Movie Review: Michael Moore's “Fahrenheit 9/11”

When you look at the United States today, the country feels like it is more bitterly divided than at any other time in recent history. It feels like it is more divided even than it was during the tumultuous decade of the 1960's and, perhaps, even more divided than it was in the turbulent couple of years following the September 11th attacks, particularly during the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. 

That was a dark time in this country's history.

Looking back now, it does not feel like that was really when this whole Red versus Blue divide began. Nor was it on September 11th itself, obviously, since that was one of the few times in modern history when the country was a bit more unified in response to something.

No, the moment that it started was the 2000 election. I was a young man still at that point, just having turned 26. There were a lot of things going on in my life back then. I had recently been married, was working almost full-time hours while trying to finish up my requirements to obtain a Bachelor's Degree at Rutgers University. 

Yet, I remember those times, and that election, very well. 

Sometimes, it feels like it was a long, long time ago. Certainly, when I look at how I was still in my mid-twenties, then still newly married and without child yet, and before I even got my college degree, it feels like a long, long time ago.

However, when I examine the circumstances surrounding the country, and the ascension of George W. Bush to the White House, it feels actually like it was quite recent. Perhaps it is because some of the things which began then - controversial and polarized elections which take some time to fully sort through, power grabs by an administration in the White House, world reaction to what as going on in the United States ranging between disgust, outrage, and horror, and of course evidence of the bitter domestic political divide which was then just beginning to be a still new yet inescapable reality in our country - it actually does not feel long ago at all. 

In fact, much of it still sometimes feels surprisingly relevant right to the present day. We need to pay more attention to when things just clearly seem off with either our elections or, frankly, our elected rulers. We also need to pay attention to corporate supremacy, which during the Bush years began to run rampant, even dictating our foreign policy when it came to oil and no-bid contracts during the Iraq war. Just participating in an election these days seems like being active and involved in the process for many people, since voter turnout in election after election seems to be alarmingly low. But we need to do far more, at least if we want to maintain at least a pretense that we live in and care about our democracy.  

This movie is a reminder of all of that. It reminds us of the dangers of what happens when a brainwashed nation - and let's not pretend that most of this nation, both on the left and on the right - are brainwashed. This movie really makes arguing that point a moot point. After all, it was both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, as well as the majority of the nation at one point, which supported empowering President George W. Bush to launch the invasion and start the war in Iraq. In fact, opposition to the war was systematically equated with being weak and even sympathizing with terrorists.

Pathetic.

Here, we get Michael Moore's opinions, true. But we also get priceless video clips which reveal the facts, and much of the truth that was going on in the country at the time. From the shady aspects of the 2000 election which leave a bad taste in the mouth of anyone who truly supports American democracy - especially in light of how clearly fragile that democracy is, or at least has become - in the years since, only questions arise. Given that George W. Bush lost the popular election, and that he needed all of that help in Florida (which he received from his brother, who was governor and allegedly oversaw the fairness of the election, to a Supreme Court friendly to him and his father.

It felt outrageous at the time. Now, watching this movie in hindsight, it feels like the first alarm bells to wake the American people up to what might happen if we were not careful came at around this time, with strong opposition to the Iraq war. It turned into a quagmire, and was a disaster for this country, particularly in terms of foreign policy. The war which the Bush administration promised we would win quickly and decisively instead turned into a bloody affair in which we had no exit strategy, just as opponents of the war warned. And it ended up being the second longest war that the United States had ever engaged in, with the conflict in Afghanistan - which we fought simultaneously with this war - being the longest. 

What a disaster. But it is good to remind ourselves of these things, to remember our history. And to better understand that the power struggles and bitter - some might suggest toxic, with a measure of validity - political atmosphere currently in the United States, we really should watch movies like this to understand that these problems did not simply arise out of nowhere.

We should collectively have paid much closer attention at the time, and scrutinized the intentions of a transparently power-hungry administration at the time. It seems clear that we have not really learned from our mistakes. Maybe getting back closer to the roots of it all can help us appreciate the trouble that we have allowed ourselves to get into in the present day.

Highly recommended! 

GOP Loudly Applauds & Cheers Before Being Silenced on Capitol Hill

Not much of a big fan of American politics these days. Personally, I am truly sick and tired of both of the major parties. In fact, I increasingly find myself convinced that not only do neither of these parties have solutions to the growing problems, both in number and in severity, that this country faces, but that the two major parties are closer to being the source of our problems, rather than some kind of path to solving these problems.

