Since Tuesday this blog has been focusing on the upcoming opening for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and listing the results of a poll regarding who should be the first 5 inductees into the inaugural class. So far we have 7-Time Cup Series Champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR, the cofounder of NASCAR Bill France Sr., and NASCAR legend David Pearson.
The fifth and final spot came down to a tie vote between two of NASCAR's early superstars, Lee Petty and Junior Johnson. Both men received 8 votes out of 28. While both men are sure-fire hall-of-famers, my vote for which one should go in first goes to the man who could haul ass on Sunday and haul moonshine on Monday.
Robert Glen Johnson, Jr., nicknamed Junior, grew up on a farm in Wilkes County, North Carolina as the son of a moonshiner. As a young man, Junior aided his father's moonshining business running 'shine through the Carolina hills. He consistently outran and outwitted local police and federal agents in chases, and was never caught while delivering moonshine to customers. After being talked into driving a car in a local dirt track race, Johnson found he enjoyed racing so much that he'd do it all the time. Working his way up through the ranks, he eventually started racing in the Cup Series in 1953. Although he'd officially given up on moonshining, Junior was helping out his sick father in 1956 by tending to his daddy's 'shining still when he was caught by federal tax agents who'd been staking out his father's operation for some time. He was charged with moonshining and sentenced to serve two years at the federal prison in Chillicothe, Ohio. He was released after serving 11 months and went right back to racing. During his career as a driver, Junior won 50 races out of 313 starts. He is credited with discovering "the draft" at Daytona, using the then-mysterious concept to win the 1960 Daytona 500. Junior retired from driving in 1966 but his life in racing was far from over. Johnson began his career as a car owner in 1965 and in 30 years of owning cars he'd amassed 132 wins and 6 NASCAR Cup Series Owners Championships. In that time span he fielded cars for some of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. In 1986, Johnson, a life long Democrat, was given a Presidential Pardon from Ronald Reagan for his 1956 moonshine conviction. Johnson has seen and done it all in the sport and is deserving, in my opinion, of the final spot in the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Most folks that watch NASCAR today have never seen Junior Johnson behind the wheel of a racecar, but tonight on ESPN2 there will be a race featuring some of NASCAR's legendary drivers of the past, including Junior Johnson. I emplore you to check it out tonight at 6PM.
I hope you've enjoyed this series on who might should go into NASCAR's first Hall of Fame class. If you agree or disagree with any of the names listed, leave me a comment and tell me why. Thanks for reading.
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
The NASCAR Hall of Fame - Who Should Go In? Part 3
On Tuesday we took a look at the fact that there will be a NASCAR Hall of Fame opening in the spring of next year. We also went over how the induction process will work to select Hall of Famers. Finally we talked about the list compiled on a website made up by taking five votes from 28 folks who know their NASCAR. On Wednesday we took a look at the top two vote getters, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, and why they should be inducted. Yesterday we focused on the third highest vote getter, the co-founder of NASCAR, William Getty France Sr.
Today we'll talk about the man who tied with "Big Bill" in the poll, the driver with second largest number of wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, "The Silver Fox" David Pearson.
Before the "Modern Era", it was not uncommon for many of the sport's top stars to pick and choose which races they would run, as some races were more "valuable" in points and pay than others. David Pearson, who appeared on the scene in 1960 and continued racing until 1986, was one of those kinda drivers. Only three times in that time period did Pearson run the full schedule. All three of those times (1966, 68, and 69) he won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Pearson also had a storied rivalry with "The King" Richard Petty. Between 1963-1977, Pearson and Petty finished 1st and 2nd (not respectively) sixty-three times! Also, despite only running 574 races in his career (compared to Petty's 1184), Pearson won 105 races, the second most of any driver and the only other man to have more than 100 wins in the Series. Had Pearson raced the full schedule more often, it's not entirely improbable that he would have won more races and championships than Petty or Earnhardt. With stats like that, you'd be hard pressed to argue against putting David Pearson in the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Richard Petty and David Pearson
Tomorrow we'll profile the final top-five vote getter, a man who was hard to beat in an automobile, whether he was haulin' ass on the track or hauling 'shine on dirt roads. We'll also take a look at some other NASCAR legends whose names and credential make it worth considering their induction in the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. See ya tomorrow.
Today we'll talk about the man who tied with "Big Bill" in the poll, the driver with second largest number of wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, "The Silver Fox" David Pearson.
Before the "Modern Era", it was not uncommon for many of the sport's top stars to pick and choose which races they would run, as some races were more "valuable" in points and pay than others. David Pearson, who appeared on the scene in 1960 and continued racing until 1986, was one of those kinda drivers. Only three times in that time period did Pearson run the full schedule. All three of those times (1966, 68, and 69) he won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Pearson also had a storied rivalry with "The King" Richard Petty. Between 1963-1977, Pearson and Petty finished 1st and 2nd (not respectively) sixty-three times! Also, despite only running 574 races in his career (compared to Petty's 1184), Pearson won 105 races, the second most of any driver and the only other man to have more than 100 wins in the Series. Had Pearson raced the full schedule more often, it's not entirely improbable that he would have won more races and championships than Petty or Earnhardt. With stats like that, you'd be hard pressed to argue against putting David Pearson in the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Richard Petty and David PearsonTomorrow we'll profile the final top-five vote getter, a man who was hard to beat in an automobile, whether he was haulin' ass on the track or hauling 'shine on dirt roads. We'll also take a look at some other NASCAR legends whose names and credential make it worth considering their induction in the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. See ya tomorrow.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The NASCAR Hall of Fame - Who Should Go In? Part 2
On Tuesday, we took a look at the fact that there will be a NASCAR Hall of Fame opening in the spring of next year. We also went over how the induction process will work to select Hall of Famers. Finally we talked about the list compiled on a website made up by taking five votes from 28 folks who know their NASCAR. Yesterday we took a look at the top two vote getters, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, and why they should be inducted. Today we'll focus on the individual who tied for the third most votes (22 of 28), but will slide solely into third with my executive vote, William Getty France Sr.
The story of William Getty France Sr. and that of NASCAR are completely inseparable. The tale is really too long to regale in this post, but to keep it short: Prior to World War II, stock car racing was a growing attraction. Despite the sport's rising popularity with fans, drivers were often victimized by shady promoters who would leave events with all the money before drivers were paid. On December 14, 1947, a man named Bill France, who was well known in the racing community as a driver and promoter in his own right, gathered with influential drivers, mechanics, car owners, and promoters at the Ebony Bar inside the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida. In these meetings, they decided that this form of racing would not grow without a formal sanctioning organization, standardized rules, regular schedule, and an organized championship. Through this, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was formed. France ran and controlled NASCAR from it's inception until 1972, when he handed the reigns of the business over to his son, Bill Jr.
Although "Big Bill" was no longer in control, he still remained very active and influential behind the scenes. While he certainly didn't create NASCAR single-handedly, it's probably safe to say that without Bill France Sr., we may not have a nationally recognized stock car racing organization like NASCAR today. "Big" Bill France, who passed away in 1992, should certainly be inducted into the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Some may argue that because he took all the credit for creating NASCAR and because he ran the company like a dictatorship, he should not be honored so highly. The fact remains, however, that under France's leadership, NASCAR reached the "crest of the hill" before exploding into the massive, money-making machine that it became under his son's reign.
Tomorrow we'll look at the individual who tied with France in the unofficial poll, a man that could have rivaled Petty and Earnhardt in wins and championships if he'd only raced the full Cup Series schedule more often. See ya then.
The story of William Getty France Sr. and that of NASCAR are completely inseparable. The tale is really too long to regale in this post, but to keep it short: Prior to World War II, stock car racing was a growing attraction. Despite the sport's rising popularity with fans, drivers were often victimized by shady promoters who would leave events with all the money before drivers were paid. On December 14, 1947, a man named Bill France, who was well known in the racing community as a driver and promoter in his own right, gathered with influential drivers, mechanics, car owners, and promoters at the Ebony Bar inside the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida. In these meetings, they decided that this form of racing would not grow without a formal sanctioning organization, standardized rules, regular schedule, and an organized championship. Through this, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was formed. France ran and controlled NASCAR from it's inception until 1972, when he handed the reigns of the business over to his son, Bill Jr.Although "Big Bill" was no longer in control, he still remained very active and influential behind the scenes. While he certainly didn't create NASCAR single-handedly, it's probably safe to say that without Bill France Sr., we may not have a nationally recognized stock car racing organization like NASCAR today. "Big" Bill France, who passed away in 1992, should certainly be inducted into the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Some may argue that because he took all the credit for creating NASCAR and because he ran the company like a dictatorship, he should not be honored so highly. The fact remains, however, that under France's leadership, NASCAR reached the "crest of the hill" before exploding into the massive, money-making machine that it became under his son's reign.Tomorrow we'll look at the individual who tied with France in the unofficial poll, a man that could have rivaled Petty and Earnhardt in wins and championships if he'd only raced the full Cup Series schedule more often. See ya then.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The NASCAR Hall of Fame - Who Should Go In? Part 1
Yesterday we took a look at the fact that there will be a NASCAR Hall of Fame opening in the spring of next year. We also went over how the induction process will work to select Hall of Famers. Finally we talked about the list compiled on a website made up by taking five votes from 28 folks who know their NASCAR. Today we will take a look at the top two vote getters and why they should be inducted.
For those of you who are not into NASCAR, there are really only two names that can go at the top of the list when inducting the Inaugural NHOF Class.
Petty and Earnhardt... or Earnhardt and Petty.
The most die-hard fan will tell you that it must go one way or the other.
The panel that was polled voted unanimously on only one name.
The individual who received the most votes (28) was the man with more NASCAR victories than any other driver, "The King" - Richard Petty. In a career that spanned from 1958 until 1992, "King Richard" has certainly earned all of that and I wouldn't be surprised to see him unanimously voted in by the actual voting committee. With 200 NASCAR Cup Series victories and 7 NASCAR Cup Series Championships (tied with only one other driver for most Championships), Richard Petty should undoubtedly be in the inaugural class.
This means that the individual to receive the second most votes (25 of 28) is the man who tied Petty for most NASCAR Cup Series Championships in 1994, the late Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt won 76 NASCAR Cup Series races between his first start in 1975 until his death in 2001. Earnhardt also won 7 NASCAR Cup Series Championships, tying Richard Petty's record. Many of his peers and fans, including yours truly, consider "The Intimidator" the greatest stock car driver of all time! Whether you put him above, beside, or below Richard Petty, the margin between them is so close that Earnhardt is certainly worthy to be in the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Why is there a debate? Because there are too many factors that allowed Petty to accomplish what he did in the era that he did it.
Petty fans will say, "200 wins and 7 Championships vs. only 76 wins and 7 Championships... DUH!", but in the 1950s and 60s, NASCAR sponsored races on small tracks all over the south, mid-west and north-east. A driver could accumulate points by driving around to small tracks 4 and 5 times a week, beating up on the locals. This explains how Petty was able to attain 200 wins. Once a stable points system was established and NASCAR tightened their way of picking the races that are sanctioned as Cup Series events, this was no longer possible. Also during this time period, many drivers did not have much sponsorship or backing from car manufacturers, while Petty was backed by Dodge for a large majority of those years. What he did at the track translated as a testing ground for Dodge on equipment, parts, etc. and translated into money that poured into backing Petty's racing efforts. Such an advantage over the other drivers for so long must be taken into account.
Meanwhile, all of Earnhardt's wins came in NASCAR's "Modern Era" (1971-today), which has been a time when a larger group of the competition had factory money coming in combined with large corperate sponsors funding more race cars/teams, making more drivers capable of winning any given week.
Certainly, the debate will rage regardless of logic and reasoning and there is no doubt that both of these men deserve their place in the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Tomorrow we'll look at the individual who got the third most votes. It would be blasphemy not to put him in the first year, since with out him there probably wouldn't be a NASCAR, much less a NASCAR Hall of Fame. See ya tomorrow.
For those of you who are not into NASCAR, there are really only two names that can go at the top of the list when inducting the Inaugural NHOF Class.
Petty and Earnhardt... or Earnhardt and Petty.
The most die-hard fan will tell you that it must go one way or the other.
