…pronunciation?!?!?!
Ever wonder where Peter Piper and his habañeros came from? Wonder no longer… (My brain hurts!!)
31 October 2004
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled…
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1864 - Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state
1892 - Arthur Conan Doyle publishes The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1926 - Magician Harry Houdini dies of gangrene and peritonitis that developed after his appendix ruptured
1936 - The Boy Scouts of the Philippines was formed.
1938 - Great Depression: In an effort to try restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a fifteen-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public
1940 - World War II: Battle of Britain ends - The United Kingdom prevents Germany from invading Great Britain
1941 - After 14 years of work, drilling is completed on Mount Rushmore
2000 - The last Multics machine was shut down
Births
1345 - King Fernando of Portugal (d. 1383)
1391 - King Duarte of Portugal (d. 1438)
1632 - Johannes Vermeer, painter (he was actually baptised on that day, his birthdate is not confirmed) (d. 1675)
1795 - John Keats, British poet (d. 1821)
1860 - Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts
1887 - Chiang Kai-shek, Nationalist Chinese leader (d. 1975)
1920 - Dick Francis, novelist
1922 - Barbara Bel Geddes, actress
1922 - Illinois Jacquet, musician
1930 - Michael Collins, American astronaut
1931 - Dan Rather, American news anchor
1936 - Michael Landon, actor (d. 1991)
1947 - Frank Shorter, marathon runner
Deaths
1448 - John VIII Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor
1926 - Harry Houdini, magician
1984 - Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India
1986 - Robert S. Mulliken, American physicist, chemist
1987 - Joseph Campbell, American author and expert on mythology
1999 - Greg Moore, CART driver (b. 1975)
Holidays & observances
Halloween
Samhain (an approximate date)
30 October 2004
Want To See More GPS Hardware for Macs?
Sign GPSCity’s petition. Even if you’re not into GPS, take the time to sign.
You, Too, Have the Right to Vote in the Manner of Your Choosing
From the EFF:
“Electronic voting machines will be used in 10 California counties during the next election. However, every California voter has the right to request a paper ballot, which can be used in a recount and verified for accuracy by each voter. Some election officials are trying to keep this choice a secret, so we want to make sure that you know about the availability of paper ballots. If you live in Alameda, Merced, Napa, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Shasta, Tehama, please pass this to your friends and neighbors.”
For further details, check out the Paper or Plastic 2004 Web site.
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1470 - Henry VI of England returns to the throne after Earl of Warwick defeats Yorkists in battle
1864 - Helena, Montana is founded after four prospectors discover gold at "Last Chance Gulch"
1905 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia grants Russia's first constitution, creating a legislative assembly
1925 - John Logie Baird creates Britain's first television transmitter.
1938 - Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing a nationwide panic
1975 - Prince Juan Carlos becomes King of Spain after dictator Francisco Franco concedes that he is too ill to govern
Births
1735 - John Adams, American revolutionary leader and President of the United States (d. 1826)
1882 - William Halsey, Jr, American admiral (d. 1959)
1939 - Grace Slick, singer with Jefferson Airplane
1945 - Henry Winkler, actor
1951 - Harry Hamlin, actor
Death
1910 - Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross
1968 - Rose Wilder Lane, author, reporter (b. 1886)
1988 - John Houseman, actor, director, teacher
2000 - Steve Allen, comedian, author, and composer
Maybe the Irish Haven’t Been Imagining the Little People After All…
Lots of interest in the latest anthropological discovery, Homo floresiensis. One of the very recent articles speculates the little guys may have been alive as little as 500 years ago…
Homo floresiensis
Remains of New Species of Hobbit-Sized Human Found
“Hobbit” Discovered: Tiny Human Ancestor Found in Asia
Small relatives may add layer to human history
‘Hobbit’ Skeleton Could Rewrite Prehistory
Quarry Logan Watsonville
Whilst poking around for details of our little earthquake this morning, I stumbled onto a littler event on Thursday past in the general Watsonville area. According to the USGS, this 2.1 magnitude “event” may have been a quarry explosion.
There was nothing to be found searching Google News on this intriguing tidbit, but searching the Web with Google came up with some interesting things (and a lot of hits, besides):
Southern Pacific Daylight Limiteds & GS2-5 Lime Locomotives
Photo, Southern Pacific 4-8-4 #4458 at Logan
The Pajaro River Watershed
Shake, Rattle, and Roll
From the Preliminary Earthquake Report:
“A minor earthquake occurred at 9:55:16 AM (PDT) on Saturday, October 30, 2004. The magnitude 3.4 event occurred 15 km (9 miles) WSW of Boulder Creek, CA. The hypocentral depth is 8 km (5 miles).”
There was a thump sound (no movement, at least that I felt), and then just a second or two of rattle. I (and Bob, too) figured it was further excitement from Parkfield, or maybe Paso Robles. We were amazed to discover it was only 9 miles away; both of us would have figured something so close would have been far more exciting...
We’re still waiting for the CISN shake map…
29 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II, Eastern Roman Emperor in Constantinople. This unifies the two branches of the House of Theodosius
1061 - Emperor disposes of bishop Cadalus & Pope Honorius II
1422 - Charles VII of France becomes king in succession to his father Charles VI of France
1618 - English adventurer, writer, and courtier Sir Walter Raleigh is beheaded for allegedly conspiring against James I of England
1675 - Leibniz makes the first use of the long s, ∫, for integral
1787 - Mozart's opera Don Giovanni receives its first performance in Prague.