However, if I had to pick one of the parties which is the lesser of the two evils - a description which has long described the reality of our current American political system, frankly - than it would be the Democrats.

Maybe.

However, whenever MAGA supporters get some of their own obnoxious behavior thrown back at them, I am all for that. These days, Republicans have for all intents and purposes become the Trump party in all but name only. So this clip seemed worth sharing.

At first, Republicans loudly cheer and applaud Hakeem Jeffries when he stated simply that Donald Trump had won the 2024 presidential election. Then, they quickly sat down and shut up after Jeffries pointed out that they (the Democrats) were not the party of election results deniers. 

A good little video clip to watch is available, along with the story more generally, by clicking on the link below: 

GOP Cheers Hakeem Jeffries For Saying Trump Won — Until He Notes Which Party Is Home To Election Deniers by Jennifer Bendery, January 3, 2024:

GOP Cheers Hakeem Jeffries For Saying Trump Won — Until He Notes Which Party Is Home To Election Deniers

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-cheers-hakeem-jeffries-for-saying-trump-won-until-he-notes-which-party-is-home-to-election-deniers/ar-AA1wVJH3?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=dea3548fb69040868796912b7c5f0f07&ei=19

January 4th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 46 BCE, Titus Labienus defeated Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. In 1785 on this day, Jacob Grimm, the oldst of the Grimm brothers, was born  On this day in 1796, Congress accepted the Colors of the French Republic. The smallest earth-moon distance in the 20th Century, at 356,375 km center-to-ctr, occured on this day in 1912.

Jan 4, 1950: The God That Failed published  The God That Failed, a collection of essays by six writers and intellectuals who either joined or sympathized with the communist cause before renouncing the ideology, is published by Harpers.  

Jan 4, 1965: L.B.J. envisions a Great Society in his State of the Union address  On this day in 1965, in his State of the Union address, President Lyndon Baines Johnson lays out for Congress a laundry list of legislation needed to achieve his plan for a Great Society. On the heels of John F. Kennedy's tragic death, Americans had elected Johnson, his vice president, to the presidency by the largest popular vote in the nation's history. Johnson used this mandate to push for improvements he believed would better Americans' quality of life.  

Jan 4, 1965: Johnson reaffirms commitment to South Vietnam  In his State of the Union message, President Lyndon B. Johnson reaffirms U.S. commitment to support South Vietnam in fighting communist aggression. In justifying the continued support to Saigon, Johnson pointed out that U.S. presidents had been giving the South Vietnamese help for 10 years, and, he said, "Our own security is tied to the peace of Asia."

Jan 4, 1965: Poet T.S. Eliot dies in London  Poet T.S. Eliot dies in London at age 76. Eliot's The Waste Land, published in 1922, is considered the single most influential work of poetry of the twentieth century. In 1948 he was bestowed the Order of Merit by King George VI and in the same year was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

1991 - The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Israel's treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories. 

Jan 4, 1999: The euro debuts  On this day in 1999, for the first time since Charlemagne's reign in the ninth century, Europe is united with a common currency when the "euro" debuts as a financial unit in corporate and investment markets.

2010 - In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) opened as the world's tallest tower at 2,625 feet.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

On this day in 46 BCE, Titus Labienus defeated Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. 

274 - St Eutychian begins his reign as Catholic Pope

871 - Battle at Reading: Ethelred of Wessex beats Danish invasion army

1357 - Flemish earl Louis & Luxembourg Duke Wenceslaus sign peace treaty

1490 - Anna of Brittany announces that all those who would ally with the king of France will be considered guilty of the crime of lese-majesty.

1519 - -6] 1st Altenburger sermon (Luther & Karl von Miltitz)

1570 - Spanish viceroy Alva banishes Zutphen City's only physician, Joost Sweiter, "because he is a Jew"

1642 - King Charles I with 400 soldiers attacks the English parliament

1698 - Most of the Palace of Whitehall in London, the main residence of the English monarchs, is destroyed by fire.

1717 - Netherlands, England & France sign Triple Alliance

1725 - Benjamin Franklin arrives in London [OS=Dec 24 1724]

1754 - Columbia University founded, as Kings College (NYC)

1762 - England declares war on Spain & Naples

Washington's Headquarters at Morristown, New Jersey 

On this day in 1780 during the American Revolution, a massive snowstorm hit Washington's Army at and around Morristown, New Jersey.