The panel that was polled voted unanimously on only one name.
The individual who received the most votes (28) was the man with more NASCAR victories than any other driver, "The King" - Richard Petty. In a career that spanned from 1958 until 1992, "King Richard" has certainly earned all of that and I wouldn't be surprised to see him unanimously voted in by the actual voting committee. With 200 NASCAR Cup Series victories and 7 NASCAR Cup Series Championships (tied with only one other driver for most Championships), Richard Petty should undoubtedly be in the inaugural class.
This means that the individual to receive the second most votes (25 of 28) is the man who tied Petty for most NASCAR Cup Series Championships in 1994, the late Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt won 76 NASCAR Cup Series races between his first start in 1975 until his death in 2001. Earnhardt also won 7 NASCAR Cup Series Championships, tying Richard Petty's record. Many of his peers and fans, including yours truly, consider "The Intimidator" the greatest stock car driver of all time! Whether you put him above, beside, or below Richard Petty, the margin between them is so close that Earnhardt is certainly worthy to be in the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Why is there a debate? Because there are too many factors that allowed Petty to accomplish what he did in the era that he did it.
Petty fans will say, "200 wins and 7 Championships vs. only 76 wins and 7 Championships... DUH!", but in the 1950s and 60s, NASCAR sponsored races on small tracks all over the south, mid-west and north-east. A driver could accumulate points by driving around to small tracks 4 and 5 times a week, beating up on the locals. This explains how Petty was able to attain 200 wins. Once a stable points system was established and NASCAR tightened their way of picking the races that are sanctioned as Cup Series events, this was no longer possible. Also during this time period, many drivers did not have much sponsorship or backing from car manufacturers, while Petty was backed by Dodge for a large majority of those years. What he did at the track translated as a testing ground for Dodge on equipment, parts, etc. and translated into money that poured into backing Petty's racing efforts. Such an advantage over the other drivers for so long must be taken into account.
Meanwhile, all of Earnhardt's wins came in NASCAR's "Modern Era" (1971-today), which has been a time when a larger group of the competition had factory money coming in combined with large corperate sponsors funding more race cars/teams, making more drivers capable of winning any given week.
Certainly, the debate will rage regardless of logic and reasoning and there is no doubt that both of these men deserve their place in the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Tomorrow we'll look at the individual who got the third most votes. It would be blasphemy not to put him in the first year, since with out him there probably wouldn't be a NASCAR, much less a NASCAR Hall of Fame. See ya tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The NASCAR Hall of Fame - Introduction
The NASCAR Hall of Fame (NHOF) will open in the Spring of next year. It will be located in Charlotte, NC, just a few miles from the sight of the first NASCAR Cup Series Race. It's goal is to "honor NASCAR icons and create an enduring tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners and others that have impacted the sport in the past, present and future."
Ever since the process of creating the NHOF began, the two big questions in the NASCAR community/fanbase has been who will go in the first NHOF Class and how will potential inductees be selected. Well recently the NHOF announced how their selection process will work.
1. To be eligible for induction, drivers as well as other candidates will be considered eligible after 10 years of competition or work in the industry. Careers of shorter duration can be considered under unusual circumstances. Individuals must be retired from the sport for at least three years.
2. The nomination committee, who will nominate the potential NHOF inductees to be voted on, will consist of (1) seven top-ranking NASCAR officials (chairman of the board, president and five vice presidents); (2) the NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director and its historian; (3) two track owner representatives from International Speedway Corp. tracks, two from Speedway Motorsports tracks, one from Indianapolis, one from Dover and one from Pocono, and one representative from each of four historic short tracks - Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina, Riverhead in New York and Irwindale in California. This comes out to 20 members of the nomination committee. These committee members must nominate no more than 25 candidates by June each year.
3. Once the nominees have been selected, a voting committee will vote on which nominees will go into the NHOF. The voting committee consists of (1) members of the nominating committee; (2) 14 media representatives (three each from the National Motorsports Press Association, the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association and one each from Fox, Turner, ESPN, Motor Racing Network and Performance Racing Network); (3) one representative from each manufacturer; (4) three retired drivers; (5) three retired owners; (6) and three retired crew chiefs. (7) Also, a fan vote will take place between June and Sept. 1 and their selections will count as one vote in the process. This comes out to 47 members of the voting committee plus one vote representing the fans. The voting process is to be completed by Sept. 15.
4. Once the votes have been received, the top five vote-getters each will be elected to the Hall of Fame. Ties in voting will be broken by the Hall of Fame nominating committee. The NHOF class is scheduled to be announced in October with induction the following May.
With all of that said, all we know so far is that we will see the list of the first 25 nominees for the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class this upcoming June.
Although the opinions of a large majority of the nominating committee are not known, stockcarhistoryonline.com surveyed 28 people, including well-known motorsports competitors, journalists, officials, and one super-fan to see who would go in if they were choosing the first Class of NHOFers. Some of the folks polled are or may be involved in the process, others are not. Those polled includes Jim Hunter - Vice President of NASCAR Corporate Communications; Retired driver - Richard Petty; Current drivers Kyle Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart; Track presidents Roger Curtis (Michigan) and Eddie Gossage (Texas); and NASCAR media personalities Dr. Jerry Punch, Jay Adamcyk, Steve Waid, Randy Hallman, Monte Dutton, Rick Minter, Godwin Kelly, Marc Fein, Joe Menzer, Mark Aumann, Dick Conway, Duane Cross, Mike Fresina, Bryan Hallman, Mike Hembree, Jeff Owens, Dave Rodman, Jim Utter, David Poole, and Rick Houston; and one "super-fan". Some of these names are known by every fan, some are not, but trust me when I tell you that these folks (except for maybe the "super-fan") KNOW their NASCAR! Each person was allowed to name 5 picks for who should go into the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Over the next few days I'll be reviewing their picks for the Hall and commenting on each possible HOFer. Without revealing the list, let me say that these folks put out a very good list of five who should go in during the first year. I agree whole heartedly with the top 4. Tomorrow I'll profile the first two picks. If you follow NASCAR at all, it won't be any surprise who they are. See ya tomorrow.
Ever since the process of creating the NHOF began, the two big questions in the NASCAR community/fanbase has been who will go in the first NHOF Class and how will potential inductees be selected. Well recently the NHOF announced how their selection process will work.
1. To be eligible for induction, drivers as well as other candidates will be considered eligible after 10 years of competition or work in the industry. Careers of shorter duration can be considered under unusual circumstances. Individuals must be retired from the sport for at least three years.
2. The nomination committee, who will nominate the potential NHOF inductees to be voted on, will consist of (1) seven top-ranking NASCAR officials (chairman of the board, president and five vice presidents); (2) the NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director and its historian; (3) two track owner representatives from International Speedway Corp. tracks, two from Speedway Motorsports tracks, one from Indianapolis, one from Dover and one from Pocono, and one representative from each of four historic short tracks - Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina, Riverhead in New York and Irwindale in California. This comes out to 20 members of the nomination committee. These committee members must nominate no more than 25 candidates by June each year.
3. Once the nominees have been selected, a voting committee will vote on which nominees will go into the NHOF. The voting committee consists of (1) members of the nominating committee; (2) 14 media representatives (three each from the National Motorsports Press Association, the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association and one each from Fox, Turner, ESPN, Motor Racing Network and Performance Racing Network); (3) one representative from each manufacturer; (4) three retired drivers; (5) three retired owners; (6) and three retired crew chiefs. (7) Also, a fan vote will take place between June and Sept. 1 and their selections will count as one vote in the process. This comes out to 47 members of the voting committee plus one vote representing the fans. The voting process is to be completed by Sept. 15.
4. Once the votes have been received, the top five vote-getters each will be elected to the Hall of Fame. Ties in voting will be broken by the Hall of Fame nominating committee. The NHOF class is scheduled to be announced in October with induction the following May.
With all of that said, all we know so far is that we will see the list of the first 25 nominees for the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class this upcoming June.
Although the opinions of a large majority of the nominating committee are not known, stockcarhistoryonline.com surveyed 28 people, including well-known motorsports competitors, journalists, officials, and one super-fan to see who would go in if they were choosing the first Class of NHOFers. Some of the folks polled are or may be involved in the process, others are not. Those polled includes Jim Hunter - Vice President of NASCAR Corporate Communications; Retired driver - Richard Petty; Current drivers Kyle Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart; Track presidents Roger Curtis (Michigan) and Eddie Gossage (Texas); and NASCAR media personalities Dr. Jerry Punch, Jay Adamcyk, Steve Waid, Randy Hallman, Monte Dutton, Rick Minter, Godwin Kelly, Marc Fein, Joe Menzer, Mark Aumann, Dick Conway, Duane Cross, Mike Fresina, Bryan Hallman, Mike Hembree, Jeff Owens, Dave Rodman, Jim Utter, David Poole, and Rick Houston; and one "super-fan". Some of these names are known by every fan, some are not, but trust me when I tell you that these folks (except for maybe the "super-fan") KNOW their NASCAR! Each person was allowed to name 5 picks for who should go into the Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
Over the next few days I'll be reviewing their picks for the Hall and commenting on each possible HOFer. Without revealing the list, let me say that these folks put out a very good list of five who should go in during the first year. I agree whole heartedly with the top 4. Tomorrow I'll profile the first two picks. If you follow NASCAR at all, it won't be any surprise who they are. See ya tomorrow.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Getting Ready for The Great American Race
This Sunday is the 51st running of the Daytona 500 and that means that there will be lots of smiling come race time on Sunday. Whatever day the Daytona 500 occurs on every year is like a holiday for me and my brother. I have lots of stuff to get ready and plenty of cleaning here in the basement as I prepare to welcome folks over to watch the race.
As I write this, I understand that not everyone is a NASCAR fan, so let me help you understand why you should watch the 500 on Sunday...
Everyone enjoys a big event. Whether it's a competition, an awards show, a brand new season of your favorite TV show, or even a reality television extravaganza, there's almost always a big television event that someone will enjoy.
Most guys and a lot of girls all across America enjoy watching sports. For many there is nothing bigger than the World Series, the Stanley Cup finals, the Final Four, WrestleMania, the Masters, the BCS Championship game, or the Super Bowl. All of those are examples of the biggest event that their respective sports have to offer.
Every February, there is a 10 day period of time that captivates millions of people known simply as Speedweek at Daytona. The event takes place at a magical place. This place is one where time can stand still, where history lives and breaths all around you. Here you can feel 50+ years of excitement, passion, triumph, and tragedy swirling around you as you bask in the glory of these hallowed grounds. This place is the Daytona International Speedway.
After the preliminary events have taken place over the first nine days, the main event is set. The greatest race in the world. The Daytona 500. Since it's inception in 1959, the Daytona 500 has become an annual tradition of great racing and great racing moments.
In the first Daytona 500, Lee Petty sped toward the finish line in a side-by-side battle with Johnny Beauchamp, a hiccup finish made even more complicated by the fact that Joe Weatherly, two laps down, was wedged in beside the two leaders. The three cars crossed the finish line in a dead-heat blur. Who won? Nobody knew. It was too close to call. It took three days of studying still photos of the finish before NASCAR president Bill France Sr. finally proclaimed Petty the victor. The margin of victory was determined to be 24 inches, give or take.
The 2007 edition of "The Great American Race" was another barn burner that came right down to wire. Kevin Harvick, driving for the same team who's driver died in the race six years prior to the day, edged out Mark Martin for the win in a finish that saw a major crash happen as the top 2 crossed the finish line. The margin or victory? Mere inches. Two or three at the most. NASCAR now measures the margin of victory using how many seconds it takes the second place finisher to cross the finish line after the winner. Using this formula, Kevin Harvick beat Mark Martin by 0.020 seconds. This was the closest finish in the Daytona 500 since Lee Petty won in 1959.
Last year was the 50th Daytona 500. In celebration of this race's history, NASCAR gathered all of the living winners of the 500 on stage to honor their status as Daytona 500 Champions.
