make a Democrat joke, please form a line on the left.

1922:  MUSICIAN AL HIRT IS BORN.

His best tune?  "The Theme to the Green Hornet."

1933:  FIORELLO LAGUARDIA IS ELECTED THE 99TH MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY. 

My grandfather used to read the comics to me.  But he was never elected NYC Mayor.

1938:  BASEBALL STAR JIM KAAT IS BORN.

Out of the bag.

1940:  IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON, THE TACOMA NARROWS BRIDGE COLLAPSES IN A WINDSTORM, FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE BRIDGE'S COMPLETION.

That's the last time we use papier mache instead of cement.

1943:  SINGER JONI MITCHELL IS BORN.

Dirty hippie.

1944:  PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT ELECTED FOR A RECORD FOURTH TERM.

Yo, Franklin, it ain't a Civil Service job.  Give somebody else a chance.

1957:  ACTOR CHRISTOPHER KNIGHT IS BORN.

I wonder if he finally made it past puberty.

1962:  ELEANOR ROOSEVELT DIES.

Damn, she was ugly.

1967:  CARL B. STOKES IS ELECTED AS MAYOR OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, BECOMING THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR OF A MAJOR CITY.

Back then, we still said he was Black.

1967:  US PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON ESTABLISHES THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

Julia Child and Big Bird thank you.

1978:  BOXER GENE TUNNEY  DIES.

The last time he forgot to duck.

1980:  ACTOR STEVE MCQUEEN DIES.

This last escape was really, really great.

1983:  A BOMB EXPLODES INSIDE THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL.  NO PEOPLE ARE HARMED.

Although lots of long lunches were cancelled.

1989:  DAVID DINKINS BECOMES THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO BE ELECTED MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY.

A big idiot.  This is a black day in NYC history.  No pun intended.

1991:  MAGIC JOHNSON ANNOUNCES THAT HE IS INFECTED WITH HIV AND RETIRES FROM THE NBA.

Over twenty years later, he is one of the Dodgers owners, so this was no death sentence.

1992:  ACTOR JACK KELLY DIES.

The Maverick brother nobody remembers.

2000:  HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON IS ELECTED TO THE US SENATE, BECOMING THE FIRST FORMER FIRST LADY TO WIN PUBLIC OFFICE.

And plans to be President by 2009.  Oh, wait,....   And then plans to be President in 2017.  Oh, wait...

2000:  GEORGE W. BUSH "DEFEATS" AL GORE TO BECOME US PRESIDENT.

Proof positive that the simple task of conducting a democratic election can get fucked up in this country.

2001:  SABENA, THE NATIONAL AIRLINE OF BELGUIM, GOES BANKRUPT.

Wasn't that the teenage witch?

2004:  ACTOR HOWARD KEEL DIES.

Clayton Farlow on Dallas! 

2006:  BASEBALL PITCHER JOHNNY SAIN DIES.

...and two days of rain.

2011:  BOXER JOE FRAZIER DIES.

Not the same guy who once managed the Mets.

2016:  JANET RENO DIES.

Divorced...from life.

2017:  BASEBALL PITCHER ROY HALLADAY DIES IN A PLANE CRASH.

His best John Denver impersonation.

Dinner last night:  Chinese beef with glazed carrots and Brussels sprouts.