1781 - Andre Méchain discovers M80 (globular cluster in Scorpio)

In 1785 on this day, Jacob Grimm, the oldst of the Grimm brothers, was born  On this day, the older of the two Grimm brothers, Jacob, is born in Hanau, Germany. His brother Wilhelm is born the following year.    As young men, the two brothers assisted some friends with research for an important collection of folk lyrics. One of the authors, impressed by the brothers' work, suggested they publish some of the oral folktales they'd collected. The collection appeared as Children's and Household Tales, later known as Grimm's Fairy Tales, in several volumes between 1812 and 1822.  

The Tricolore, which became the flag of France during the French Revolution.

On this day in 1796, Congress accepted the Colors of the French Republic.  On this day in 1796, the House of Representatives accepts the Colors, or flag, of the French Revolutionary Republic, proclaiming it the most honorable testimonial of the existing sympathies and affections of the two Republics.    In an accompanying message, the French Committee of Public Safety lauded the United States as the first defenders of the rights of man, in another hemisphere. The French revolutionaries were eager to link their overthrow of Louis XVI in 1789 to that of King George III in 1776. They viewed the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights as American precursors to their own revolutionary Declaration of the Rights of Man.  

1832 - Insurrection of Trinidad negroes

1843 - Gaetano Donizetti's opera "Don Pasquale," premieres in Paris

1843 - Royal Academy (Technical Hague court) Delft opens

1847 - Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government.

Inventor/Industrialist Samuel ColtInventor/Industrialist Samuel Colt 1854 - The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang.

1861 - Pres Buchanan appoints a fast on account of threatened succession

1861 - US Ft Morgan, Mobile, seized by Alabama

1862 - Romney Campaign-Stonewall Jackson occupies Bath

1863 - 4 wheeled roller skates patented by James Plimpton of NY

1865 - The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street in New York City.

1878 - Sofia is emancipated from Ottoman rule.

1881 - Johannes Brahms' "Academic Festival Overture" premieres, Breslau

1883 - Ontario Rugby Football Union (forerunner of CFL) forms

1884 - Last sighting of an eastern cougar (Ontario)

1884 - The Fabian Society is founded in London.

1885 - Dr W W Grant of Iowa, performs 1st appendectomy (on Mary Gartside, 22)

1887 - Thomas Stevens is 1st man to bicycle around the world (SF-SF)

1893 - US pres Cleveland grants amnesty to Mormon polygamy

1894 - France ratifies Duple Alliance with Russia

1896 - AFL charters Actors' National Protective Union, NYC

1896 - Following Mormon abandonment of polygamy, Utah admitted as 45th state

1898 - 1st installment of William Dean Howell's "Life & Letters" appears

1902 - Hugh Trumble takes a hat-trick v England at the MCG

Inventor Thomas EdisonInventor Thomas Edison 1903 - Topsy, an elephant, was electrocuted by Thomas Edison during the War of Currents campaign.

1904 - Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver 7 beat Winnipeg Rowing Club, 2 games to 1

1904 - Supreme Court rules Puerto Ricans cannot be denied admission to US

1906 - South Africa beat England by one wicket, their 1st Test win

1907 - George Bernard Shaw's "Don Juan in Hell," premieres in London

The smallest earth-moon distance in the 20th Century, at 356,375 km center-to-ctr, occured on this day in 1912.

1912 - The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Commonwealth by Royal Charter.

1915 - 1st elected Jewish governor, Moses Alexander, takes office in Idaho

1915 - Trans-Caucausus Russian defeat Turkish troops

1920 - 1st Black baseball league, National Negro Baseball League, organizes

1920 - Amsterdam actors decide to strike for retirement benefits

1921 - Eugene O'Neill's "Diff'rent," premieres in NYC

1923 - 1st broadcast of "Barn Dance Show" (WBAP - Fort Worth Texas)

1923 - Lenin's "Political Testament" calls for removal of Stalin

1925 - French psychologist Emil Coué brings his self-esteem therapy to US "Every day in every way I am getting better & better"

Marxist Revolutionary and Russian Leader Vladimir LeninMarxist Revolutionary and Russian Leader Vladimir Lenin 1926 - Theodorus Pangalos resigns as Greek dictator