Over the past 50 years, there have been many other memorable Daytona 500s. Each running is special in it's own way. As an event, you can't get any bigger. It's a brand new season of your favorite TV show since it's the start of the NASCAR season. It's a competition where drivers, cars, and crews are pitted against each other in an effort to be the best at managing all three well enough to beat the other drivers, cars, and crews. It's a reality television extravaganza where emotion is raw, tempers flare, and at any given moment someone could make a mistake and the consequences could be as little as an inconvenience or as big as the loss of a life. Finally, it's an awards show where the man who can survive and do it faster than anyone else rolls into Victory Lane and gets his name enshrined in immortality as the winner of the Harley J. Earl Trophy, signifying that he will forever be known as a champion of the Daytona 500.
As the days pass coming to the 51st Daytona 500, I will be watching lots of Speed Channel. I'm so ready for this race. It's time to reach up, pull those seatbelts tight, and brace yourselves for what could be another great Daytona 500! Wanna join me?
Monday, December 08, 2008
The Peaceful Transfer of Power - Air Force One. Dallas TX, November 22, 1963
+Inaugural.jpg)
In our first edition of "The Peaceful Transfer of Power", we will take a look at the first swearing-in of Lyndon Baines Johnson.On the morning of November 22, 1963 Lyndon Johnson was the Vice President of the United States under President John F. Kennedy. Johnson was chosen by Kennedy to be his V.P. candidate in 1960 to help his campaign win the southern states in the country. As a Catholic from Massachusetts, JFK knew that if he was going to win the Presidency he would need a man with Johnson's southern reputation like Johnson to get the votes he needed. Kennedy and Johnson won the election of 1960 and went on to the White House.
Johnson, a member of the House of Representatives from Texas from 1937 to 1949, and a Senator from Texas from 1949 to 1961, was used to getting alot done in the halls of congress throughout his political career. One he ascended to the Vice-Presidency, however, he was held under with no real power and little to no influence in the JFK administration.
In late November of 1963, Kennedy was already campaigning for reelection in the vote of '64. He chose to go to Texas and capitalize on his association with the "hometown boy." On the afternoon of November 22, Kennedy's Presidential motorcade rolled through the streets of Dallas amid the cheers from a crowd that Kennedy held in the palm of his hand. Riding with President & Mrs. Kennedy was Texas Governor, John Connally and his wife, Nellie. Vice-President Johnson rode in a car behind the President's.
After turning onto Elm St. heading into Dealey Plaza, Nellie Connally remarked to President Kennedy "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Right after these words were spoken, shots rang out from crowd noise and blood splattered everywhere in the Presidential limousine. The President had been hit and it was looking gruesome. The motorcade swiftly got out of Dealey Plaza and rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Once inside, the medical staff did all they could to save the young President, but it was too late. At 1:00 PM CST, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was pronounced dead. Johnson was at the hospital at that moment.
The U.S. Constitution provides that should the president die or become disabled while in office, the "powers and duties" of the office are transferred to the Vice President. Thus, at the moment of President Kennedy's death, Lyndon Baines Johnson became the President of the United States.
+Lyndon+Baines+Johnson.jpg)
After leaving the hospital, President Johnson and a small group of reporters rushed to Love Field in Dallas where Air Force One was parked. Johnson had been on the phone with Attorney General Robert Kennedy (brother of the slain President) moments earlier and was told to take the oath before getting airborn. Once inside the plane, Johnson requested Federal District Judge Sarah Hughes of Dallas to come to the plane to administer the oath. With her husbands body now on the plane, the newly widowed Jacqueline Kennedy sent word that she wished to attend but needed a few minutes to compose herself.
+Lyndon+Baines+Johnson+a.jpg)
Mrs. Kennedy entered the conference room aboard the plane, still in the two-piece, blood stained, pink wool suit she had worn in the motorcade. Johnson took her gently by the hand, placing her to his left. Mrs. Johnson stood on his right. With the heat inside the plane being unbearable, Johnson asked for a glass of ice water. A Bible could not be found on the plane but President Kennedy's personal catholic missal was found and was prepared for Johnson to place his hand upon. Once the microphone and the cameraman were in place, Johnson placed his left hand on the missal and raised his right and Lyndon Baines Johnson took the Presidential Oath of Office.
+Lyndon+Baines+Johnson+b.jpg)
The days following this historic moment were filled with sadness, confusion, and questions. It is my personal belief that President Kennedy's assassination was orchestrated by Johnson and a group of conspirators. Regardless, Johnson has been looked on by Democrats with high regard and historians rank him fairly well.
Today at Love Field, there is almost nothing to remind us of the historic events that transpired in it's bounds. The area where Air Force One sat there is now a part of a DHL shipping operation.
The plane, SAM 26000, then known as Air Force One, was retired from serving Presidents in 1998. It is now a part of an exhibit on Presidential aircraft at the National Museum of the United States Air Force where it has been opened up for tours. The interior has been restored to it's appearance during the Johnson Presidency.
+Lyndon+Baines+Johnson+d.jpg)
The Peaceful Transfer of Power - Introduction
On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama II will (weather permitting) stand on the West Front of the United States Capitol and take the Oath of Office to become the 44th President of the United States. Ever since George Washington became our nation's first President, every man to hold the highest elected office in our land has marked his ascension to power by reciting the following 35 words as prescribed by the United States Constitution.
"I (, full name typically inserted here,) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
This ceremony and all of the hype that usually comes along with it is often referred to as The Inauguration. As of 2008, the Presidential Oath of Office has been recited by 42 different men on 69 different occasions. Five of those times, the Oath was taken twice by the same man to initiate the same term for different reasons between the five occurrences. 24 different locations have played host to the event in or around 10 different buildings and 1 aircraft. These locations have been in 6 different cities, in 4 different states and 1 federal district.
With all of this information, you can probably tell that the Inaugural ceremony has not always been as "cut and dried" as it may seem. Certainly the Inaugurations we see on TV today have been well scripted events but it is not always so rehearsed. Death, weather, mystery and other circumstances have made the history of taking "the Oath" an interesting subject for me to study over the past month and now I will begin relaying some of these interesting little facts to anyone who cares to read my blog. Starting with a new blog later today we will take a look at every Presidential Inauguration by location. We will start with the one that took place the furthest away from the West Front of the United States Capitol and work our way around to the place where President-Elect Obama will presumably stand to take the Oath of Office. Stay tuned for later today when we take a look at what may have been the least "peaceful transfer of power" this country has ever seen.
"I (, full name typically inserted here,) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
This ceremony and all of the hype that usually comes along with it is often referred to as The Inauguration. As of 2008, the Presidential Oath of Office has been recited by 42 different men on 69 different occasions. Five of those times, the Oath was taken twice by the same man to initiate the same term for different reasons between the five occurrences. 24 different locations have played host to the event in or around 10 different buildings and 1 aircraft. These locations have been in 6 different cities, in 4 different states and 1 federal district.
With all of this information, you can probably tell that the Inaugural ceremony has not always been as "cut and dried" as it may seem. Certainly the Inaugurations we see on TV today have been well scripted events but it is not always so rehearsed. Death, weather, mystery and other circumstances have made the history of taking "the Oath" an interesting subject for me to study over the past month and now I will begin relaying some of these interesting little facts to anyone who cares to read my blog. Starting with a new blog later today we will take a look at every Presidential Inauguration by location. We will start with the one that took place the furthest away from the West Front of the United States Capitol and work our way around to the place where President-Elect Obama will presumably stand to take the Oath of Office. Stay tuned for later today when we take a look at what may have been the least "peaceful transfer of power" this country has ever seen.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
What Happened Whensday: September 24, 2008
This is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 98 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events:
622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina.
1180 - Manuel I Komnenos, last Emperor of the Komnenian restoration dies. The Byzantine Empire slips into terminal decline.
1664 - The Netherlands surrenders New Amsterdam to England.
1789 - The office of the Attorney General of the United States of America, and the United States Post Office Department, are established.
1841 - The Sultan of Brunei cedes Sarawak to Britain.
1852 - The first airship powered by (a steam) engine, created by Henri Giffard, travels 17 miles (27 km) from Paris to Trappes.
1869 - "Black Friday": Gold prices plummet after Ulysses S. Grant orders the Treasury to sell large quantities of gold after Jay Gould and James Fisk plot to control the market.
1877 - Battle of Shiroyama, decisive victory of the Imperial Japanese Army over the Satsuma Rebellion
1890 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially renounces polygamy.
1903 - Edmund Barton steps down as Prime Minister of Australia and is succeeded by Alfred Deakin.
1906 - U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower the nation's first National Monument.
1935 - Earl Bascom and Weldon Bascom produce the first rodeo ever held outdoors under electric lights at Columbia, Mississippi
1946 - Cathay Pacific Airways is founded in Hong Kong
1947 - Majestic 12 is allegedly established by secret executive order of President Harry Truman
1948 - The Honda Motor Company is founded.
1950 - Forest fires black out the sun over portions of Canada and New England. A Blue moon (in the astronomical sense) is seen as far away as Europe.
1957 - Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe, is opened in Barcelona.
1957 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends 101st Airborne Division troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce desegregation.
1962 - United States court of appeals orders the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith.
1973 - Guinea-Bissau declares its independence from Portugal.
1990 - Periodic Great White Spot observed on Saturn
1994 - National League for Democracy is formed by Aung San Suu Kyi and various others to help fight against dictatorship in Myanmar.
1996 - U.S. President Bill Clinton signs the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the United Nations.
2005 - Hurricane Rita makes landfall in the United States, devastating Beaumont, Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana.
Births
1725 - Sir Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer (d. 1803)
1755 - John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1835)
1921 - Jim McKay, American sportscaster (d. 2008)
1936 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer (d. 1990)
1941 - Linda McCartney, American singer (d. 1998)
1945 - Lou Dobbs, American journalist
1946 - "Mean" Joe Greene, American football player
1961 - Allen Bestwick, Nascar broadcaster
1965 - Sean McNabb, American bassist (Quiet Riot, Great White, Rough Cutt, House of Lords)
1976 - Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, American professional wrestler
[edit] Deaths
366 - Pope Liberius
1143 - Pope Innocent II
Events:
622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina.
1180 - Manuel I Komnenos, last Emperor of the Komnenian restoration dies. The Byzantine Empire slips into terminal decline.
1664 - The Netherlands surrenders New Amsterdam to England.
1789 - The office of the Attorney General of the United States of America, and the United States Post Office Department, are established.
1841 - The Sultan of Brunei cedes Sarawak to Britain.
1852 - The first airship powered by (a steam) engine, created by Henri Giffard, travels 17 miles (27 km) from Paris to Trappes.
1869 - "Black Friday": Gold prices plummet after Ulysses S. Grant orders the Treasury to sell large quantities of gold after Jay Gould and James Fisk plot to control the market.
1877 - Battle of Shiroyama, decisive victory of the Imperial Japanese Army over the Satsuma Rebellion
1890 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially renounces polygamy.
1903 - Edmund Barton steps down as Prime Minister of Australia and is succeeded by Alfred Deakin.
1906 - U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower the nation's first National Monument.
1935 - Earl Bascom and Weldon Bascom produce the first rodeo ever held outdoors under electric lights at Columbia, Mississippi
1946 - Cathay Pacific Airways is founded in Hong Kong
1947 - Majestic 12 is allegedly established by secret executive order of President Harry Truman
1948 - The Honda Motor Company is founded.
1950 - Forest fires black out the sun over portions of Canada and New England. A Blue moon (in the astronomical sense) is seen as far away as Europe.
1957 - Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe, is opened in Barcelona.
1957 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends 101st Airborne Division troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce desegregation.
1962 - United States court of appeals orders the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith.
1973 - Guinea-Bissau declares its independence from Portugal.
1990 - Periodic Great White Spot observed on Saturn
1994 - National League for Democracy is formed by Aung San Suu Kyi and various others to help fight against dictatorship in Myanmar.
1996 - U.S. President Bill Clinton signs the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the United Nations.
2005 - Hurricane Rita makes landfall in the United States, devastating Beaumont, Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana.