1792 - Mt. Hood (Oregon) is named after the British naval officer Alexander Arthur Hood by Lt. William E. Broughton who spotted the mountain near the mouth of the Willamette River
1863 - Sixteen countries meeting in Geneva agree to form the International Red Cross
1886 - The ticker-tape parade is invented in New York City when office workers spontaneously throw ticker tape into the streets as the Statue of Liberty is dedicated
1929 - Great Depression begins: Black Tuesday - The New York Stock Exchange crashes, ushering in what will be a world-wide economic crisis
1969 - The first computer-to-computer link is established on ARPANET
1988 - In Japan, the Sega Megadrive is released for the first time
1991 - The American Galileo spacecraft makes its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid
1998 - Space Shuttle Discovery blasts-off with 77-year old John Glenn on board, making him the oldest person to go into space. He became the first American to orbit Earth on February 20, 1962
Births
1740 - James Boswell, biographer of Samuel Johnson (d. 1795)
1921 - Bill Mauldin, cartoonist
1923 - Carl Djerassi, chemist, inventor of the birth control pill
1929 - Leon Redbone, musician
1945 - Melba Moore, singer, actress
1947 - Richard Dreyfuss, actor
Deaths
1618 - Sir Walter Raleigh, explorer (executed)
28 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine the Great defeats the forces of Maxentius. Roman emporer Constantine converts himself and the empire to Christianity
1492 - Christopher Columbus lands in Cuba
1868 - Thomas Edison applied for his first patent, the electric vote recorder
1886 - In New York Harbor, US President Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty
1918 - Czechoslovakia gains its independence from Austria-Hungary
1936 - US President Franklin Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary
1942 - The Alaska Highway is completed
1958 - Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli becomes Pope and takes the name Pope John XXIII
1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis: Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that he had ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba
1965 - In St. Louis, Missouri, the 630-foot-tall catenarian steel Gateway Arch is completed
1970 - land speed record set by Gary Gabelich in a rocket powered automobile called the Blue Flame
1986 - The centennial of the Statue of Liberty's dedication is celebrated in New York Harbor
Births
1718 - Ignacije Szentmartony, Croatian geographer (d. 1793)
1793 - Eliphalet Remington, firearm manufacturer (d. 1861)
1846 - Georges Auguste Escoffier, chef
1903 - Evelyn Waugh, novelist (d. 1966)
1914 - Dr. Jonas Salk, scientist, discoverer of polio vaccine (d. 1995)
1937 - Charlie Daniels, musician
1944 - Dennis Franz, actor
1964 - Paul Wylie, figure skating champion
Deaths
1704 - John Locke, philosopher
1794 - John Smeaton, civil engineer
Holidays & Observances
Feast day of Saint Jude Thaddaeus
Greece - National Day
Czech Republic - Independence Day (Founding Day)
27 October 2004
Fairest of Them All
“[when the Red Sox win the World Series] It is said that an entire generation of Sox fans, holding on for just this ending, will drift off forever, a contented smile on their faces as they go. It’s just as likely, and a lot less morbid, that an entire generation of Sox fans will be conceived the night the Sox win the Series.”
LOL!!
Read the entire John Donovan piece on SI.com.
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1904 - First New York City subway line opens; system becomes biggest in United States of America, and one of biggest in world
1946 - First commercially-sponsored television program airs (Geographically Speaking, sponsored by Bristol-Myers)
1981 - The Soviet submarine U 137 ran aground on the east coast of Sweden.
1986 - The London Stock Exchange is deregulated and computerisation is introduced for the first time
1993 - Fires in five counties in southern California destroy more than 500 homes and cause an estimate 1 billion USD of damage within a week
Births
1466 (assumed) - Erasmus of Rotterdam, Dutch writer and philosopher
1728 - James Cook, British naval captain and explorer. (d. 1779)
1744 - Mary Moser, English painter and one of only two female founder members of the Royal Academy (d. 1819)
1782 - Niccolò Paganini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1840)
1811 - Isaac Singer, inventor of the sewing machine (d. 1875)
1914 - Dylan Thomas, British poet and writer (d. 1953)
1932 - Sylvia Plath, American poet (d. 1963)
1953 - Robert Picardo, actor (Star Trek: Voyager)
1966 - Matt Drudge, Internet personality
Deaths
939 - King Athelstan I of England
1271 - Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy
1439 - Albert II of Habsburg, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
1449 - Ulugh Beg, Timurid astronomer
1505 - Ivan III of Russia
1968 - Lise Meitner, German physicist
1975 - Rex Stout, novelist
1980 - Steve Peregrin Took, singer/song writer
1990 - Xavier Cugat, musician
Holidays
Feast day of Saint Frumentius, who introduced Christianity into Ethiopia
Independence Day in Turkmenistan (1991)
Independence Day in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979)
26 October 2004
Total Lunar Eclipse: October 27-28, 2004
From Fred Espenak, at NASA’s GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center)
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
740 - An earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death.
1640 - The Treaty of Ripon is signed, restoring peace between Scotland and Charles I of England
1863 - The Football Association is formed
1863 - International Federation of the Red Cross is formed
1881 - The “Gunfight” at the O.K. Corral takes place at Tombstone, Arizona
1905 - Norway becomes independent from Sweden
1936 - The first generator goes online at Boulder Dam
1947 - The Maharaja of Kashmir agrees to allow his kingdom to join India
1948 - Killer smog settles into Donora, Pennsylvania
1994 - Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty
1994 - Announcement of Andrew Wiles’ correct proof of Fermat's Last Theorem
1999 - Britain's House of Lords votes to end the right of hereditary peers to vote in Britain's upper chamber of Parliament
Births
1685 - Domenico Scarlatti, Italian composer
1854 - C. W. Post, cereal entrepreneur
1911 - Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer (d. 1972)
1911 - Sorley MacLean, Scots Gaelic poet
1932 - Eidegenegen Eidagaruwo, first Angam Baby
1961 - Dylan McDermott, actor (The Practice)
Deaths
1947 - Canon Edwin Sidney Savage, Rector of Hexham Abbey and St Bartholomew the Great
1972 - Igor Sikorsky, helicopter pioneer
1999 - Hoyt Axton, musician
On This Day
From the BBC:
1994: Israel and Jordan make peace
1956: Fighting spreads in Hungary revolution
25 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1415 - The army of Henry V of England defeats the French army at the Battle of Agincourt
1662 - King Charles II of England sells Dunkirk to France
1861 - The Toronto Stock Exchange was created
1922 - The Dáil of the Irish Free State approves the constitution of the new state, formally bringing it into being
1924 - First appearance of Little Orphan Annie
Births
1825 - Johann Strauss II, composer (d. 1899)
1838 - Georges Bizet, composer (d. 1875)
1888 - Richard E. Byrd, explorer (d. 1957)
1912 - Minnie Pearl, comedian, singer (d. 1996)
1924 - Billy Barty, actor (d. 2000)
1928 - Marion Ross, actress
1935 - Russell Schweickart, astronaut
1942 - Helen Reddy, singer
1944 - Jon Anderson, singer (Yes)
1954 - Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 United States Olympic gold medal-winning ice hockey team
Deaths
625 - Pope Boniface V
1400 - Geoffrey Chaucer, poet
1495 - King John II of Portugal
1986 - Forrest Tucker, actor
1992 - Roger Miller, musician, composer
1993 - Vincent Price, actor
1999 - Payne Stewart, golfer
2002 - Richard Harris, actor
Holidays
Feast day of Saint Crispin
Mood Music
![[Relish album cover]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000001ED1.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
Driving home from Marisa’s funeral Saturday, after I got out of range of KUSC, Joan Osborne’s “One of Us” (from Relish) kept me company, when the sounds weren’t turned off altogether.