1932 - Bradman scores 167 for Australia v South Africa at the MCG

1932 - British East Indies Viceroy Willingdon arrests Gandhi & Nehru

1932 - State of siege proclaimed in Honduras

1934 - 1st Dutch talkie movie, Jan Teunissen's "Willem of Orange," premieres

1935 - Bob Hope 1st heard on network radio as part of "The Intimate Revue"

1935 - Ft Jefferson National Monument, Fla established

1936 - Billboard magazine publishes its 1st music hit parade

1936 - Grimmett becomes world record wicket taker with no 190 v South Africa

1939 - Frieda Wunderlich elected 1st woman dean of a US graduate school

1939 - Hermann Goering appoints Reinhard Heydrich head of Jewish Emigration

1941 - Resistance fighters counter d'Estienne d'Orves/Jan Doornik, 1st meet

1942 - NFL Pro Bowl: Chi Bears beats NFL All-Stars 35-24

1942 - Premier Churchill & General Marshall fly to Florida

1942 - Rogers Hornsby is 14th player selected to the Hall of Fame

Novelist Thomas MannNovelist Thomas Mann 1943 - Thomas Mann completes his tetralogy, "Joseph & His Brothers"

1944 - Ralph Bunche appointed 1st Negro official in US State Department

1945 - Germans execute resistance fighters in Amsterdam

1945 - US jeep-aircraft carrier Ommaney Bay sinks after kamikaze attack

1947 - "Park Avenue" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 72 performances

1947 - "Show Boat" closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 417 performances

1948 - Burma declares independence from UK

1951 - During Korean conflict, Chinese forces capture Seoul

1953 - KTSM TV channel 9 in El Paso, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting

1954 - Elvis Presley records a 10 minute demo in Nashville

1954 - Soap Opera "The Brighter Day" premieres

1957 - "Blondie" situation comedy premieres on NBC TV (later on CBS)

1957 - Dodgers buy 44 passenger twin-engine airplane for $775,000

1958 - Sputnik 1 reenters atmosphere & burns up

1959 - Luna 1 (Mechta) becomes 1st craft to leave Earth's gravity

Singer & Cultural Icon Elvis PresleySinger & Cultural Icon Elvis Presley 1960 - European Free Trade Association forms in Stockholm

1961 - Longest recorded strike ends-33 yrs-Danish barbers' assistants

1962 - 1st automated (unmanned) subway train (NYC)

1962 - New York City introduces a train that operates without a crew on-board.

1963 - Soviet Luna (4) reaches Earth orbit but fails to reach Moon

1965 - LBJ's "Great Society" State of the Union Address

1966 - Doug Walters scores second Test century in his second Test

1966 - WFLD TV channel 32 in Chicago, IL (IND) begins broadcasting

1968 - Duck hunter accidentally shoots endangered whooping crane in Texas

1968 - Leo Fender sells Fender Guitars for $13 million

1969 - "Fig Leaves Are Falling" closes at Broadhurst NYC after 4 perfs

1969 - France begins arms embargo against Israel

 

1970 - Beatles last recording session at EMI studios

1970 - KC Chiefs beat Oakland Raiders 17-7 in AFC championship game

1970 - Minnesota Vikings beat Cleveland Browns 27-7 in NFC championship game

36th US President Lyndon B. Johnson36th US President Lyndon B. Johnson 1970 - NYC transit fare rises from 20 cents to 30 cents, new larger tokens used

1970 - Walter Cronkite ends hosting weekly documentary

1971 - Congressional Black Caucus organizes

1971 - Dr Melvin H Evans inaugurated as 1st elected governor of Virgin Is

1971 - Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to relatives of Kent State victims

1971 - Philadelphia's Veteran Stadium dedicated

1972 - Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London.

1974 - Nixon refuses to hand over tapes subpoenaed by Watergate Committee

1975 - "Good News" closes at St James Theater NYC after 16 performances

1975 - "Gypsy" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 120 performances

1975 - "Over Here" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 341 performances

1975 - Ford Executive Order on CIA Activities within the US (No 11828)

1975 - Ice thickness measured at 4776 m, Wilkes Land, Antarctica

1975 - Montreal Canadiens shutout Washington Capitals 10-0

1976 - "Candide" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 740 performances

Broadcast Journalist Walter CronkiteBroadcast Journalist Walter Cronkite 1976 - "Home Sweet Homer" opens & closes at Palace Theater NYC

1977 - Mary Shane hired by Chicago White Sox as 1st woman TV play-by-play

1981 - "Frankenstein" opens & closes on Broadway

1981 - "Peter Pan" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 578 performances