Births
1725 - Sir Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer (d. 1803)
1755 - John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1835)
1921 - Jim McKay, American sportscaster (d. 2008)
1936 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer (d. 1990)
1941 - Linda McCartney, American singer (d. 1998)
1945 - Lou Dobbs, American journalist
1946 - "Mean" Joe Greene, American football player
1961 - Allen Bestwick, Nascar broadcaster
1965 - Sean McNabb, American bassist (Quiet Riot, Great White, Rough Cutt, House of Lords)
1976 - Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, American professional wrestler
[edit] Deaths
366 - Pope Liberius
1143 - Pope Innocent II
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
What Happened Whensday: September 17, 2008
This is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 105 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events:
1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought.
1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec) is fought during Thirteen Years' War.
1577 - Peace of Bergerac signed between Henry III of France and the Huguenots.
1630 - The city of Boston, Massachusetts, is founded.
1631 - Sweden wins a major victory at the Battle of Breitenfeld against the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years War.
1776 - The Presidio of San Francisco is founded in New Spain.
1778 - Treaty of Fort Pitt signed, the first formal treaty between the United States and a Native American tribe (the Lenape or Delaware).
1787 - The United States Constitution is signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1809 - Peace between Sweden and Russia in the Finnish War. The territory to become Finland is ceded to Russia by the Treaty of Fredrikshamn.
1814 - Francis Scott Key finishes his The Star-Spangled Banner poem.
1859 - Joshua A. Norton declares himself Emperor Norton I of the United States.
1862 - American Civil War: George B. McClellan halts the northward drive of Robert E. Lee's Confederate army in the single-day Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history.
1862 - American Civil War: The Allegheny Arsenal explosion resulted in the single largest civilian disaster during the war
1894 - Battle of Yalu River, the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War.
1900 - Philippine-American War: Filipinos under Juan Cailles defeat Americans under Colonel Benjamin F. Cheatham at Mabitac.
1908 - The Wright Flyer flown by Orville Wright, with Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge as passenger, crashes; killing Selfridge. He becomes the first airplane fatality.
1914 - Andrew Fisher becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the third time.
1916 - World War I: Manfred von Richthofen ("The Red Baron"), a flying ace of the German Luftstreitkräfte, won his first aerial combat near Cambrai, France.
1920 - Sports: National Football League is organized in Canton, Ohio, United States.
1924 - The Border Defence Corps was established in the Second Polish Republic for the defence of the eastern border against armed Soviet raids and local bandits.
1928 - The Okeechobee Hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing upwards of 2,500 people. It is the third deadliest natural disaster in US history, behind the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
1939 - The Soviet Union joined Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.
1939 - World War II: A German U-boat U 29 sinks the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous.
1941 - A decree of the Soviet State Committee of Defense, restoring Vsevobuch in the face of the Great Patriotic War, was issued
1943 - Russian city of Bryansk liberated from Nazis.
1944 - Allied Airborne troops parachute into the Netherlands as the "Market" half of Operation Market Garden.
1947 - James V. Forrestal was sworn in as the first Secretary of Defense of United States.
1948 - Lehi (also known as the Stern gang) assassinates Count Folke Bernadotte, who was appointed by the UN to mediate between the Arabs and Jews.
1949 - The Canadian steamship SS Noronic burns in Toronto Harbor with the loss of over 118 lives.
1956 - Television was first broadcast in Australia.
1957 - The North East Humanists group was founded in Newcastle upon Tyne.
1970 - Fighting breaks out along the Syria-Jordanian border between Jordanian troops and the fedayeen.
1976 - The first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, was unveiled by NASA.
1978 - The Camp David Accords were signed by Israel and Egypt.
1980 - After weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, the nationwide independent trade union Solidarity is established.
1980 - Former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle is killed in Asunción, Paraguay.
1981 - ProWrestling: Ric Flair defeated Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
1983 - Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America.
1991 - North Korea, South Korea, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia join the United Nations.
1991 - The first version of the Linux kernel (0.01) is released to the Internet.
1993 - Last Russian troops leave Poland.
2000 - ProWrestling: Booker T defeated Kevin Nash for the WCW World Heaveyweight Championship
2003 - ProWrestling: Brock Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship
2004 - Tamil is declared the first classical language in India.
2007 - AOL, once the largest ISP in the U.S., officially announces plans to refocus the company as an advertising business and to relocate its corporate headquarters from Dulles, Virginia to New York, New York.
Births:
1550 - Pope Paul V (d. 1621)
1907 - Warren Burger, 15th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1995)
1923 - Hank Williams, American musician (d. 1953)
1928 - Roddy McDowall, English actor (d. 1998)
1931 - Anne Bancroft, American actress (d. 2005)
1945 - Phil Jackson, American basketball player and NBA head coach
1948 - John Ritter, American actor (d. 2003)
1963 - Masahiro Chono, Japanese professional wrestler
1965 - Bryan Singer, American director
1969 - Keith Flint, Member of the British band The Prodigy
1974 - Rasheed Wallace, American basketball player
1975 - Jimmie Johnson, American race car driver
Deaths:
1899 - Charles Alfred Pillsbury, American industrialist (b. 1842)
1996 - Spiro Agnew, Vice President of the United States (b. 1918)
1997 - Red Skelton, American actor and comedian (b. 1913)
2006 - Patricia Kennedy Lawford, American socialite (b. 1924)
Events:
1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought.
1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec) is fought during Thirteen Years' War.
1577 - Peace of Bergerac signed between Henry III of France and the Huguenots.
1630 - The city of Boston, Massachusetts, is founded.
1631 - Sweden wins a major victory at the Battle of Breitenfeld against the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years War.
1776 - The Presidio of San Francisco is founded in New Spain.
1778 - Treaty of Fort Pitt signed, the first formal treaty between the United States and a Native American tribe (the Lenape or Delaware).
1787 - The United States Constitution is signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1809 - Peace between Sweden and Russia in the Finnish War. The territory to become Finland is ceded to Russia by the Treaty of Fredrikshamn.
1814 - Francis Scott Key finishes his The Star-Spangled Banner poem.
1859 - Joshua A. Norton declares himself Emperor Norton I of the United States.
1862 - American Civil War: George B. McClellan halts the northward drive of Robert E. Lee's Confederate army in the single-day Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history.
1862 - American Civil War: The Allegheny Arsenal explosion resulted in the single largest civilian disaster during the war
1894 - Battle of Yalu River, the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War.
1900 - Philippine-American War: Filipinos under Juan Cailles defeat Americans under Colonel Benjamin F. Cheatham at Mabitac.
1908 - The Wright Flyer flown by Orville Wright, with Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge as passenger, crashes; killing Selfridge. He becomes the first airplane fatality.
1914 - Andrew Fisher becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the third time.
1916 - World War I: Manfred von Richthofen ("The Red Baron"), a flying ace of the German Luftstreitkräfte, won his first aerial combat near Cambrai, France.
1920 - Sports: National Football League is organized in Canton, Ohio, United States.
1924 - The Border Defence Corps was established in the Second Polish Republic for the defence of the eastern border against armed Soviet raids and local bandits.
1928 - The Okeechobee Hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing upwards of 2,500 people. It is the third deadliest natural disaster in US history, behind the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
1939 - The Soviet Union joined Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland during the Polish Defensive War of 1939.
1939 - World War II: A German U-boat U 29 sinks the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous.
1941 - A decree of the Soviet State Committee of Defense, restoring Vsevobuch in the face of the Great Patriotic War, was issued
1943 - Russian city of Bryansk liberated from Nazis.
1944 - Allied Airborne troops parachute into the Netherlands as the "Market" half of Operation Market Garden.
1947 - James V. Forrestal was sworn in as the first Secretary of Defense of United States.
1948 - Lehi (also known as the Stern gang) assassinates Count Folke Bernadotte, who was appointed by the UN to mediate between the Arabs and Jews.
1949 - The Canadian steamship SS Noronic burns in Toronto Harbor with the loss of over 118 lives.
1956 - Television was first broadcast in Australia.
1957 - The North East Humanists group was founded in Newcastle upon Tyne.
1970 - Fighting breaks out along the Syria-Jordanian border between Jordanian troops and the fedayeen.
1976 - The first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, was unveiled by NASA.
1978 - The Camp David Accords were signed by Israel and Egypt.
1980 - After weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, the nationwide independent trade union Solidarity is established.
1980 - Former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle is killed in Asunción, Paraguay.
1981 - ProWrestling: Ric Flair defeated Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
1983 - Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America.
1991 - North Korea, South Korea, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia join the United Nations.
1991 - The first version of the Linux kernel (0.01) is released to the Internet.
1993 - Last Russian troops leave Poland.
2000 - ProWrestling: Booker T defeated Kevin Nash for the WCW World Heaveyweight Championship
2003 - ProWrestling: Brock Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship
2004 - Tamil is declared the first classical language in India.
2007 - AOL, once the largest ISP in the U.S., officially announces plans to refocus the company as an advertising business and to relocate its corporate headquarters from Dulles, Virginia to New York, New York.
Births:
1550 - Pope Paul V (d. 1621)
1907 - Warren Burger, 15th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1995)
1923 - Hank Williams, American musician (d. 1953)
1928 - Roddy McDowall, English actor (d. 1998)
1931 - Anne Bancroft, American actress (d. 2005)
1945 - Phil Jackson, American basketball player and NBA head coach
1948 - John Ritter, American actor (d. 2003)
1963 - Masahiro Chono, Japanese professional wrestler
1965 - Bryan Singer, American director
1969 - Keith Flint, Member of the British band The Prodigy
1974 - Rasheed Wallace, American basketball player
1975 - Jimmie Johnson, American race car driver
Deaths:
1899 - Charles Alfred Pillsbury, American industrialist (b. 1842)
1996 - Spiro Agnew, Vice President of the United States (b. 1918)
1997 - Red Skelton, American actor and comedian (b. 1913)
2006 - Patricia Kennedy Lawford, American socialite (b. 1924)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9/11: Today We Remember and We Shall Never Forget
Seven years ago today our nation and her citizens were attacked by radical Muslim terrorists in New York City, Washington D.C. and Somerset County, PA.
Nearly 3000 people were killed and over 6200 people were injured. I pray that God will comfort those who still grieve the loss of their loved ones.
Everything happens for a reason, and I know that while we may never see it in this lifetime, God has and will be glorified in light of and through the tragic events of that day.
May God bless the victims who survived, the families of the victims who did not, and may God continue to bless America.
In all things to God be the glory.
**Edit**
My 9/11 Story:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I got up and went to school as I had the day before. It was the early days of my senior year at Word of Life Christian Academy. A little bit after 9:30 AM, as I sat at my desk, I noticed my teacher and several of my classmates acting sorta weird. These classmates were relatives of my teacher. They had looks of worry and fear on their faces. I took it upon myself to ask the teacher what was going on. She told me that everything was fine and to go back to my desk. I knew that she was feeding me a line of shit (no offense Mrs. Cadzow, I still love ya!).
After another 15 minutes passed I got up and told the teacher that I wanted to see my Mom, who was working in the kitchen to prepare lunches. On my way out, a different teacher stopped me crying and asked me if I was coming to the principal's office to pray. I asked her what was going on. She told me that people were ramming jets into buildings and that they had hit the World Trade Center towers. At the time, I wasn't even sure what the WTC towers looked like. She also said that the Pentagon had been hit and the White House could be next. We went to the principal's office where every staff member (all 10 of them) was huddled around the radio waiting for the newest CBS News Alert. After that we all paused and and prayed for God's protection and grace.
My Mom and I left at about 10:30 AM to go home and be with my Dad and Ms. Sandy (a lady who lived with us at the time). The rest of the day was spent in shock, horror, sadness, disbelief, and towards the end, being pissed off as I sat and watched these events unfold.
Last October, I had the pleasure of visiting the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum. While looking at many items of historical significance, I noticed an old-looking, rusty piece of steel on a stand in a corner. I wasn't really interested in it at first, but my brother says "Hey, what is that?" as he points to the object. I walked over and only after reading the tag under it did I realize that I was looking at a piece of I-beam from one of the WTC towers. I was in awe and somewhat reverent of this piece of national history and horror that was my generations "Day of Infamy." I leave you today with a photo of that very piece of American history.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
What Happened Whensday: September 3, 2008
Today is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 119 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events:
36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius, son of Pompey, thus ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate.
301 - San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus.
1189 - Richard I of England (a.k.a. Richard "the Lionheart") is crowned at Westminster.