Other than it’s on my Desert Island list, what’s the attraction? Fit my mood, I guess: seemingly out of place with the rest of the album; asking questions, questions, questions...
On 11 June 2004, “A music fan (Brooklyn, NY)” posted a review of Relish on amazon.com: “Ray Charles died today, and I immediately thought of “Spider Web,” one of the many amazing songs on “Relish.” Forget “One of Us.” Please, please forget “One of Us,” and listen to this album with fresh ears. It’s basically about doing drugs, having amazing sex, feeling great and getting down and dirty,…”
Ah, yes, the basis of the well-lived life: drugs, sex, turning one’s own self on… Sign me up. NOT.
“One of Us” makes the album.
Frankly, “Spider Web” is notable mostly for the Ray Charles connection. That’s not completely true, actually. The premise, Ray’s gaining his sight chases away his musical muse, is certainly a different twist. And the percussion work is pretty cool!
I didn’t like “Man in the Long Black Coat” when Greg Lake sang it; time and gentler treatment haven’t improved it any.
You’ve gotta love a song that, in the middle of all that down and dirty sex and drugs, sounds suspiciously like our girl’s gotten that old-time (and I do mean old, not, er, nouveau, Bible-thumping, fer instance) religion. Guess it’s hard to concentrate on sex and drugs when you have to think about God’s name and face…
24 October 2004
Shorty
Spent Friday night at my Dad’s. Being the considerate host that he is, he made sure there were Dr Peppers chilling in the reefer; I just wasn't expecting cute little cans!
![[shorty Dr Pepper Can]](http://www.langdon.org/here/graphics/blog/ShortieDP.jpg)
Spiritual Father of Cuba
Today’s Saint of the Day, St Anthony Claret (I won’t divulge what we called him when we were younger…), AmericanCathlic.org:
“He was appointed to head the much-neglected archdiocese of Santiago in Cuba. He began its reform by almost ceaseless preaching and hearing of confessions, and suffered bitter opposition mainly for stamping out concubinage and giving instruction to black slaves. A hired assassin (whose release from prison Anthony had obtained) slashed open his face and wrist. Anthony succeeded in getting the would-be assassin’s death sentence commuted to a prison term. His solution for the misery of Cubans was family-owned farms producing a variety of foods for the family’s own needs and for the market. This invited the enmity of the vested interests who wanted everyone to work on a single cash crop — sugar. Besides all his religious writings are two books he wrote in Cuba: Reflections on Agriculture and Country Delights.”
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1360 - The Treaty of Brétigny was ratified at Calais, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War
1861 - First transcontinental telegraph line completed, ending the Pony Express
1998 - Launch of Deep Space 1 comet/asteroid mission
Births
1632 - Anton van Leeuwenhoek, microbiologist (d.1723)
1939 - F. Murray Abraham, Acadamy Award-winning actor
Deaths
996 - King Hugh Capet of France
1672 - John Webb, architect
1948 - Franz Lehár, composer
1972 - Jackie Robinson, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
1991 - Gene Roddenberry, creator of the Star Trek series
1997 - Don Messick, voice actor
23 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
4004 BC - The universe was created, according to the Ussher-Lightfoot Calendar
1739 - War of Jenkins' Ear starts: British Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, reluctantly declares war on Spain
1855 - Kansas Free State forces set up a competing government under their Topeka, Kansas constitution, which outlaws slavery in the United States territory
1911 - First use of aircraft in war: an Italian pilot takes off from Libya to survey Turkish lines during the Turco-Italian War
1915 - Woman's suffrage: In New York City, 25,000-33,000 women march up Fifth Avenue to demand the right to vote
1956 - Thousands of Hungarians protest Soviet influence and occupation in their nation (Hungarian Revolution is put down on November 4)
1958 - Belgian cartoonist Peyo introduced a new set of comic strip characters The Smurfs
1992 - Akihito becomes the first Emperor of Japan to stand on Chinese soil
2001 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army of Northern Ireland commences disarmament after peace talks encouraged by American President Bill Clinton
Births
1762 - Samuel Morey, inventor (d. 1843)
1817 - Pierre Athanase Larousse, lexicographer and encyclopedist
1875 - Gilbert N. Lewis, American chemist
1892 - Gummo Marx, actor, comedian, Marx Brothers (d. 1977)
1905 - Felix Bloch, Swiss physicist
1909 - Zellig Harris, American linguist
1923 - Frank Sutton, actor (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) (d. 1974)
1925 - Johnny Carson, American television host
1935 - Chi Chi Rodriguez, golf champion
1940 - Pelé, Brazilian football player
1942 - Michael Crichton, writer
1959 - Weird Al Yankovic, American musical parodist
1962 - Doug Flutie, Canadian football and American football quarterback
Deaths
1939 - Zane Grey, author
1950 - Al Jolson, singer, actor
Holidays
Chemistry: Mole Day
On This Day
From the BBC:
1956: Hungarians rise up against Soviet rule
2001: IRA begins decommissioning weapons
22 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
362 - The temple of Apollo at Daphne, outside of Antioch is destroyed in a mysterious fire
1383 - The 1383-1385 Crisis in Portugal: A period of civil war and anarchy began when King Fernando died without a male heir to the Portuguese throne
1746 - The College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University) receives its charter
1797 - 3,200 feet above Paris, Andre-Jacques Garnerin makes the first recorded parachute jump
1836 - Sam Houston is inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas
1924 - Toastmasters International was founded
1964 - Canada: A Mult-Party Parliamentary Committee selects a design to become the new official Flag of Canada
1968 - Apollo program: Apollo 7 safely splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean after orbiting the Earth 163 times
1976 - Red dye #4 is banned by the US Food and Drug Administration after it is discovered that it causes tumors in the bladders of dogs. The dye is still used in Canada
1989 - Jacob Wetterling is abducted in St. Joseph, Minnesota
Births
1071 - William IX, Duke of Aquitaine and vernacular poet
1903 - Curly Howard, actor, member of the Three Stooges (d. 1952)
1963 - Brian Boitano, figure skating champion
Deaths
1906 - Paul Cezanne, painter
1973 - Pau Casals, Catalan virtuoso cellist and conductor
Holidays
International Stuttering Awareness Day
21 October 2004
Sierra town seeks to ease family’s agony
On MercuryNews.com today:
Sierra town seeks to ease family’s agony
20 October 2004
I Had NO Idea There Were So Many BoSox Fans in Boulder Creek
We stepped out to the brewery for dinner tonight, and, not surprisingly, the final ALCS game was on in the bar. We heard one pro-Yankee comment all night. When the game ended, the crowd roared, and almost everyone in the place applauded. Good job, Boston!!
