Wednesday, November 24, 2021

This Date in History - November 24

 


This is Venus.  As in the planet.  And the song by Frankie Avalon.

1639:  JEREMIAH HORROCKS OBSERVES THE TRANSIT OF VENUS, AN EVENT HE HAD PREDICTED.

There's transit on Venus?  I hope it's better than the bus system in Los Angeles.

1859:  CHARLES DARWIN PUBLISHES "ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES." 

It immediately shot to #2 on Amazon. 

1863:  DURING THE CIVIL WAR, UNION FORCES UNDER GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT CAPTURE THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS ON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.

Apparently, the folks on Lookout Mountain weren't living up to the name.

1868:  RAGTIME COMPOSER SCOTT JOPLIN IS BORN.

And ultimately the birth of Marvin Hamlisch's career.

1906:  THE CANTON BULLDOGS-MASSILLON TIGERS BETTING SCANDAL, THE FIRST MAJOR SCANDAL IN PROFESSIONAL AMERICAN FOOTBALL.

I still don't know.  Did Massillon cover the spread?

1911:  ACTOR KIRBY GRANT IS BORN.

That's Sky King for those of you non-Nabisco Cookie eating folks.

1921:  NY MAYOR JOHN LINDSAY IS BORN.

Luckily, his parents' street had been plowed and they were able to get to the hospital in time.

1922:  AUTHOR AND IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY MEMBER ROBERT ERSKINE CHILDERS IS EXECUTED BY AN IRISH FREE STATE FIRING SQUAD FOR ILLEGALLY CARRYING A REVOLVER.

Shot for carrying a gun.  Ironic, heh?

1935:  THE SENEGALESE SOCIALIST PARTY HOLDS ITS SECOND CONGRESS.

The third congress was held on November 25, 1936.  There's not a lot going on in Senegal.

1941:  THE UNITED STATES GRANTS LEND-LEASE TO THE FREE FRENCH.

For anybody who's stayed in a Paris hotel, there's nothing really "free" about the French.

1941:  THE FIFTH BEATLE PETE BEST IS BORN.

And so is a trivia question that will be handed down for generations.

1944:  DURING WORLD WAR II, THE FIRST BOMBING RAID AGAINST TOKYO IS CARRIED OUT BY 88 AMERICAN AIRCRAFT.

You think this did some damage?  Wait till Mothra comes in.

1946:  SERIAL KILLER TED BUNDY IS BORN.

What did he do?  Shoot a bullet into a box of Cocoa Puffs?

1950:  ACTOR STANLEY LIVINGSTON IS BORN.

Chip from "My Three Sons!!!!!"

1963:  ALLEGED JFK ASSASSIN LEE HARVEY OSWALD IS SHOT BY JACK RUBY.

And....

1963:  ALLEGED JFK ASSASSIN LEE HARVEY OSWALD DIES.

...is killed.

1966:  NEW YORK CITY EXPERIENCES THE SMOGGIEST DAY IN THE CITY'S HISTORY.

And all you "Mad Man" tools look so fondly back at the days of smoking in an office.

1971:  DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER WASHINGTON STATE, HIJACKER DB COOPER PARACHUTES FROM A NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES PLANE WITH $200,000 IN RANSOM MONEY.  HE HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND.

If I had run away with $200,000, you wouldn't find me either.

1973:  A NATIONAL SPEED LIMIT IS IMPOSED ON THE AUTOBAHN IN GERMANY DURING THE 1973 OIL CRISIS.

Those Volkswagens don't go fast anyway.

1991:  FREDDIE MERCURY OF QUEEN DIES.

Mercury no longer rising.  Or, actually, maybe he did.

2005:  ACTOR PAT MORITA DIES.

Wax on, Pat off.

2016:  ACTRESS FLORENCE HENDERSON DIES.

A true bitch and I have first hand proof.   Here's a story about a dead lady...

Dinner last night:  Leftover roast beef and salad.

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