1260 - The Mamluks defeat the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine, marking their first decisive defeat and the point of maximum expansion of the Mongol Empire.
1650 - Third English Civil War: Battle of Dunbar (1650)
1651 - Third English Civil War: Battle of Worcester - Charles II of England is defeated in the last main battle of the war.
1666 - The Royal Exchange burnt down in the Great Fire of London
1777 - Cooch's Bridge - Skirmish of American Revolutionary war in New Castle County, Delaware where the Flag of the United States was flown in battle for the first time.
1783 - American Revolutionary War: The war ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain. America is officially free from Britain
1798 - Weeklong battle of St. George's Caye begun between Spanish and British off the coast of Belize.
1803 - English chemist-physicist John Dalton started using symbols to represent the atoms of different elements.
1838 - Dressed in a sailor's uniform and carrying identification papers provided by a Free Black seaman, future abolitionist Frederick Douglass boards a train in Maryland on his way to freedom from slavery.
1855 - Indian Wars: In Nebraska, 700 soldiers under American General William S. Harney avenge the Grattan Massacre by attacking a Sioux village, killing 100 men, women, and children.
1861 - American Civil War: Confederate General Leonidas Polk invades neutral Kentucky, prompting the state legislature to ask for Union assistance.
1870 - Franco-Prussian War: the Siege of Metz begins, which will result in a decisive Prussian victory on October 23.
1874 - The congress of the state of México elevates Naucalpan to the category of Villa, with the title of "Villa de Juárez".
1878 - Over 640 die when the crowded pleasure boat Princess Alice collides with the Bywell Castle in the River Thames.
1914 - William, Prince of Albania leaves the country after just six months due to opposition to his rule.
1929 - Dow Jones Industrial Average reached all time high at the time (381.17), which was shortly followed by the Crash of 1929.
1933 - Yevgeniy Abalakov reaches the highest point of the Soviet Union - Communism Peak (7495 m).
1935 - Sir Malcolm Campbell reaches 304.331 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, becoming the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph
1939 - World War II begins when France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia declare war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, starting the Allies.
1942 - World War II: Uprising of the Jewish ghetto in Lakhva occurs.
1943 - World War II: Mainland Italy is invaded by Allied forces for the first time in the war.
1944 - Holocaust: Diarist Anne Frank and her family are placed on the last transport train from Westerbork to Auschwitz, arriving three days later.
1950 - "Nino" Farina becomes the first Formula One Drivers' champion after winning the 1950 Italian Grand Prix.
1951 - The first long-running American television soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, airs its first episode on the CBS network.
1954 - The People's Liberation Army begin shelling the ROC-controlled islands of Quemoy.
1954 - The German U-Boat U-505 began its move from a specially constructed dock to its final site at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
1967 - Dagen H in Sweden: traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight
1971 - Qatar becomes an independent state
1976 - Viking program: The Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars.
1994 - Sino-Soviet Split: Russia and the People's Republic of China agree to de-target their nuclear weapons against each other.
1995 - eBay founded.
1997 - A Vietnam Airlines Tupolev TU-134 crashes on approach into Phnom Penh airport, killing 64.
2004 - The Beslan school massacre ends in the deaths of approximately 344 people, mostly teachers and children.
Notable Births:
1905 - Carl David Anderson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
1942 - Al Jardine, American musician (the Beach Boys)
1947 - Eric Bell, Irish guitarist (Thin Lizzy)
1955 - Steve Jones, English musician (Sex Pistols)
1965 - Charlie Sheen, American actor
1969 - Marianna Komlos, fitness model, professional wrestler, and valet (d. 2004)
1970 - Jeremy Glick, American United Airlines Flight 93 passenger (d. 2001)
1977 - Nate Robertson, American baseball player
Notable Deaths:
1658 - Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England (b. 1599)
1970 - Vince Lombardi, American football coach (b. 1913)
1991 - Frank Capra, American film director (b. 1897)
2005 - William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1924)
I know that I've slacked off for a few days. I had a death in the family (a cousin's husband) so I was a little preoccupied with some stuff. Tomorrow should be the last entry on the Doctrines of Grace. Until then...
Events:
36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius, son of Pompey, thus ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate.
301 - San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus.
1189 - Richard I of England (a.k.a. Richard "the Lionheart") is crowned at Westminster.
1260 - The Mamluks defeat the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine, marking their first decisive defeat and the point of maximum expansion of the Mongol Empire.
1650 - Third English Civil War: Battle of Dunbar (1650)
1651 - Third English Civil War: Battle of Worcester - Charles II of England is defeated in the last main battle of the war.
1666 - The Royal Exchange burnt down in the Great Fire of London
1777 - Cooch's Bridge - Skirmish of American Revolutionary war in New Castle County, Delaware where the Flag of the United States was flown in battle for the first time.
1783 - American Revolutionary War: The war ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain. America is officially free from Britain
1798 - Weeklong battle of St. George's Caye begun between Spanish and British off the coast of Belize.
1803 - English chemist-physicist John Dalton started using symbols to represent the atoms of different elements.
1838 - Dressed in a sailor's uniform and carrying identification papers provided by a Free Black seaman, future abolitionist Frederick Douglass boards a train in Maryland on his way to freedom from slavery.
1855 - Indian Wars: In Nebraska, 700 soldiers under American General William S. Harney avenge the Grattan Massacre by attacking a Sioux village, killing 100 men, women, and children.
1861 - American Civil War: Confederate General Leonidas Polk invades neutral Kentucky, prompting the state legislature to ask for Union assistance.
1870 - Franco-Prussian War: the Siege of Metz begins, which will result in a decisive Prussian victory on October 23.
1874 - The congress of the state of México elevates Naucalpan to the category of Villa, with the title of "Villa de Juárez".
1878 - Over 640 die when the crowded pleasure boat Princess Alice collides with the Bywell Castle in the River Thames.
1914 - William, Prince of Albania leaves the country after just six months due to opposition to his rule.
1929 - Dow Jones Industrial Average reached all time high at the time (381.17), which was shortly followed by the Crash of 1929.
1933 - Yevgeniy Abalakov reaches the highest point of the Soviet Union - Communism Peak (7495 m).
1935 - Sir Malcolm Campbell reaches 304.331 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, becoming the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph
1939 - World War II begins when France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia declare war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, starting the Allies.
1942 - World War II: Uprising of the Jewish ghetto in Lakhva occurs.
1943 - World War II: Mainland Italy is invaded by Allied forces for the first time in the war.
1944 - Holocaust: Diarist Anne Frank and her family are placed on the last transport train from Westerbork to Auschwitz, arriving three days later.
1950 - "Nino" Farina becomes the first Formula One Drivers' champion after winning the 1950 Italian Grand Prix.
1951 - The first long-running American television soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, airs its first episode on the CBS network.
1954 - The People's Liberation Army begin shelling the ROC-controlled islands of Quemoy.
1954 - The German U-Boat U-505 began its move from a specially constructed dock to its final site at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
1967 - Dagen H in Sweden: traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight
1971 - Qatar becomes an independent state
1976 - Viking program: The Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars.
1994 - Sino-Soviet Split: Russia and the People's Republic of China agree to de-target their nuclear weapons against each other.
1995 - eBay founded.
1997 - A Vietnam Airlines Tupolev TU-134 crashes on approach into Phnom Penh airport, killing 64.
2004 - The Beslan school massacre ends in the deaths of approximately 344 people, mostly teachers and children.
Notable Births:
1905 - Carl David Anderson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
1942 - Al Jardine, American musician (the Beach Boys)
1947 - Eric Bell, Irish guitarist (Thin Lizzy)
1955 - Steve Jones, English musician (Sex Pistols)
1965 - Charlie Sheen, American actor
1969 - Marianna Komlos, fitness model, professional wrestler, and valet (d. 2004)
1970 - Jeremy Glick, American United Airlines Flight 93 passenger (d. 2001)
1977 - Nate Robertson, American baseball player
Notable Deaths:
1658 - Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England (b. 1599)
1970 - Vince Lombardi, American football coach (b. 1913)
1991 - Frank Capra, American film director (b. 1897)
2005 - William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1924)
I know that I've slacked off for a few days. I had a death in the family (a cousin's husband) so I was a little preoccupied with some stuff. Tomorrow should be the last entry on the Doctrines of Grace. Until then...
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
What Happened Whensday: August 27, 2008
This is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 126 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events:
479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea. Along the with the Greek victory on the same day in the Battle of Mycale, the Persian invasion of Greece ended.
410 - Visigothic sack of Rome ends after three days.
663 - Remnants of the Korean Baekje Kingdom and their Yamato Japanese allies engage the combined naval forces of the Tang Chinese and Silla Koreans on the Geum River in Korea; the outcome is a significant Tang-Silla victory, while the Japanese would not attempt another invasion of Korea until the Japanese invasions of Korea of the late 16th century.
1232 - The Formulary of Adjudications is promulgated by Regent Hōjō Yasutoki. (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 1232)
1689 - The Treaty of Nerchinsk is signed by Russia and the Qing empire.
1776 - Battle of Long Island, in present day Brooklyn, New York, British forces under General William Howe defeat Americans under General George Washington.
1789 - The French National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proclaiming that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights."
1793 - French counter-revolution, port of Toulon revolts and admits the British fleet, which lands troops and seizes the port leading to Siege of Toulon.
1798 - United Irishmen and French forces clash with the British army in the Battle of Castlebar, part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
1813 - French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte defeats a larger force of Austrians, Russians and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden.
1828 - The Russians defeat the Turks at the Battle of Akhalzic.
1828 - Uruguay is formally proclaimed independent at preliminary peace talks brokered by Britain between Brazil and Argentina during their war.
1859 - Petroleum discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania. World's first successful oil well.
1861 - Civil War: Union (Northern) forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
1896 - Anglo-Zanzibar War: the shortest war in world history (09:00 to 09:45) between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar.
1916 - World War I: Romania declares war against Austria-Hungary, entering World War I as one of the Allied nations. It is soon occupied by German and Bulgarian forces.
1921 - The British install the son of Sharif Hussein bin Ali (leader of the Arab Revolt of 1916 against the Ottoman Empire) as King Faisal I of Iraq.
1927 - American aviators Billy Brock and Ed Schlee fly the Pride of Detroit over London on the way to completing the first-ever flight around the world.
1928 - Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war, signed by sixty nations.
1939 - First flight of the Heinkel He 178, the first modern jet aircraft.
1943 - World War II: Japanese forces evacuate New Georgia Island in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II.
1952 - Reparation negotiations between West Germany and Israel end in Luxembourg; West Germany to pay 3 billion Deutschmark.
1957 - The Constitution of Malaysia came into force.
1962 - Mariner 2 unmanned space mission launched to Venus by America's NASA.
1965 - Music: 1965 - Elvis Presley played host to the Beatles at his home in Bel-Air, CA.
1969 - Israeli commando force penetrates deep into Egyptian territory to stage mortar attack on regional Egyptian Army headquarters in the Nile Valley of Upper Egypt.
1971 - A coup attempt fails in the African nation of Chad. The Chadian government accuses Egypt of playing a role in the attempt and breaks off diplomatic relations.
1975 - The Governor of Portuguese Timor abandons its capital, Dili, and flees to Atauro Island, leaving control to a rebel group.
1979 - An IRA bomb kills British World War II admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten and 3 others while boating on holiday in Sligo, Republic of Ireland. Another bomb near Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland kills 18 British soldiers.
1982 Turkish military diplomat Colonel Atilla Altikat is shot and killed in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital. Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide claim responsibility, saying they were avenging the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
1985 - The Nigerian government is peacefully overthrown by Army Chief of Staff Major General Ibrahim Babangida.
1990 - Pro Wrestling: Kerry Von Erich defeated Curt Hennig for the WWE Intercontinental title at WWE Summerslam; At the same event, The Hart Foundation defeated Demolition for the WWE Tag Team title.
1991 - The European Community recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
1991 - Moldova declares independence from the USSR.
1993 - The Rainbow Bridge, connecting Tokyo's Shibaura and the island of Odaiba, is completed.