CNN has this to say: Boston Red Sox make history
And He’s Still Wearing #80!
From seattlepi.com today:
KIRKLAND, Wash. -- The Seahawks didn't bring the greatest receiver in NFL history up from Oakland to use him as a decoy or to set an example in the locker room.
Mike Holmgren has a clue...
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1803 - United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase
1973 - The Sydney Opera House opens
1991 - Oakland Hills firestorm kills 25 and destroys 3469 homes and apartments
Births
1632 - Sir Christopher Wren, architect (d. 1723)
1905 - Frederic Dannay (Ellery Queen), mystery novelist (d. 1982)
1935 - Jerry Orbach, actor (Law & Order)
19 October 2004
First Fig
Edna St Vincent Millay (1920)
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--
It gives a lovely light!
It Rained HOW Much??
OK, the rainy season is well and truly amongst us: we got 8" of rain. This morning. In approximately three hours. 4" of that fell in 45 minutes.
Fortunately, the water level in the pond was down quite a bit, due to its being worked on. A combination of the rainfall and runoff raised the water level 4' (yes, that’s a foot mark, not an inch mark…).
---
Update: I was talking to George Klump at Marisa’s funeral. He reported they got 8" of rain in La Crescenta on Wednesday.
Funeral For a Friend
Before we moved, I asked Tony to leave me on the choir mailing list, so I wouldn’t feel so lonely. It’s been interesting, comparing what Tony’s picked for Mass to what I pick when it’s my week, and when Tom Keens gets going, of course, it’s pretty hysterical.
This morning’s e-mail to the choir was entitled “Marisa’s Funeral Music”; Marisa is his 15-year-old daughter (his and Cindy’s 2nd)… Seems she was found at home Saturday morning…
Local girls’ basketball player found dead at 15
St Bede’s Announcements
Remembering Marisa
Marisa
In Loving Memory…
Three games enough
Remembering Marisa
Hundreds say goodbye to Marisa
School coping with student's death
Obituary
Obit Guestbook
La Cañada Flintridge Kiwanis AM
Sophomore Always Smiled
Area’s (girls’ basketball) teams will be young and restless
ST. BEDE THE VENERABLE
MUSIC FOR THE LITURGY
DATE: Saturday, October 23, 2004
TIME: 9:30 a.m.
LITURGY: Funeral Mass for Marisa
PRELUDE: harp music
ENTRANCE: Litany of the Saints – Becker
RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Shelter Me, O God – B. Hurd
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Celtic Alleluia
PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS: Be Thou My Vision – J. Rutter
HOLY: Mass of Creation
MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION: Mass of Creation
AMEN: Mass of Creation
OUR FATHER: chant
LAMB OF GOD: O Westron Wynde – H. Willan
COMMUNION: You Are Mine – D. Haas
God Be In My Head – J. Rutter
?
SONG AT FINAL BLESSING: Song of Farewell – E. Sands
RECESSIONAL: You Raise Me Up (solo: Lisa)
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
202 BC - Battle of Zama, resulting in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal
439 - The Vandals, led by King Gaiseric, take Carthage in North Africa
1453 - The French recapture of Bordeaux brings the Hundred Years War to a close, with the English retaining only Calais on French soil
1781 - Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington and Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau at Yorktown, Virginia, ending the American Revolutionary War
1873 - Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Rutgers universities draft the first code of American football rules
1917 - Love Field in Dallas, Texas is opened
1943 - Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, was first isolated by researchers at Rutgers University
1954 - First ascent of Cho Oyu
2003 - Mother Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II
Births
1873 - Jaap Eden, Dutch skater and cyclist
1908 - Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer
1931 - John Le Carré, novelist
1945 - John Lithgow, actor
Deaths
1745 - Jonathan Swift, author
1889 - King Louis of Portugal
1950 - Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet
1988 - Son House, blues musician
Holidays
Niue - Constitution Day in honour of the country's independence (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) in 1974
Mother Teresa Day in Albania
18 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, was completely destroyed by the "mad" Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacked out the Church's foundations down to bedrock
1767 - Mason-Dixon line, survey separating Maryland from Pennsylvania completed
1851 - Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville, was first published as The Whale
1867 - United States takes possession of Alaska (Alaska Day)
1898 - United States takes possession of Puerto Rico
1907 - Second Geneva Convention
1922 - The British Broadcasting Company was founded by a consortium to establish a nationwide network of radio transmitters to provide a national broadcasting service.