1981 - 69th Australian Mens Tennis: B Teacher beats Kim Warwick (75 76 63)

1981 - British police arrest Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper"

1982 - Bryant Gumbel became co-host of NBC's "Today Show"

1982 - Chris Wallace becomes co-anchor of the Today Show

1982 - Golden Gate Bridge closed for 3rd time by fierce storm

1982 - ABC Direction Network (57 affiliates) & ABC Rock Network (40 affiliates) become the 5th & 6th ABC radio network

1983 - US Football League holds its 1st player draft

1984 - "Night Court" starring Harry Anderson premieres on NBC TV

1984 - Edmonton beats Minnesota 12-8 highest-scoring modern NHL game

1986 - David Boon's second Test century, 131 v India at Adelaide

1986 - NCAA basketball's David Robinson blocks a record 14 shots

1987 - 16 die in a train crash in Chase Md

1989 - Comet Tempel 1 at perihelion

1989 - US F-14s shoot down 2 Libyan jet fighters over Mediterranean

1989 - VP Bush is 1st since VP Van Buren to declare himself president

1991 - AT&T workers in Newark accidentally snap a cable

1991 - Fu Mingxia, 12, of China wins World Swimming Championships gold medal

1991 - Iraq agrees to send Aziz to Geneva to meet Baker on Jan 9th

1991 - Jan Krzystof Bielecki becomes premier of Poland

1992 - 8th largest wrestling crowd (60,000-Tokyo Dome)

1993 - 7th largest wrestling crowd (63,500-Tokyo Dome)

1994 - 10th largest wrestling crowd (58,000-Tokyo Dome)

1995 - Newt Gingrich (R) becomes speaker of the House

1996 - "Father" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 52 performances

1998 - "Funny Thing Happened," closes at St James NYC after 715 perform

1998 - "Ivanov," closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC after 51 performances

1998 - "Triumph of Love," closes at Royale Theater NYC

1998 - Wilaya of Relizane massacres in Algeria: over 170 are killed in three remote villages.

1998 - A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction.

1999 - Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota.

1999 - Gunmen open fire on Shiite Muslims worshipping in an Islamabad mosque, killing 16 people and injuring 25.

2001 - Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of his wife's hair during a row

2004 - Spirit, a NASA Mars Rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.

2006 - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

2007 - The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.

2010 - The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building is officially opened.

2010 - The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed HIV infection from its list of communicable diseases of public health significance.

2013 - 9 people are killed by a car bomb in Damascus, Syria

2013 - 8 people are killed by a gunman in Kawit, the Philippines

2013 - 6 people are killed a 2 are seriously injured after a snowmobile veers off a ski slope on Mt Cermis, Italy

2013 - 3 people are killed after a Beechcraft BE35 crashes into a house in Florida