1995 - Pro Wrestling: Bertha Faye defeated Alundra Blaze for the WWE Women's title at WWE Summerslam.
2000 - Ostankino Tower in Moscow catches fire, three people are killed.
2000 - Pro Wrestling: Chyna defeated Val Venis by pinning Trish Stratus in a tag match for the WWE Intercontinental title at WWE Summerslam; At the same event, Steve Blackman defeated Shane McMahon for the WWE Hardcore title.
2003 - Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing approximately 34,646,416 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) from Earth.
2006 - Comair Flight 5191 crashed en route from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Forty-nine of the 50 people aboard the flight were confirmed dead in the hours following the crash
Notable Births:
1910 - Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic nun, Nobel laureate (d. 1997)
1947 - Barbara Bach, American actress
1952 - Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens, American actor
1953 - Alex Lifeson, Canadian guitarist (Rush)
1961 - Yolanda Adams, American gospel singer
1962 - Adam Oates, Canadian ice hockey player
1963 - Downtown Julie Brown, Welsh TV personality and former MTV VJ
1978 - Mase, American rapper
Notable Deaths:
827 - Pope Eugene II
1590 - Pope Sixtus V (b. 1521)
1964 - Gracie Allen, American actress and comedienne (b. 1895)
1967 - Brian Epstein, English manager of The Beatles (b. 1934)
1990 - Stevie Ray Vaughan, American guitarist (b. 1954)
2006 - Maria Capovilla, oldest woman alive from 2004-2006 (b. 1889)
Events:
479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea. Along the with the Greek victory on the same day in the Battle of Mycale, the Persian invasion of Greece ended.
410 - Visigothic sack of Rome ends after three days.
663 - Remnants of the Korean Baekje Kingdom and their Yamato Japanese allies engage the combined naval forces of the Tang Chinese and Silla Koreans on the Geum River in Korea; the outcome is a significant Tang-Silla victory, while the Japanese would not attempt another invasion of Korea until the Japanese invasions of Korea of the late 16th century.
1232 - The Formulary of Adjudications is promulgated by Regent Hōjō Yasutoki. (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 1232)
1689 - The Treaty of Nerchinsk is signed by Russia and the Qing empire.
1776 - Battle of Long Island, in present day Brooklyn, New York, British forces under General William Howe defeat Americans under General George Washington.
1789 - The French National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proclaiming that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights."
1793 - French counter-revolution, port of Toulon revolts and admits the British fleet, which lands troops and seizes the port leading to Siege of Toulon.
1798 - United Irishmen and French forces clash with the British army in the Battle of Castlebar, part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
1813 - French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte defeats a larger force of Austrians, Russians and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden.
1828 - The Russians defeat the Turks at the Battle of Akhalzic.
1828 - Uruguay is formally proclaimed independent at preliminary peace talks brokered by Britain between Brazil and Argentina during their war.
1859 - Petroleum discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania. World's first successful oil well.
1861 - Civil War: Union (Northern) forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
1896 - Anglo-Zanzibar War: the shortest war in world history (09:00 to 09:45) between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar.
1916 - World War I: Romania declares war against Austria-Hungary, entering World War I as one of the Allied nations. It is soon occupied by German and Bulgarian forces.
1921 - The British install the son of Sharif Hussein bin Ali (leader of the Arab Revolt of 1916 against the Ottoman Empire) as King Faisal I of Iraq.
1927 - American aviators Billy Brock and Ed Schlee fly the Pride of Detroit over London on the way to completing the first-ever flight around the world.
1928 - Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war, signed by sixty nations.
1939 - First flight of the Heinkel He 178, the first modern jet aircraft.
1943 - World War II: Japanese forces evacuate New Georgia Island in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II.
1952 - Reparation negotiations between West Germany and Israel end in Luxembourg; West Germany to pay 3 billion Deutschmark.
1957 - The Constitution of Malaysia came into force.
1962 - Mariner 2 unmanned space mission launched to Venus by America's NASA.
1965 - Music: 1965 - Elvis Presley played host to the Beatles at his home in Bel-Air, CA.
1969 - Israeli commando force penetrates deep into Egyptian territory to stage mortar attack on regional Egyptian Army headquarters in the Nile Valley of Upper Egypt.
1971 - A coup attempt fails in the African nation of Chad. The Chadian government accuses Egypt of playing a role in the attempt and breaks off diplomatic relations.
1975 - The Governor of Portuguese Timor abandons its capital, Dili, and flees to Atauro Island, leaving control to a rebel group.
1979 - An IRA bomb kills British World War II admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten and 3 others while boating on holiday in Sligo, Republic of Ireland. Another bomb near Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland kills 18 British soldiers.
1982 Turkish military diplomat Colonel Atilla Altikat is shot and killed in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital. Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide claim responsibility, saying they were avenging the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
1985 - The Nigerian government is peacefully overthrown by Army Chief of Staff Major General Ibrahim Babangida.
1990 - Pro Wrestling: Kerry Von Erich defeated Curt Hennig for the WWE Intercontinental title at WWE Summerslam; At the same event, The Hart Foundation defeated Demolition for the WWE Tag Team title.
1991 - The European Community recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
1991 - Moldova declares independence from the USSR.
1993 - The Rainbow Bridge, connecting Tokyo's Shibaura and the island of Odaiba, is completed.
1995 - Pro Wrestling: Bertha Faye defeated Alundra Blaze for the WWE Women's title at WWE Summerslam.
2000 - Ostankino Tower in Moscow catches fire, three people are killed.
2000 - Pro Wrestling: Chyna defeated Val Venis by pinning Trish Stratus in a tag match for the WWE Intercontinental title at WWE Summerslam; At the same event, Steve Blackman defeated Shane McMahon for the WWE Hardcore title.
2003 - Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing approximately 34,646,416 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) from Earth.
2006 - Comair Flight 5191 crashed en route from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Forty-nine of the 50 people aboard the flight were confirmed dead in the hours following the crash
Notable Births:
1910 - Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic nun, Nobel laureate (d. 1997)
1947 - Barbara Bach, American actress
1952 - Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens, American actor
1953 - Alex Lifeson, Canadian guitarist (Rush)
1961 - Yolanda Adams, American gospel singer
1962 - Adam Oates, Canadian ice hockey player
1963 - Downtown Julie Brown, Welsh TV personality and former MTV VJ
1978 - Mase, American rapper
Notable Deaths:
827 - Pope Eugene II
1590 - Pope Sixtus V (b. 1521)
1964 - Gracie Allen, American actress and comedienne (b. 1895)
1967 - Brian Epstein, English manager of The Beatles (b. 1934)
1990 - Stevie Ray Vaughan, American guitarist (b. 1954)
2006 - Maria Capovilla, oldest woman alive from 2004-2006 (b. 1889)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
What Happened Whensday: August 13, 2008
This is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 140 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events:
3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation, the Maya calendar starts.
1315 - Louis X of France marries Clemence d'Anjou.
1326 - Aradia de Toscano, according to legend/folklore, is initiated into a Dianic witchcraft cult, subsequently founds the tradition of Stregheria later known as the Malandanti.
1415 - Hundred Years' War: Henry V of England lands at Chef-en-Caux, France with 8000 men.
1516 - Treaty of Noyon between France and Spain signed. In it, Francis recognises Charles's claim to Naples, and Charles recognises Francis's claim to Milan.
1521 - Tenochtitlán (present day Mexico City) falls to conquistador Hernán Cortés.
1536 - Buddhist monks from Kyoto's Enryaku Temple set fire to 21 Nichiren temples throughout Kyoto in the Tenbun Hokke Disturbance. (Traditional Japanese date: July 27, 1536).
1553 - Michael Servetus arrested by John Calvin in Geneva as a heretic.
1704 - War of the Spanish Succession: Battle of Blenheim - English and Austrians victorious over French and Bavarians.
1814 - The Convention of London, a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United Provinces, is signed in London.
1913 - Otto Witte, an acrobat, is crowned King of Albania.
1913 - Invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley.
1918 - Women enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time. Opha Mae Johnson is the first woman to enlist.
1918 - Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) established as a public company in Germany.
1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw begins, lasts till August 25. The Red Army is defeated.
1937 - Battle of Shanghai begins.
1938 - Music: Robert Johnson played a show at a roadhouse outside Greenwood, MS. It speculated that Johnson was poisoned by the bar owner. Johnson died several days later.
1940 - World War II: Battle of Britain begins - The Luftwaffe launches a series of attacks on British fighter bases and radar installations.
1954 - Radio Pakistan broadcasts National Anthem of Pakistan for the first time.
1960 - The Central African Republic declares independence from France.
1961 - The German Democratic Republic closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin, to thwart its inhabitants' attempts to escape to the West.
1965 - Music: The Jefferson Airplane made its stage debut at the Matrix Club in San Francisco, CA.
1967 - The Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Joan Baez to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. because of her opposition to the Vietnam War.
1968 - Alexandros Panagoulis attempts to assassinate the Greek dictator Colonel G. Papadopoulos in Varkiza, Athens.
1979 - The roof of the uncompleted Rosemont Horizon near Chicago, Illinois collapses, killing 5 workers and injuring 16.
1996 - Marc Dutroux, his wife Michelle Martin, and Michel Lelièvre are arrested on suspicion of kidnapping. All are found guilty on June 22, 2004, with sentences of life, 30, and 25 years, respectively.
2004 - Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm, strikes Punta Gorda, Florida and devastates the surrounding area.
2004 - Black Friday crackdown by NSS on a peaceful protest in the capital city of Maldives, Malé.
2004 - 156 Congolese Tutsi refugees massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi.
Notable Births
1860 - Annie Oakley, American sharpshooter (d. 1926)
1899 - Alfred Hitchcock, English film director (d. 1980)
1912 - Ben Hogan, American golfer (d. 1997)
1926 - Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary and politician
1959 - Danny Bonaduce, American actor
1970 - Elvis Grbac, American football player
1970 - Matt Hyson, American professional wrestler
1970 - Alan Shearer, English footballer
1971 - Moritz Bleibtreu, German actor
1971 - Patrick Carpentier, Quebec race car driver
1975 - Marty Turco, Canadian ice hockey player
Notable Deaths
1910 - Florence Nightingale, English nurse (b. 1820)
1946 - H. G. Wells, English writer (b. 1866)
1989 - Tim Richmond, American race car driver (b. 1955)
1995 - Mickey Mantle, American baseball player (b. 1931)
2004 - Julia Child, American chef and television personality (b. 1912)
2007 - Brian Adams, aka Demolition Crush, American professional wrestler (b. 1964)
2007 - Yone Minagawa, Japanese woman, oldest person (b. 1893)
2007 - Phil Rizzuto, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1917)
Events:
3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation, the Maya calendar starts.
1315 - Louis X of France marries Clemence d'Anjou.
1326 - Aradia de Toscano, according to legend/folklore, is initiated into a Dianic witchcraft cult, subsequently founds the tradition of Stregheria later known as the Malandanti.
1415 - Hundred Years' War: Henry V of England lands at Chef-en-Caux, France with 8000 men.
1516 - Treaty of Noyon between France and Spain signed. In it, Francis recognises Charles's claim to Naples, and Charles recognises Francis's claim to Milan.
1521 - Tenochtitlán (present day Mexico City) falls to conquistador Hernán Cortés.
1536 - Buddhist monks from Kyoto's Enryaku Temple set fire to 21 Nichiren temples throughout Kyoto in the Tenbun Hokke Disturbance. (Traditional Japanese date: July 27, 1536).
1553 - Michael Servetus arrested by John Calvin in Geneva as a heretic.
1704 - War of the Spanish Succession: Battle of Blenheim - English and Austrians victorious over French and Bavarians.
1814 - The Convention of London, a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United Provinces, is signed in London.
1913 - Otto Witte, an acrobat, is crowned King of Albania.
1913 - Invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley.
1918 - Women enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time. Opha Mae Johnson is the first woman to enlist.
1918 - Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) established as a public company in Germany.
1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw begins, lasts till August 25. The Red Army is defeated.
1937 - Battle of Shanghai begins.
1938 - Music: Robert Johnson played a show at a roadhouse outside Greenwood, MS. It speculated that Johnson was poisoned by the bar owner. Johnson died several days later.