1925 - The Grand Ole Opry opens
1954 - Texas Instruments announces the first Transistor radio
Births
1898 - Shin'ichi Suzuki, violin player and teacher, creator of the Suzuki method (d. 1998)
1918 - Bobby Troup, musician (d. 1999)
1927 - George C. Scott, actor (d. 1999)
1928 - Keith Jackson, American football commentator
1939 - Mike Ditka, American football player, coach, commentator
1961 - Wynton Marsalis, musician
Deaths
1545 - John Taverner, composer
1871 - Charles Babbage, mathematician and inventor of computing machines
1893 - Charles Gounod, composer
2000 - Julie London, singer, actress
Holidays
Christianity - Feast of Saint Luke
Alaska: Alaska Day
I Confess: I’m a Capt. Kirk Fan (always have been…)
Further interestingness from MercuryNews.com:
Where no ham has gone before
The Latest Depressing News on Jerry Rice and the Waiders
From MercuryNews.com today:
Shut out again, Rice sounds like he's ready to go
What is it with Al Davis??
17 October 2004
From the Desk of E.F. Watley
Why Man’s Best Friend Cannot Run for President
Thanks to Linda on Frankie's Irish Wolfhound list for the pointer!
Genealogy Blogs
Two long-time genealogy Webmeisters have recently caught the blog bug:
Olive Tree Genealogy
Helping you find the roots and branches of your family tree. The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog provides updates and news about Olive Tree Genealogy FREE databases. Be the first to know about new databases put online to help you find elusive ancestors.
Genealogy in the News
This web log provides linked headlines & highlights of recent news articles about genealogy.
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1346 - Battle of Neville's Cross: King David II of Scotland was captured by Edward III of England at Calais, and imprisoned in the Tower of London for eleven years
1469 - Ferdinand II of Aragon marries Isabella of Castile. Their marriage leads to the unification of Aragon and Castile in a single country, Spain
1604 - Kepler's Star: German astronomer Johannes Kepler observed that an exceptionally bright star had suddenly appeared in the constellation Ophiuchus, which turned out to be the last supernova to have been observed in our own galaxy, the Milky Way
1662 - Charles II of England sold Dunkerque to France for 40,000 pounds
1777 - American troops defeat the British in the Battle of Saratoga
1781 - General Charles Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, Virginia
1931 - Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion
1933 - Albert Einstein, fleeing Nazi Germany, moves to the US
1937 - Huey, Dewey and Louie, Donald Duck's three almost identical nephews, first appeared in a newspaper comic strip
1979 - Mother Teresa awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
1989 - Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) hits the San Francisco Bay Area
1994 - Draft peace treaty between Israel and Jordan
Births
1912 - Pope John Paul I, religious leader (d. 1978)
1936 - Hiroo Kanamori, seismologist
1940 - James Seals, musician
1946 - Sir Cameron Mackintosh, stage producer, director
1956 - Mae Jemison, astronaut
Deaths
1849 - Frederic Chopin, musician, composer
1910 - Julia Ward Howe, composer
1931 - Alfons Maria Jakob, neurologist
1967 - Henry Pu Yi, last emperor of China
1979 - S. J. Perelman, writer
Holidays & observances
Feast day of Saint Ignatius of Antioch
16 October 2004
Rain Numbers - 16 October 2004
Well, it started raining tonight, but the battery in the weather station is on the fritz, and it's not transmitting rain info...
Did You Buy Your Lotto Tickets Today?
Yeah, I know, it wasn't a particularly big pot tonight (in California) ($7,000,000.00), but seven million is seven million, you know what I mean? If you choose the 26-year payment option, that starts you at $175,000.00 a year; not too bad.
Check here for an interesting muse on winning a lottery...
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1869 - Cardiff Giant, one of the most famous American hoaxes, discovered.
1869 - England's first residential college for women, Girton College, is founded in Cambridge
1906 - "Captain of the Köpenick" fools the city hall of Köpenick and several soldiers by impersonating a Prussian officer
1973 - Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
1978 - Karol Józef Wojtyła becomes Pope John Paul II
1984 - Desmond Tutu awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
2002 - Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria that was lost in antiquity, was officially inaugurated
Births
1430 - James II of Scotland (d. 1460)
1714 - Giovanni Arduino, geologist (d. 1795)
1758 - Noah Webster, American lexicographer
1886 - David Ben-Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1973)
1890 - Michael Collins, Irish patriot (d. 1922)
1947 - Bob Weir, musician (The Grateful Dead)
Deaths
1973 - Gene Krupa, musician
1981 - Moshe Dayan, Israeli general
1997 - James Michener, writer
1998 - Jon Postel, American Internet pioneer
RFCs
RFC 2468
Holidays
United States - Boss's Day
On This Day, Take 2...
From the BBC:
1978: Polish bishop is new Pope
Country Profile: The Vatican
Vatican breathes new life into Latin
15 October 2004
15 Years after Loma Prieta: Are We Safer?
Fifteen years after the Loma Prieta earthquake stunned the Bay Area, a rocky economy and the drive to prevent terrorist attacks are hurting our ability to get ready for the Big One. The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/9925179.htm © 2004 MercuryNews.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1582 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. In Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain October 4 of this year is followed directly by October 15, skipping over 10 days. Other countries follow at various later dates (There's something goofy about these Wikipedia Gregorian Calendar entries...)
1764 - While visiting Rome, Edward Gibbon observes a group of barefoot friars singing vespers in the ruined Temple of Jupiter, a sight which inspires him to begin work on a history that will be published as The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
1997 - The first supersonic land speed record is set by the ThrustSSC team from the United Kingdom.
1997 - The Cassini probe was launched from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.
2001 - NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io
Births
1881 - P. G. Wodehouse, British comic novelist (d. 1975)
1924 - Lee Iacocca, industrialist
1924 - Mark Lenard, actor (d. 1996)
1946 - Richard Carpenter, singer, pianist, composer (Carpenters)
1959 - Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
1959 - Emeril Lagasse, chef
Deaths
1964 - Cole Porter, American composer
Holidays & observances
United States - White Cane Safety Day
14 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1926 - The children's book Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne, is published for the first time
1947 - Chuck Yeager flies a Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound, the first man to do so in level flight
1960 - US presidential candidate John F. Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps
1964 - American civil rights movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr becomes the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
1966 - The city of Montreal inaugurates its metro system (see Montreal Metro)
Births
1630 - Sophia of Hanover
1633 - James II of England and VII of Scotland
1644 - William Penn, English founder of Pennsylvania (d. 1718)
1882 - Eamon de Valera, Irish politician and patriot (d. 1975)
1890 - Dwight D. Eisenhower, US General of the Army, 34th president of the United States (d. 1969)
1894 - E. E. Cummings, American poet (d. 1962)
1910 - John Wooden, basketball coach
1911 - Le Duc Tho, Nobel Peace Prize recipient (d. 1990)
Deaths
1066 - Harold Godwinson, king of England
1959 - Errol Flynn, Australian actor
1977 - Bing Crosby, American singer, actor
1990 - Leonard Bernstein, American composer, conductor
2003 - Patrick Dalzel-Job, inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond
On This Day
From the BBC:
1969: New 50-pence coin sparks confusion
Shades of the Susan B Anthony dollar coin...