1821 - The first native-born American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, died in Emmitsburg, MD.   1850 - The first American ice-skating club was organized in Philadelphia, PA.   1884 - The socialist Fabian Society was founded in London.   1885 - Dr. William Grant performed the first successful appendectomy. The patient was Mary Gartside.   1896 - Utah became the 45th U.S. state.   1928 - NBC Radio debuted "The Dodge Victory Hour" which starred Will Rogers, Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra and singer Al Jolson.   1935 - Bob Hope was heard for the first time on network radio as part of "The Intimate Revue."   1936 - The first pop music chart based on national sales was published by "Billboard" magazine.   1944 - The attack on Monte Cassino was launched by the British Fifth Army in Italy.   1948 - Britain granted independence to Burma.   1951 - During the Korean conflict, North Korean and Communist Chinese forces captured the city of Seoul.   1953 - Tufted plastic carpeting was introduced by Barwick Mills.   1957 - "Collier’s" magazine was published for the last time. The periodical was published for 69 years.   1958 - The Soviet satellite Sputknik I fell to the earth from its orbit. The craft had been launched on October 4, 1957.   1960 - French author Albert Camus died in an automobile accident at age 46.   1962 - New York City introduced a train that operated without conductors and motormen.   1965 - The Fender Guitar Company was sold to CBS for $13 million.   1965 - Poet T.S. Eliot died at age 76.   1965 - In his State of the Union address, U.S. President Johnson proclaimed the building of the "Great Society."   1972 - Rose Heilbron became the first woman judge in Britain at the Old Bailey, London.   1974 - U.S. President Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.   1974 - NBC-TV presented hockey in prime time. The Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers were the teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) game.   1981 - The Broadway show "Frankenstein" lost an estimated $2 million, when it opened and closed on the same night.   1982 - Bryant Gumbel moved from NBC Sports to the anchor desk where he joined Jane Pauley as co-host of the "Today" show on NBC.   1984 - Wayne ‘The Great One’ Gretzky scored eight points (four goals and four assists) for the second time in his National Hockey League (NHL) career. Edmonton’s Oilers defeated the Minnesota North Stars, 12-8. The game was the highest-scoring NHL game to date.  1987 - An Amtrak train bound from Washington to Boston collided with Conrail engines approaching from a side track, 16 people were killed.   1990 - Charles Stuart jumped to his death from a Boston Harbor bridge. He had become a suspect in the murder of his wife. He had claimed that a gunman had shot him and his wife.   1990 - Deposed Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega was arraigned in U.S. federal district court in Miami on drug-trafficking charges.   1991 - The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Israel's treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories.   1997 - The Greek Cypriot government signed an agreement to buy S-300 surface-to-air missiles from Russia.   1999 - A drifting Nicaraguan fishing boat was found by the Norwegian oil tanker Joelm. The fisherman had been lost at sea for 35 days after the engine of their vessel quit working.   1999 - 16 people were killed and 25 injured when gunmen opened fire on Shiite Muslim worshippers at a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan.   1999 - Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as Minnesota's 37th governor.   2001 - FBI agents in the Dallas area charged the "Texas 7" of unlawful flight to avoid federal prosecution for capital murder, broadening the manhunt nationwide.   2006 - Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first woman to hold the position.   2010 - In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) opened as the world's tallest tower at 2,625 feet.







1885 Dr. William W. Grant of Davenport, Iowa, performed what is thought to be the first appendectomy. 1896 Utah was admitted as 45th state in the United States. 1904 In Gonzales v. Williams, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that citizens of Puerto Rico are not aliens and can enter the U.S. freely. 1948 Burma (Myanmar) gained independence from Great Britain. 1951 During the Korean War, North Korean and Communist Chinese forces captured the city of Seoul. 1965 President Johnson outlined his "Great Society" in his State of the Union address. 1999 Former wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as Minnesota's governor. 1999 The U.S. Mint began distributing the 50 State Quarters. 2007 California Democrat Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives.



The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/jan04.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

NFL 2024-25 Regular Season Finale Weekend Saturday Games Preview

There are two NFL games scheduled to be played tomorrow. Both games will feature exclusively teams in the AFC North division. So the AFC North will be determined before play begins on Sunday with the slate of games set to be played for the weekend of the regular season finale.

Let's take a look at the games set for tomorrow:

Cleveland at Baltimore - The Browns have been playing like one of the worst teams in the league for the last month or so. The Ravens, by contrast, have been playing like one of the best and more dangerous teams in the entire league. Plus, this game will be played in Baltimore. Plus, since the Steelers game is later in the same day, the Ravens need to win this one to make sure that they finally clinch the division title and, along with that, the third overall seed in the AFC. Sorry, I know that those few sentences hardly qualify as any kind of pregame analysis. Yet to me, there really feels like little more that needs to be said about how this game is likely to go down. 

My pick: Baltimore

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh - Unlike that other Ohio team, the Bengals have been playing extremely well in the latter part of the season. Their playoff hopes are flickering, at best. But entering the final weekend of play, they at least still have hopes for reaching the postseason, however slim they may be. It feels like they are on the upsurge. Meanwhile, the Steelers have dropped three straight games. In the process, they lost control of their own destiny. Still, they qualified for the postseason officially some time ago. By the time this game is set to kick off, Pittsburgh will know whether they have a chance at the AFC North title or not. But making the playoffs feels more important and urgent on the part of the Bengals than unlikely hopes of the division title likely seem for the Steelers, who very likely will head out on the road, probably to take on the Texans in Houston, which is a winnable game for them. All of that adds up to a feeling that the Bengals should win this one.

My pick: Cincinnati

Some Men Do Seem To Hate Women - But Why?

Most American men, if you ask them, would quickly say that they do not "hate" women at all.

Yet, it seems a bit of a paradox that so many men voted against what many, if not most, women would feel is their best interest in the recent election. And some men hardly seemed to even hide what appears to be clear disdain for women.

Below are some quotes which I already used in previous blog entries shortly after the election last month, but which seemed fitting for this blog entry, as well.