1940 - World War II: Battle of Britain begins - The Luftwaffe launches a series of attacks on British fighter bases and radar installations.
1954 - Radio Pakistan broadcasts National Anthem of Pakistan for the first time.
1960 - The Central African Republic declares independence from France.
1961 - The German Democratic Republic closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin, to thwart its inhabitants' attempts to escape to the West.
1965 - Music: The Jefferson Airplane made its stage debut at the Matrix Club in San Francisco, CA.
1967 - The Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Joan Baez to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. because of her opposition to the Vietnam War.
1968 - Alexandros Panagoulis attempts to assassinate the Greek dictator Colonel G. Papadopoulos in Varkiza, Athens.
1979 - The roof of the uncompleted Rosemont Horizon near Chicago, Illinois collapses, killing 5 workers and injuring 16.
1996 - Marc Dutroux, his wife Michelle Martin, and Michel Lelièvre are arrested on suspicion of kidnapping. All are found guilty on June 22, 2004, with sentences of life, 30, and 25 years, respectively.
2004 - Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm, strikes Punta Gorda, Florida and devastates the surrounding area.
2004 - Black Friday crackdown by NSS on a peaceful protest in the capital city of Maldives, Malé.
2004 - 156 Congolese Tutsi refugees massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi.
Notable Births
1860 - Annie Oakley, American sharpshooter (d. 1926)
1899 - Alfred Hitchcock, English film director (d. 1980)
1912 - Ben Hogan, American golfer (d. 1997)
1926 - Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary and politician
1959 - Danny Bonaduce, American actor
1970 - Elvis Grbac, American football player
1970 - Matt Hyson, American professional wrestler
1970 - Alan Shearer, English footballer
1971 - Moritz Bleibtreu, German actor
1971 - Patrick Carpentier, Quebec race car driver
1975 - Marty Turco, Canadian ice hockey player
Notable Deaths
1910 - Florence Nightingale, English nurse (b. 1820)
1946 - H. G. Wells, English writer (b. 1866)
1989 - Tim Richmond, American race car driver (b. 1955)
1995 - Mickey Mantle, American baseball player (b. 1931)
2004 - Julia Child, American chef and television personality (b. 1912)
2007 - Brian Adams, aka Demolition Crush, American professional wrestler (b. 1964)
2007 - Yone Minagawa, Japanese woman, oldest person (b. 1893)
2007 - Phil Rizzuto, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1917)
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
What Happened Whensday: August 6, 2008
This is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 147 days remaining until the end of the year.
1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada.
1787 - Sixty proof sheets of the Constitution of the United States are delivered to the Constitutional Convention.
1806 - Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor, abdicates, thus ending the Holy Roman Empire.
1819 - Norwich University founded in Vermont as the first private military school in the United States.
1825 - Bolivia gains independence from Spain.
1845 - Russian Geographical Society is founded in Saint Petersburg.
1861 - British annexation of Lagos, Nigeria.
1862 - American Civil War: The Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas is scuttled on the Mississippi River after suffering damage in a battle with USS Essex near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1870 - Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Wœrth is fought, resulting in a decisive Prussian victory.
1890 - At Auburn Prison in New York, murderer William Kemmler becomes the first person to be executed by electric chair.
1901 - Kiowa land in Oklahoma is opened for white settlement, effectively dissolving the contiguous reservation.
1909 - Alice Ramsey and three friends become the first women to complete a transcontinental auto trip.
1912 - The Bull Moose Party meets at the Chicago Coliseum.
1914 - World War I: First Battle of the Atlantic - Two days after the United Kingdom declared war on Germany over the German invasion of Belgium, ten German U-boats leave their base in Heligoland to attack Royal Navy warships in the North Sea.
1914 - World War I: Serbia declares war on Germany; Austria declares war on Russia.
1914 - Denis Patrick Dowd Jr. enlists in the French Foreign Legion, becoming the first American to fight in World War I.
1915 - World War I: Battle of Sari Bair - The Allies mount a diversionary attack timed to coincide with a major Allied landing of reinforcements at Suvla Bay.
1917 - World War I: The Battle of Marasesti between the Romanian and German armies begins.
1923 - Henry Sullivan swims the English Channel.
1926 - Gertrude Ederle becomes first woman to swim across the English Channel.
1942 - Queen Wilhelmina is the first reigning queen to address a joint session of the United States Congress.
1945 - World War II: Hiroshima is devastated when an atomic bomb, "Little Boy", is dropped by the United States B-29 Enola Gay. Around 70,000 people were killed instantly, and some tens of thousands died in subsequent years due to burns and radiation poisoning.
1956 - After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network has its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena.
1960 - Cuban Revolution: In response to a United States embargo, Cuba nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation.
1961 - Cosmonaut Gherman Titov makes the second successful manned orbital flight for the USSR.
1962 - Jamaica becomes independent.
1964 - Prometheus, the world's oldest tree, is cut down.
1965 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into United States law.
1966 - Braniff Airlines Flight 250 crashes in Falls City, NE killing all 42 on board.
1976 - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lays foundation-stone of Port Qasim, Karachi.
1986 - A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimeters (13 inches) of rain in a day on Sydney.
1990 - Gulf War: The United Nations Security Council orders a global trade embargo against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
1991 - Tim Berners-Lee releases files describing his idea for the World Wide Web. WWW debuts as a publicly available service on the Internet.
1991 - Doi Takako, chair of the Social Democratic Party (Japan), becomes Japan's first female speaker of the House of Representatives.
1993 - According to Japanese government and Tokyo Broadcasting System networks report, heavy massive rain and debris blow occurred at widely Kagoshima and Aira area, Kyushu, Japan, killing 72.
1996 - NASA announces that the ALH 84001 meteorite, thought to originate from Mars, contains evidence of primitive life-forms.
1997 - Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747-300, crashes into the jungle on Guam on approach to airport, killing 228.
2000 - The Roman Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under Prefect Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, publishes Dominus Iesus, notable for its lack of the filioque clause in the Latin text of the Nicene Creed.
2001 - White House briefing entitled Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S. delivered to George W. Bush. This document foreshadowed the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Sports:
1958 - Sports: Australian runner Herb Elliot broke the world record for the mile at the Morton Stadium in Dublin, in a time of 3:54.5.
1983 - Football: Minnesota Vikings beat the St. Louis Cardinals 28-10 in London, England (Exhibition)
2001 - ProWrestling: Tajiri defeated X-Pac for the WWE Light Heavyweight Champioship in Anaheim, CA on Raw is War.
Other Entertainment:
1926 - In New York, the Warner Brothers' Vitaphone system premieres with the movie Don Juan starring John Barrymore.
1926 - Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping.
1973 - Stevie Wonder was in a serious automobile accident while on tour, when a log from a truck went through a passenger window and struck him in the head. This left him in a coma for four days and resulted in a permanent loss of his sense of smell.
1982 - Sting releases 'Spread a Little Happiness', his first solo single (it peaks at No. 16)
Notable Births:
1697 - Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1745)
1861 - Edith Roosevelt, American First Lady of the United States (d. 1948)
1911 - Lucille Ball, American actress (d. 1989)
1928 - Andy Warhol, American artist (d. 1987)
1941 - Ray Culp, American baseball player
1949 - Dino Bravo, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 1993)
1950 - Dorian Harewood, American actor
1952 - Vinnie Vincent, American musician (ex-Kiss)
1957 - Jim McGreevey, American politician
1962 - Michelle Yeoh, Chinese-Malaysian actress
1965 - David Robinson, American basketball player
1970 - M. Night Shyamalan, Indian-born American film director
1972 - Geri Halliwell, British singer (Spice Girls)
1975 - Victor Zambrano, Venezuelan baseball player
1977 - Jennifer Lyons, American actress
1982 - Justin Germano, American Major League Baseball Player
1990 - Jon Benet Ramsey, Murdered child model (d. 1996)
Notable Deaths
258 - Saint Pope Sixtus II
523 - Saint Pope Hormisdas
1458 - Pope Callixtus III (b. 1378)
1623 - Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare's wife) (b. 1556)
1866 - John Mason Neale, English divine, scholar and hymnwriter (b. 1818)
1881 - James White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (b. 1821)
1914 - Ellen Louise Wilson, first wife of President Woodrow Wilson (b. 1860)
1973 - Memphis Minnie, American blues singer (b. 1897)
1978 - Pope Paul VI (b. 1897)
2001 - Wilhelm Mohnke, one of the original 120 members of the Nazi SS-Staff Guard (b. 1911)
2002 - Edsger Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist (b. 1930)
2004 - Rick James, American musician (b. 1948)
2007 - Heinz Barth, German convicted war criminal (SS) (b. 1920)
1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada.
1787 - Sixty proof sheets of the Constitution of the United States are delivered to the Constitutional Convention.
1806 - Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor, abdicates, thus ending the Holy Roman Empire.
1819 - Norwich University founded in Vermont as the first private military school in the United States.
1825 - Bolivia gains independence from Spain.
1845 - Russian Geographical Society is founded in Saint Petersburg.
1861 - British annexation of Lagos, Nigeria.
1862 - American Civil War: The Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas is scuttled on the Mississippi River after suffering damage in a battle with USS Essex near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1870 - Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Wœrth is fought, resulting in a decisive Prussian victory.
1890 - At Auburn Prison in New York, murderer William Kemmler becomes the first person to be executed by electric chair.
1901 - Kiowa land in Oklahoma is opened for white settlement, effectively dissolving the contiguous reservation.
1909 - Alice Ramsey and three friends become the first women to complete a transcontinental auto trip.
1912 - The Bull Moose Party meets at the Chicago Coliseum.
1914 - World War I: First Battle of the Atlantic - Two days after the United Kingdom declared war on Germany over the German invasion of Belgium, ten German U-boats leave their base in Heligoland to attack Royal Navy warships in the North Sea.
1914 - World War I: Serbia declares war on Germany; Austria declares war on Russia.
1914 - Denis Patrick Dowd Jr. enlists in the French Foreign Legion, becoming the first American to fight in World War I.
1915 - World War I: Battle of Sari Bair - The Allies mount a diversionary attack timed to coincide with a major Allied landing of reinforcements at Suvla Bay.
1917 - World War I: The Battle of Marasesti between the Romanian and German armies begins.
1923 - Henry Sullivan swims the English Channel.
1926 - Gertrude Ederle becomes first woman to swim across the English Channel.
1942 - Queen Wilhelmina is the first reigning queen to address a joint session of the United States Congress.
1945 - World War II: Hiroshima is devastated when an atomic bomb, "Little Boy", is dropped by the United States B-29 Enola Gay. Around 70,000 people were killed instantly, and some tens of thousands died in subsequent years due to burns and radiation poisoning.
1956 - After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network has its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena.
1960 - Cuban Revolution: In response to a United States embargo, Cuba nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation.
1961 - Cosmonaut Gherman Titov makes the second successful manned orbital flight for the USSR.
1962 - Jamaica becomes independent.
1964 - Prometheus, the world's oldest tree, is cut down.
1965 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into United States law.
1966 - Braniff Airlines Flight 250 crashes in Falls City, NE killing all 42 on board.
1976 - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lays foundation-stone of Port Qasim, Karachi.
1986 - A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimeters (13 inches) of rain in a day on Sydney.
1990 - Gulf War: The United Nations Security Council orders a global trade embargo against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
1991 - Tim Berners-Lee releases files describing his idea for the World Wide Web. WWW debuts as a publicly available service on the Internet.
1991 - Doi Takako, chair of the Social Democratic Party (Japan), becomes Japan's first female speaker of the House of Representatives.
1993 - According to Japanese government and Tokyo Broadcasting System networks report, heavy massive rain and debris blow occurred at widely Kagoshima and Aira area, Kyushu, Japan, killing 72.
1996 - NASA announces that the ALH 84001 meteorite, thought to originate from Mars, contains evidence of primitive life-forms.
1997 - Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747-300, crashes into the jungle on Guam on approach to airport, killing 228.
2000 - The Roman Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under Prefect Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, publishes Dominus Iesus, notable for its lack of the filioque clause in the Latin text of the Nicene Creed.