13 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1307 - All Knights Templar in France are simultaneously arrested by agents of Phillip the Fair, to be later tortured into "admitting" heresy
1775 - The United States Continental Congress orders the establishment of the Continental Navy (later renamed the United States Navy)
1792 - In Washington, DC, the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) is laid
1845 - A majority of voters in the Republic of Texas approve a proposed constitution, that if accepted by the United States Congress, will make Texas a U.S. state
1960 - 1960 World Series: Baseballer Bill Mazeroski becomes the first person to end a World Series with a home run
1976 - The first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, who was then working at the C.D.C.
1990 - Syria invades Lebanon killing over 500, and a perfect Palindrome appears on the California Lottery in the form of the numbers 1-5-7-15-17-51. Using the major system for memorizing numbers, the name al-Qaeda forms the number 571. Several years later, California Lottery officials are arrested for taking bribes, involving the awarding of contracts - yet no foreign involvement is proven [This one's giving me a migraine...]
Births
1924 - Nipsey Russell, comedian, actor, television personality
1941 - Paul Simon, musician
1962 - Jerry Rice, American football star
1969 - Nancy Kerrigan, figure skater
Deaths
1945 - Milton S. Hershey, founder of Hershey Chocolate Company
1974 - Ed Sullivan, television personality
2002 - Stephen Ambrose, historian and Dwight Eisenhower biographer
Holidays
Canada - Thanksgiving
12 October 2004
Punishment Fits the Crime?
Was poking around in Safari on an unrelated (of course!) Google search, and got sidetracked on Netscape’s Crime Time Headlines community boards. The topic of discussion that caught my eye was “7-mo.Sexually Assaulted”.
Post #12, from gmgobbler, had this to say: “You ask what should be done to this moron? Nail his testicals (sic) to a stump and give him a dull knife... let him decide what to do.”
Hmmmm... Seems appropriate to me...
I found a page on DuluthNewsTribune.com on the verdict’s being handed down.
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1492 - Christopher Columbus's expedition makes landfall in the Caribbean. The explorer believes he has reached East Asia.
1609 - “Three Blind Mice” published by London teenage songwriter Thomas Ravenscroft.
1681 - A London woman is publicly flogged for the crime of “involving herself in politics”
1792 - First celebration of Columbus Day in the USA held in New York.
1793 - The cornerstone of Old East, the oldest state university building in the United States, is laid on the campus of the University of North Carolina.
1810 - First Oktoberfest: The Bavarian royalty invites the citizens of Munich to join the celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen
1847 - German inventor and industrialist Werner von Siemens founds Siemens AG & Halske
1859 - Self-described “Emperor of the United States” Joshua A. Norton ‘orders’ the United States Congress to dissolve
1892 - To mark 400 anniversary Columbus Day holiday, the “Pledge of Allegiance” was first recited in unison by students in US public schools
1928 - An iron lung respirator is used for the first time at Children's Hospital, Boston
1933 - The United States Army Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz Island is acquired by the United States Department of Justice
1938 - Filming starts on The Wizard of Oz
1964 - The Soviet Union launches the Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew and the first flight without space suits
1968 - 1968 Summer Olympics open in Mexico City, Mexico
1994 - NASA loses radio contact with the Magellan spacecraft as the probe descends into the thick atmosphere of Venus (the spacecraft presumably burned up in the atmosphere either October 13 or October 14)
Births
1860 - Elmer Sperry, inventor
1872 - Ralph Vaughan Williams, composer (d. 1958)
1935 - Luciano Pavarotti, opera singer
Deaths
1870 - Robert E. Lee, United States Civil War general (Confederate)
1969 - Sonja Henie, figure skater (b. 1912)
1997 - John Denver, singer
1998 - Matthew Shepard, gay college student and gay-bashing victim
Holidays and observances
Columbus Day (traditionally) - United States
‘New’ giant ape spotted
‘New’ giant ape spotted
I made some comment about Desmond Morris’ Naked Ape, and 193 species of monkeys and apes, and Bob said, “No, there’re 194.” He went on to explain that there’d been a post on one of the photography boards that mentioned a new gorilla/giant ape thing. This was the first link that popped up in a Google News search on gorilla...
11 October 2004
Kiwi Words & Phrases
The differences between American and British English are sometimes too funny to be believed! The general hilarity on CeltList over fanny pack comes immediately to mind...
Whilst poking around on blogspot.com, I came across Simon 李新元’s blog, and this entry:
Kiwi- Words @ Phrases
“Words and expressions commonly used in New Zealand with their equivalent definition. Many words and phrases listed here are common to both New Zealand, Great Britain and Australia, and I suspect their true origins are now somewhat confused, however, it is designed as a helpful insight to folk from the USA who often don't understand what we are talking about! These words and phrases have been gleaned from many sources and some contributors are listed at the end and occasionally scattered throughout depending on how much time I have (which generally isn't much), and what mood I'm in.” http://www.chemistry.co.nz/kiwi.htm
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1614 - Adriaen Block and 12 Amsterdam merchants petition the States General for exclusive trading rights in the New Netherland colony
1890 - In Washington, DC, the Daughters of the American Revolution is founded
1929 - JC Penney open Store #1252 in Milford, Delaware, making it a nationwide company with stores in all 48 states
1950 - The Federal Communications Commission issues the first license to broadcast television in color, to CBS (RCA will successfully dispute and block the license from taking effect, however)
1958 - Pioneer program: NASA launches the lunar probe Pioneer 1 (the probe falls back to Earth and burns up).