Nick Fuentes is one of those social media personalities. It is a sign of the times that he is famous in spite of, or perhaps because of, his xenophobic, racist, sexist viewpoints. It feels like a sinister sign that confirms that while the internet can be very cool and ushered in some amazing and incredibly convenient things, it is also a double-edged sword. One of the negatives is that it seems to have unlocked people's prejudices to the point where they are now saying and doing these things out in the open, and without any seeming sense of shame. Fuentes is a famous case in point. Here is what he said just after the election, with Kamala Harris losing to Donald Trump:

“Hey bitch, we control your bodies! Guess what? Guys win again. Okay? Men win again,” Fuentes continued in a blatantly misogynistic video spiel.  

“There will never ever be a female president … It’s over. Glass ceiling? Dude, it’s the ceiling made of f–king bricks. You will never break it. Your stupid face keeps hitting the brick ceiling. We will keep you down forever. You will never control your own bodies.” 

Fuentes also seems to have championed the "Your body, my choice" taunt which has apparently, unfortunately, caught on among many young people (including teenage boys in high school). 

Sickening.

This was just one of the most influential of such social media posts, but it was hardly the only one. In fact, there has been a wave of them. Here, according to an article by Anna North of Vox, is another one:

Many of the sexist posts stem from “manosphere” influencers like Andrew Tate and their followers, according to the report — Tate, for example, posted on X on November 7, “I saw a woman crossing the road today but I just kept my foot down. Right of way? You no longer have rights.”

Charming, huh?

Now, those two idiots clearly seem to have a problem with women. So indeed, they apparently would number among the men who hate women, or at least have resentment for them. Also, they seem clearly to feel a bit intimidated by their independence and success, and thus feel a need to overcompensate, and to do so publicly.

Unfortunately, these people have a real following. For example, I first heard of Andrew Tate because of a young male coworker of mine, who also happens to be (surprise, surprise) a dedicated Trump supporter. Just as shocking, he holds blatantly racist and sexist views, yet simultaneously denies that anything that he says is actually either racist or sexist on those occasions when I described what he said as such.

Sigh. 

Don't get me wrong. Most men don't hate women. In fact, the men who actually hate women probably are only a tiny minority. My guess is that most of them also would claim not to hate women. I cannot claim any familiarity with either Nick Fuentes or Andrew Tate, but I will still guess that if asked, they would claim not to hate women, either, even though those comments, and obviously the mindset which they were in when they said them, suggest something different.

But fear or and even hatred of women is a real thing. And there are reasons for it. 

Check out this video, which I stumbled upon on Youtube a month or two ago. I watched it and felt that some decent and relevant points were made. Take a few minutes and see if you don't agree:

Why Do Men Hate Women?

Below are the articles which I used in writing this blog entry, and which also seemed like good resources for people if they are not familiar with these stories, or what they mean:

“Your body, my choice”: The misogynist MAGA attack, explained Rape threats and other sexist posts are going viral after the election. It’s part of a pattern.  by Anna North  Nov 13, 2024, 3:25 PM ES

https://www.vox.com/politics/384792/your-body-my-choice-maga-gender-election

Women dox, vow revenge against far-right Nick Fuentes after ‘your body, my choice’ rant By Natalie Brown, News.com.au Published Nov. 13, 2024:

https://nypost.com/2024/11/13/us-news/far-right-extremist-nicholas-fuentes-doxxed-after-vile-election-rant/

January 3rd: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 1431, young King Henry (or, more accurately, his key advisors) issued an edict charging Joan of Arc with a long list religious crimes and ordering officers to deliver her to the Bishop of Beauvais. Ultimately, she would be tried by Church authorities, but still held prisoner each night in the royal castle. In 1496 on this day, Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tested a flying machine. On this day in 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X. The Meiji Restoration in Japan took place on this day in1868, restoring authority to emperors. On this day in 1924, King Tut's sarcophagus was uncovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter and his workmen. In 1925 on this day, Benito Mussolini dissolved the Italian parliament and became the first modern day dictator. On this day in 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.  

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

236 - St Anterus ends his reign as Catholic Pope

269 - St Felix I begins his reign as Catholic Pope

936 - Duke Alberik II of Spoleto appoints his son Pope Leo VII

1338 - Jacob of Arteveld elected mayor of Ghent

1407 - Bloody battles between Hoeksen & Kabeljauwen in Dordrecht

Joan of Arc Statue

The artist of this statue is Emmanuel Frémiet (1824 – 1910). It was built in 1890, and it was relocated  in 1948. it's currently located on Kelly Drive at 25th Street in Philadelphia, just across from the Museum of Arts (most famous for the staircase which Rocky Balboa ran up). 

