Wednesday, November 30, 2022

This Date in History - November 30

 

Happy anniversary, Lucy and Desi.

1700:  AT THE BATTLE OF NARVA, A SWEDISH ARMY OF 8,500 MEN UNDER CHARLES XII DEFEATS A MUCH LARGER RUSSIAN ARMY.

This was Sweden.  So how many of those 8,500 men actually started out as men?

1718:  SWEDISH KING CHARLES XII DIES DURING A SIEGE OF THE FORTRESS FREDRIKSTEN IN NORWAY.

I hope this Sweden thing isn't a trend for November 30.

1783:  A 5.3 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES NEW JERSEY.

If we had another one 239 years later, we could wipe out those Real Housewives.

1786:  PETER LEOPOLD JOSEPHY OF HABSBURG-LORRAINE, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY, PROMULGATES A PENAL REFORM MAKING HIS COUNTRY THE FIRST STATE TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY.  CONSEQUENTLY, NOVEMBER 30 IS COMMEMORATED BY 300 CITIES AROUND THE WORLD AS CITIES FOR LIFE DAY.

That's a long way to say..."what a stupid decision!"

1803:  IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, SPANISH REPRESENTATIVES OFFICIALLY TRANSFER THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY TO A FRENCH REPRESENTATIVE.  JUST 20 DAYS LATER, FRANCE TRANSFERS THE SAME LAND TO THE UNITED STATES AS THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.

Plus a ghetto to be named later.

1824:  FIRST GROUND IS BROKEN AT ALLENBURG FOR THE BUILDING OF THE ORIGINAL WELLAND CANAL.

And this is interesting why?

1829:  FIRST WELLAND CANAL OPENS FOR A TRIAL RUN, FIVE YEARS TO THE DAY FROM THE GROUND BREAKING.

I'm really starting to lose interest in November 30.

1835:  WRITER MARK TWAIN IS BORN.

And so is, in a way, the Mississippi River.

1868:  THE INAUGURATION OF A STATUE OF KING CHARLES XII OF SWEDEN TAKES PLACE IN STOCKHOLM.

I hope they weren't waiting for the statue to deliver an inaugural address.

1874:  SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL IS BORN.

His father later flashed V for "Vasectomy."

1886:  THE FOLIES BERGERE STAGES ITS FIRST REVUE.

Okay, now this November 30 is starting to perk up.

1900:  WRITER OSCAR WILDE DIES.

Finally tamed.

1918:  ACTOR EFREM ZIMBALIST JR. IS BORN.

77 Sunset Strip, snap, snap.

1920:  ACTRESS VIRGINIA MAYO IS BORN.

Hold the...

1924:  COMEDIAN ALLAN SHERMAN IS BORN.

Hello muddah, hello faddah...

1929:  TV PERSONALITY DICK CLARK IS BORN.

Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Virginia Mayo, Dick Clark....um, people born on November 30.

1934:  THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE "FLYING SCOTSMAN" BECOMES THE FIRST TO OFFICIALLY EXCEED 100 MPH.

Amtrak, please note.

1936:  ACTIVIST ABBIE HOFFMAN IS BORN.

That should read "activist/creep."

1940:  LUCILLE BALL MARRIES DESI ARNAZ IN GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

Which was later used as a plot on "I Love Lucy" and the Ricardos married in the exact same place.

1954:  IN SYLACAUGA, ALABAMA, THE HODGES METEORITE CRASHES THROUGH A ROOF AND HITS A WOMAN TAKING AN AFTERNOON NAP IN THE ONLY DOCUMENTED CASE OF A HUMAN BEING BEING HIT BY A ROCK FROM SPACE.

Well, for the sake of today's blog, I'm glad the woman wasn't living in Sweden at the time.

1965:  ACTOR BEN STILLER IS BORN.

His parents were ten times more talented.

1966:  BARBADOS BECOMES INDEPENDENT FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM.

The dullness that is November 30 continues unabated.

1971:  IRAN SEIZES THE GREATER AND LESSER TUNBS FROM THE UNITED EMIRATES.

Seeking the correct pronunciation please of the word "tunbs."

1979:  COMIC ZEPPO MARX DIES.

He was forgotten in life, but I remember you in death.

1982:  MICHAEL JACKSON'S "THRILLER," THE BEST SELLING ALBUM OF ALL TIME, IS RELEASED.

The music lives on.  His bony ass, however, does not.

1993:  PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON SIGNS THE BRADY HANDGUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACT INTO LAW.

Because it was important that we stop a firearm from being in the hands of Ann B. Davis.

1995:  OFFICIAL END OF OPERATION DESERT STORM.

T-shirts available at the gift shop.

1996:  SINGER TINY TIM DIES.

I wonder if his grave has tulips.

2003:  OLYMPIC SWIMMER GERTRUDE EDERLE DIES.

It's tough to do a flip turn in a grave.

2004:  LONGTIME JEOPARDY CHAMPION KEN JENNINGS FINALLY LOSES, LEAVING HIM WITH OVER 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS, TELEVISION'S BIGGEST GAME SHOW WINNINGS.

No need to give him that Rice-A-Roni and a home version of the game.

2007:  DAREDEVIL EVEL KNIEVEL DIES.

Nobody survives that very last jump.

2013:  ACTOR PAUL WALKER DIES IN A CAR CRASH.

Not so fast and furious.

2017:  ACTOR JIM NABORS DIES.

Goll-ee.

2018:  PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH DIES.

Joining Barbara who passed seven months earlier.

Dinner last night:  Pasta Orechetti at Gianna's.

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