1962 - Second Vatican Council: Pope John XXIII convenes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years
1968 - Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn F. Eisele and Walter Cunningham aboard
1975 - Saturday Night Live is broadcasted for the first time (George Carlin is the guest host)
1984 - Aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan becomes the first American women to perform a space walk
Births
1788 - Simon Sechter, music teacher
1961 - Steve Young, American football star
1969 - Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands
Deaths
1809 - Meriwether Lewis, explorer
1896 - Anton Bruckner, Austrian composer
On This Day
From the BBC:
1982: Mary Rose rises after 437 years
1987: Search ends for Loch Ness monster
10 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
732 - Battle of Tours: Near Poitiers, France, leader of the Franks Charles Martel and his men, defeat a large army of Moors, stopping the Muslims from spreading into Western Europe. The governor of Cordoba, Abd-ar-Rahman, is killed during the battle
1780 - The Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000-30,000 in Caribbean
1845 - In Annapolis, Maryland, the Naval School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opens with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors
1913 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson triggered the explosion of the Gamboa Dike thus ending construction on the Panama Canal
1957 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to the finance minister of Ghana, Komla Agbeli Gbdemah, after he was refused service in a Dover, Delaware restaurant.
1964 - The 1964 Summer Olympics open in Tokyo, Japan
1966 - Simon and Garfunkel release the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
1971 - Sold, dismantled and moved to the United States, the London Bridge reopens in Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Births
1813 - Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer
1834 - Aleksis Kivi, a Finnish author who wrote the first significant novel in the Finnish language, Seven Brothers
1917 - Thelonious Monk, jazz pianist (d. 1982)
1924 - James Clavell, author (d. 1994)
1946 - Ben Vereen, actor, dancer
1969 - Brett Favre, American football player
Deaths
1979 - Christopher Evans, British psychologist and computer scientist
1985 - Yul Brynner, actor
1985 - Orson Welles, American director, actor
2003 - Eugene Istomin, pianist
On This Day
From the BBC:
1969: Ulster's B Specials to be disbanded
1999: Millennium Wheel edges upwards
09 October 2004
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1000 - Leif Ericson discovers Vinland, becoming the first known European to set foot in North America
1446 - The Hangul alphabet is created in Korea.
1635 - Founder of Rhode Island Roger Williams is banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony as a religious dissident after he spoke out against punishments for religious offenses and giving away Native American land.
1701 - The Collegiate School of Connecticut (later renamed Yale University) is chartered in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
1776 - Father Francisco Palou founds Mission San Francisco de Asis in what is now San Francisco, California
1871 - The Great Chicago Fire is brought under control.
1888 - The Washington Monument officially opens to the general public
1919 - Black Sox scandal: The Cincinnati Reds "win" the World Series.
1936 - Generators at Boulder Dam (later renamed to Hoover Dam) begin to transmit electricity from the Colorado River 266 miles to Los Angeles, California
1963 - Uganda becomes a republic
1963 - In northeast Italy, over 2,000 people are killed when a large landslide behind the Vajont Dam causes a giant wave of water to overtop it
Births
1835 - Camille Saint-Saëns, French composer (d. 1921)
1944 - John Entwistle, British bassist of The Who (d. 2002)
1953 - Tony Shalhoub, actor
1954 - Scott Bakula, American television actor (Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise)
Deaths
1806 - Benjamin Banneker, American astronomer
1958 - Pope Pius XII
1974 - Oskar Schindler, businessman
Holidays
Hangul Day - South Korea: celebrating the invention of Hangul, the native Korean phonetic alphabet
Recorded This Date
1922 "Song Of The Volga Boatman" (trad Russ. arr. Koenemann)
- Feodor Chaliapin with O/George W. Byng
1941 "Cielito Lindo" (w.m. Quirino Mendoza y Cortez)
- Deanna Durbin with O/Victor Young
1947 "Blue Moon" (w. Lorenz Hart m. Richard Rodgers)
- Billy Eckstine with O/Hugo Winterhalter
08 October 2004
Mrs O’Leary’s Cow Really Did Chicago In...
...any way you look at it... Wow!
The description in Wikipedia’s list of events for 8 October (see previous entry) says 1.2 million acres burned. The article itself says 2,000 acres. Either way, that's a LOT of Chicago!!!
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
451 - At Chalcedon, a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor, the first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins (ends on November 1)
1600 - San Marino adopts its written constitution
1871 - The Great Chicago Fire burns 1,200,000 acres (4,900 km²) in one day, eventually destroying about 17,450 buildings, kills about 250 people and leaves another 90,000 homeless.
1871 - In Wisconsin, a forest fire starts to burn across six counties, eventually killing over 1,100 people
1956 - New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen pitches first (and only) perfect game in World Series history in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.