2001 - White House briefing entitled Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S. delivered to George W. Bush. This document foreshadowed the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Sports:
1958 - Sports: Australian runner Herb Elliot broke the world record for the mile at the Morton Stadium in Dublin, in a time of 3:54.5.
1983 - Football: Minnesota Vikings beat the St. Louis Cardinals 28-10 in London, England (Exhibition)
2001 - ProWrestling: Tajiri defeated X-Pac for the WWE Light Heavyweight Champioship in Anaheim, CA on Raw is War.
Other Entertainment:
1926 - In New York, the Warner Brothers' Vitaphone system premieres with the movie Don Juan starring John Barrymore.
1926 - Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping.
1973 - Stevie Wonder was in a serious automobile accident while on tour, when a log from a truck went through a passenger window and struck him in the head. This left him in a coma for four days and resulted in a permanent loss of his sense of smell.
1982 - Sting releases 'Spread a Little Happiness', his first solo single (it peaks at No. 16)
Notable Births:
1697 - Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1745)
1861 - Edith Roosevelt, American First Lady of the United States (d. 1948)
1911 - Lucille Ball, American actress (d. 1989)
1928 - Andy Warhol, American artist (d. 1987)
1941 - Ray Culp, American baseball player
1949 - Dino Bravo, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 1993)
1950 - Dorian Harewood, American actor
1952 - Vinnie Vincent, American musician (ex-Kiss)
1957 - Jim McGreevey, American politician
1962 - Michelle Yeoh, Chinese-Malaysian actress
1965 - David Robinson, American basketball player
1970 - M. Night Shyamalan, Indian-born American film director
1972 - Geri Halliwell, British singer (Spice Girls)
1975 - Victor Zambrano, Venezuelan baseball player
1977 - Jennifer Lyons, American actress
1982 - Justin Germano, American Major League Baseball Player
1990 - Jon Benet Ramsey, Murdered child model (d. 1996)
Notable Deaths
258 - Saint Pope Sixtus II
523 - Saint Pope Hormisdas
1458 - Pope Callixtus III (b. 1378)
1623 - Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare's wife) (b. 1556)
1866 - John Mason Neale, English divine, scholar and hymnwriter (b. 1818)
1881 - James White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (b. 1821)
1914 - Ellen Louise Wilson, first wife of President Woodrow Wilson (b. 1860)
1973 - Memphis Minnie, American blues singer (b. 1897)
1978 - Pope Paul VI (b. 1897)
2001 - Wilhelm Mohnke, one of the original 120 members of the Nazi SS-Staff Guard (b. 1911)
2002 - Edsger Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist (b. 1930)
2004 - Rick James, American musician (b. 1948)
2007 - Heinz Barth, German convicted war criminal (SS) (b. 1920)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
What Happened Whensday: July 16, 2008
Here is the first of what I hope to be an ongoing feature of this blog for years to come. When I first decided to do this, I had thought about giving a history of what happened on each date for the coming week. After looking at just a couple of the next few dates, I realized that there would be just too much information for each dates' events. Instead I've decided to just focus on the date at hand. If I do this for a few years, eventually we will have looked at each date on the calender. With that being said, here is a look back at the major events that have happened on this date in history.
July 16:
622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar.
1769 - Father Junipero Serra founds Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the first mission in California. The mission later evolves into the city of San Diego.
1790 - U.S. President George Washington signs the Residence Bill, establishing a site along the Potomac River as the District of Columbia to be the permanent seat of United States government.
1808 - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, two of the few white men who had actually seen the mysterious territory of the Far West, help form the Missouri Fur Company to exploit the region's abundant fur-bearing animals.
1862 - American Civil War: David G. Farragut becomes the first United States Navy rear admiral.
1935 - The first parking meters were installed in Oklahoma City.
1941 - Sports: New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio gets a hit in his 56th consecutive game.
1942 - Holocaust: Rafle du Vel'd'Hiv: The Vichy France government orders French police officers to round up 13,000-20,000 Jews and imprison them in the Winter Velodrome. In 1995, president Jacques Chirac officially recognizes the French police's responsibility.
1945 - Manhattan Project: The Atomic Age begins when the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear weapon at the Trinity site near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
1950 - Sports: Uruguay win the 1950 FIFA World Cup, beating hosts Brazil 2-1 in what is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in sporting history.
1951 - J. D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye was published.
1955 - Original Disneyland park opens in Anaheim, California
1955 - Sports: Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix race, the British Grand Prix in Aintree, driving a Mercedes Benz W196.
1957 - United States Marine Major John Glenn flies a F8U Crusader supersonic jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds setting a new transcontinental speed record.
1958 - Sports: Shorty Rollins got his only NASCAR Cup Series victory at State Line Speedway in Busti, NY.
1966 - The song "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James & the Shondells topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
1966 - Sports: Bobby Allison got his 2nd career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Islip Speedway in Islip, NY.
1969 - Apollo program: Apollo 11 is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida and will become the first manned space mission to land on the moon.
1972 - Sports: Bobby Allison got his 35th career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Trenton Speedway in Trenton, NJ.
1973 - Watergate Scandal: Former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield informs the United States Senate that President Richard Nixon had secretly recorded potentially-incriminating conversations.
1977 - Teenage singer Shaun Cassidy's recording of "Da Do Ron Ron" hits No. 1 and stayed there for one week.
1977 - Sports: Darrell Waltrip got his 6th career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Nashville Speedway in Nashville, TN.
1979 - Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and is replaced by Saddam Hussein.
1983 - Sports: Dale Earnhardt got his 8th career Nascar Cup Series victory at Nashville Speedway in Nashville, TN.
1995 - Sports: Dale Jarrett got his 4th career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, PA.
2005 - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K.Rowling released, selling over 9 million copies in the 24 hours after release.
2006 - Sports: Kyle Busch got his 3rd career NASCAR Cup Series victory at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, NH.
2007 - An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 and aftershock of 6.6 occur off the Niigata coast, Japan, killing 8 people with at least 800 injured and damaging a nuclear power plant. See 2007 Chuetsu offshore earthquake.
Notable Birthdays:
1821 - Mary Baker Eddy, American religious leader (d. 1910)
1888 - "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, American baseball player (d. 1951)
1958 - Michael Flatley, Irish-born American dancer
1963 - Phoebe Cates, American actress
1964 - Phil Hellmuth, American poker player
1965 - Claude Lemieux, aka Satan to Detroiters, former NHL star
1967 - Will Ferrell, American comedian
1968 - Barry Sanders, Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy winning American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions
Notable Deaths
1882 - Mary Todd Lincoln, former First Lady of the United States, died (b. 1818)
1999 - John F. Kennedy Jr. (son of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States), his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette are killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. The Piper Saratoga aircraft was piloted by Kennedy.
2001 - Terry Gordy, one of pro-wrestling's Fabulous Freebirds, died (b. 1961)
2006 - Bob Orton, Sr., American professional wrestler; father of wrestling legend, Bob Orton, Jr.; grandfather of 2x World Champion wrestler, Randy Orton (b. 1929)
Well, that's it for this date in history. As the weeks role on and I find more reference sources I hope to add more events in sport, music, and film/television. I hope you enjoyed this look back and if you have any thoughts on any of the events remembered above, let me know in the comments section. Thanks.
July 16:
622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar.
1769 - Father Junipero Serra founds Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the first mission in California. The mission later evolves into the city of San Diego.
1790 - U.S. President George Washington signs the Residence Bill, establishing a site along the Potomac River as the District of Columbia to be the permanent seat of United States government.
1808 - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, two of the few white men who had actually seen the mysterious territory of the Far West, help form the Missouri Fur Company to exploit the region's abundant fur-bearing animals.
1862 - American Civil War: David G. Farragut becomes the first United States Navy rear admiral.
1935 - The first parking meters were installed in Oklahoma City.
1941 - Sports: New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio gets a hit in his 56th consecutive game.
1942 - Holocaust: Rafle du Vel'd'Hiv: The Vichy France government orders French police officers to round up 13,000-20,000 Jews and imprison them in the Winter Velodrome. In 1995, president Jacques Chirac officially recognizes the French police's responsibility.
1945 - Manhattan Project: The Atomic Age begins when the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear weapon at the Trinity site near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
1950 - Sports: Uruguay win the 1950 FIFA World Cup, beating hosts Brazil 2-1 in what is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in sporting history.
1951 - J. D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye was published.
1955 - Original Disneyland park opens in Anaheim, California
1955 - Sports: Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix race, the British Grand Prix in Aintree, driving a Mercedes Benz W196.
1957 - United States Marine Major John Glenn flies a F8U Crusader supersonic jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds setting a new transcontinental speed record.
1958 - Sports: Shorty Rollins got his only NASCAR Cup Series victory at State Line Speedway in Busti, NY.
1966 - The song "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James & the Shondells topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
1966 - Sports: Bobby Allison got his 2nd career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Islip Speedway in Islip, NY.
1969 - Apollo program: Apollo 11 is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida and will become the first manned space mission to land on the moon.
1972 - Sports: Bobby Allison got his 35th career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Trenton Speedway in Trenton, NJ.
1973 - Watergate Scandal: Former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield informs the United States Senate that President Richard Nixon had secretly recorded potentially-incriminating conversations.
1977 - Teenage singer Shaun Cassidy's recording of "Da Do Ron Ron" hits No. 1 and stayed there for one week.
1977 - Sports: Darrell Waltrip got his 6th career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Nashville Speedway in Nashville, TN.
1979 - Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and is replaced by Saddam Hussein.
1983 - Sports: Dale Earnhardt got his 8th career Nascar Cup Series victory at Nashville Speedway in Nashville, TN.
1995 - Sports: Dale Jarrett got his 4th career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, PA.
2005 - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K.Rowling released, selling over 9 million copies in the 24 hours after release.
2006 - Sports: Kyle Busch got his 3rd career NASCAR Cup Series victory at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, NH.
2007 - An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 and aftershock of 6.6 occur off the Niigata coast, Japan, killing 8 people with at least 800 injured and damaging a nuclear power plant. See 2007 Chuetsu offshore earthquake.
Notable Birthdays:
1821 - Mary Baker Eddy, American religious leader (d. 1910)
1888 - "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, American baseball player (d. 1951)
1958 - Michael Flatley, Irish-born American dancer
1963 - Phoebe Cates, American actress
1964 - Phil Hellmuth, American poker player
1965 - Claude Lemieux, aka Satan to Detroiters, former NHL star
1967 - Will Ferrell, American comedian
1968 - Barry Sanders, Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy winning American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions
Notable Deaths
1882 - Mary Todd Lincoln, former First Lady of the United States, died (b. 1818)
1999 - John F. Kennedy Jr. (son of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States), his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette are killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. The Piper Saratoga aircraft was piloted by Kennedy.
2001 - Terry Gordy, one of pro-wrestling's Fabulous Freebirds, died (b. 1961)
2006 - Bob Orton, Sr., American professional wrestler; father of wrestling legend, Bob Orton, Jr.; grandfather of 2x World Champion wrestler, Randy Orton (b. 1929)
Well, that's it for this date in history. As the weeks role on and I find more reference sources I hope to add more events in sport, music, and film/television. I hope you enjoyed this look back and if you have any thoughts on any of the events remembered above, let me know in the comments section. Thanks.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Confederate Memorial Day
In Loving Memory of
John Bumgardner II
February 2, 1838 - October 9, 1891
A Distinguished Service Member of the 6th North Carolina Cavalry
in the
Confederate States of America
... and my Great, Great, Great Grandfather
in the
Confederate States of America
... and my Great, Great, Great Grandfather
Confederate Memorial Day
Author Unknown
The marching armies of the past
Along our Southern plains,
Are sleeping now in quiet rest
Beneath the Southern rains.
The bugle call is now in vain
To rouse them from their bed;
To arms they’ll never march again—
They are sleeping with the dead.
No more will Shiloh’s plains be stained
With blood our heroes shed,
Nor Chancellorsville resound again
To our noble warriors’ tread.
For them no more shall reveille
Sound at the break of dawn,
But may their sleep peaceful be
Till God’s great judgment morn.
We bow our heads in solemn prayer
For those who wore the gray,
And clasp again their unseen hands
On our Memorial Day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)