1957 - Walter O'Malley announces that the Dodgers are going to move from Brooklyn, New York to Los Angeles, California
2003 - Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark's engagement to Australian lawyer Mary Donaldson is announced
Births
1890 - Edward Rickenbacker, ace fighter pilot (d. 1973)
1920 - Frank Herbert, American science fiction writer (d. 1986)
1922 - Christiaan Barnard, heart surgeon
Holidays
Independence day in Croatia
07 October 2004
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
3761 BC - The epoch of the modern Hebrew calendar
1776 - Crown Prince Paul of Russia marries Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg
1912 - The Helsinki Stock Exchange saw its first transaction
1913 - Henry Ford introduces the assembly line
1957 - Dick Clark's American Bandstand debuts
Births
1931 - Desmond Tutu, South African archbishop and anti-apartheid activist
1939 - John Hopcroft, American theoretical computer scientist
1951 - John Cougar Mellencamp, singer
1955 - Yo-Yo Ma, cellist
1957 - Jayne Torvill, figure skater
Deaths
1792 - George Mason, U.S. patriot, "Father of the United States Bill of Rights"
1849 - Edgar Allan Poe, American writer (b. 1809)
1894 - Oliver Wendell Holmes, poet
1959 - Mario Lanza, singer
1992 - Tevfik Esenc, last speaker of the Ubykh language
Holidays & Observances
Feast day of Saint Osyth
06 October 2004
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1600 - Jacopo Peri's Euridice, the earliest surviving opera, premieres in Florence
1884 - The Naval War College of the United States Navy was founded in Newport, Rhode Island
1995 - 51 Pegasi, in the constellation of Pegasus, 47.9 light-years away from Earth, was discovered to be the first major star apart from the Sun to have a planet (and extrasolar planet) orbiting around it
Births
1820 - Jenny Lind, singer (d. 1887)
1846 - George Westinghouse, American engineer, inventor (d. 1914)
1914 - Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian explorer, leader of the Kon-Tiki expedition (d. 2002)
1948 - Gerry Adams, Irish politician
1951 - Manfred Winkelhock, German auto racing driver (d. 1985)
Deaths
1892 - Alfred Tennyson, British poet laureate
1983 - Terence Cardinal Cooke, tenth bishop (seventh archbishop) of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York (b. 1921)
1985 - Nelson Riddle, bandleader (b. 1921)
2002 - Claus von Amsberg (76), husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
Holidays & Observances
German-American Day (U.S. observance, since 1987)
05 October 2004
Today in History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1582 - Pope Gregory XIII announced the Gregorian calendar
1877 - Chief Joseph surrenders his Nez Perce band to General Nelson A. Miles
1969 - The first broadcast of Monty Python's Flying Circus
Births
1882 - Robert Goddard, rocket scientist
1902 - Ray Kroc, entrepreneur (McDonald's Corp.) (d. 1984)
Deaths
1813 - Tecumseh, Native American leader
1996 - Seymour Cray, American computer pioneer
04 October 2004
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1582 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. In Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain October 4 of this year is followed directly by October 15, skipping over 10 days
1883 - First run of the Orient Express
1957 - Launch of Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth
Births
1861 - Frederic Remington, painter (d. 1909)
1880 - Damon Runyon, writer (d. 1946)
1903 - John Vincent Atanasoff, American computer pioneer (d. 1995)
Deaths
1582 - Saint Teresa of Avila (b. 1515)
1669 - Rembrandt Dutch painter (b. 1606)
1880 - Jacques Offenbach, composer (b. 1819)
1904 - Frédéric Bartholdi, sculptor of the Statue of Liberty (b. 1834)
1989 - Graham Chapman, British comedian (b. 1941)
1989 - Secretariat, Triple Crown-winning race horse (b. 1970)
1997 - Gunpei Yokoi, Japanese game developer (b. 1941)
03 October 2004
"Challenged" Books Lists
:::sigh:::
From the ALA (American Library Association)
The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990 – 2000
The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990 – 1999
A Wrinkle in Time? Julie of the Wolves? James and the Giant Peach? Banned, in essence?? Where would my childhood have been (hell, I read them to this day) without these, and books like them?? More amazing than I know what to do with...
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1283 - David ap Gruffydd, prince of Gwynedd in Wales, becomes the first person executed by drawing and quartering
1789 - George Washington proclaims the first Thanksgiving Day
1863 - Thanksgiving Day declared as the last Thursday in November by President Abraham Lincoln
1962 - At Cape Canaveral the Sigma Seven blasted off with Astronaut Wally Schirra aboard for a nine-hour flight
1990 - The re-unification of Germany. East Germany ceases to exist
Births
1873 - Emily Post, etiquette advisor (sometimes October 27, 1872 is given as her birthdate)
1916 - James Herriot, veterinarian, author (d. 1995)
1949 - Lindsey Buckingham, musician
Deaths
1226 - Saint Francis of Assisi (b. c. 1182)
1283 - David ap Gruffydd, prince of Gwynedd in Wales, executed
1897 - Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (b. 1873)
1967 - Woody Guthrie, Amerian folk musician (b. 1912)
1998 - Roddy McDowall, actor (b. 1928)
02 October 2004
Vote!!!
It's getting to be that time once again.
If you're not registered, go do it. If you live in California, there's still time; other states, your mileage may vary. Point your browsers thusly: Voters Information Guide for the 2004 US Election.
Sage advice I picked up when I voted for the first time:
1. If you have any questions, ask the precinct workers. That's one of the reasons they're there.
2. If you make a mistake on the ballot, take it back to the precinct workers and request a new one.
3. If you're still voting with a punch card, make sure all of your selections are punched all the way through the card, and clean off any of the hanging chads.
Please, please let's not have another Florida...
Words
Anu Garg, the wordsmith behind AWAD (A Word A Day) reports the following are the two most requested AWAD words:
The belief that machines are out to get us: resistentialism
Fresh scent of earth after the first rains: petrichor
The Real Guardian Angels
wikipedia.org's link (down under Holidays and observances) to the human Guardian Angels notwithstanding, the real guardian angels whose feast day it is today are the guardian angels:
"Perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not just for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer and to present their souls to God at death...."
From AmericanCatholic.org in today’s Saints of the Day.
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1955 - The ENIAC computer is deactivated
1959 - The Twilight Zone debuts
Births
1800 - Nat Turner, American leader of slave uprising (d. 1831)
1890 - Groucho Marx, American comedian and actor (d. 1977)
1895 - Bud Abbott, comedian, actor (d. 1974)
1904 - Graham Greene, British novelist (d. 1991)
1945 - Don McLean, American songwriter
1948 - Avery Brooks, actor (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Deaths
1803 - Samuel Adams (American revolutionary) (b. 1722)
Feast Days
Feast of Guardian Angels
01 October 2004
Today In History
From wikipedia.org:
Events
1880 - John Philip Sousa becomes leader of the United States Marine Corps Band
1890 - Yosemite National Park established by United States Congress
1891 - In California, Stanford University open its doors
1910 - In downtown Los Angeles, California, a large bomb destroys the Los Angeles Times building, killing 20
1957 - First appearance of "In God We Trust" on paper currency
1958 - NASA created to replace NACA
1959 - Acme Refrigeration incorporated by Adrian Kaiser
Births
1903 - Vladimir Horowitz, pianist (d. 1989)
1935 - Julie Andrews, British actress and singer
Deaths
1985 - E.B. White, American author (b. 1899)
Feast Days
Saint Thérèse de Lisieux
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