On this day in 1431, young King Henry (or, more accurately, his key advisors) issued an edict charging Joan of Arc with a long list religious crimes and ordering officers to deliver her to the Bishop of Beauvais. Ultimately, she would be tried by Church authorities, but still held prisoner each night in the royal castle. In 1496 on this day, Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tested a flying machine. On this day in 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X.   On January 3, 1521, Pope Leo X issues the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem, which excommunicates Martin Luther from the Catholic Church.  Martin Luther, the chief catalyst of Protestantism, was a professor of biblical interpretation at the University of Wittenberg in Germany when he drew up his 95 theses condemning the Catholic Church for its corrupt practice of selling indulgences, or the forgiveness of sins. He followed up the revolutionary work with equally controversial and groundbreaking theological works, and his fiery words set off religious reformers all across Europe.  In January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther. Three months later, Luther was called to defend his beliefs before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, where he was famously defiant. For his refusal to recant his writings, the emperor declared him an outlaw and a heretic. Luther was protected by powerful German princes, however, and by his death in 1546, the course of Western civilization had been significantly altered.

1638 - Dutch Premier Van Joost speaks of "Hostage rights of Aemstel"

1638 - Schouwburg Theater, the 1st in Amsterdam, opens

1667 - Resistance of Androsovo in Russia-Poland

1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlies army leaves Glasgow, [NS=1/14]

1749 - Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont.

1750 - Tax revolt in Haarlem Neth

1752 - East Indies invasion "Geldermalsen" leaves at Malakka: 92 killed

1777 - Washington defeats British at Battle of Princeton, NJ

1780 - Danish national anthem "Kong Kristian...," 1st sung

1823 - Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico.

1825 - Scottish factory owner Robert Owen buys 30,000 acres in Indiana as site for New Harmony utopian community

Founder of Texas Stephen F. AustinFounder of Texas Stephen F. Austin 1831 - 1st US building & loan association organized, Frankford, Penn

1833 - Britain seizes control of Falkland Islands in South Atlantic

1834 - The government of Mexico imprisons Stephen F. Austin in Mexico City.

1840 - 1st deep sea sounding

1848 - Joseph Jenkins Roberts is sworn in as the first president of the independent African Republic of Liberia.

1852 - 1st Chinese arrive in Hawaii

1861 - Delaware legislature rejects proposal to join Confederacy

1861 - US Ft Pulaski & Ft Jackson, Savannah, seized by Georgia

1862 - Romney Campaign-Stonewall Jackson moves north from Winchester

1865 - Con Orem & Hugh O'Neill box 193 rounds before darkness ends match

The Meiji Restoration in Japan took place on this day in 1868, restoring authority to emperors.  In an event that heralds the birth of modern Japan, patriotic samurai from Japan's outlying domains join with anti-shogunate nobles in restoring the emperor to power after 700 years. The impetus for the coup was a fear by many Japanese that the nation's feudal leaders were ill equipped to resist the threat of foreign domination. Soon after seizing power, the young Emperor Meiji and his ministers moved the royal court from Kyoto to Tokyo, dismantled feudalism, and enacted widespread reforms along Western models. The newly unified Japanese government also set off on a path of rapid industrialization and militarization, building Japan into a major world power by the early 20th century.

1870 - Construction begins on Brooklyn Bridge in New York; completed May 24, 1883

1871 - Oleomargarine patented by Henry Bradley, Binghamton, NY

1872 - 1st patent list issued by US Patent Office

1888 - 1st wax drinking straw patented, by Marvin C Stone in Washington DC

1889 - Admissions convention meets in Ellensburg, WA, asks for statehood

1890 - 1st US college-level dairy school opens at University of Wisconsin

1896 - Emperor Wilhelm congratulates Pres Kruger on the Jameson Raid

1899 - The first known use of the word automobile, was seen in an editorial in The New York Times.

Author and Nobel Laureate Gerhart HauptmannAuthor and Nobel Laureate Gerhart Hauptmann 1900 - Gerhart Hauptmanns "Schluck und Jau," premieres in Berlin

1900 - Perihelion Passage

1902 - Reg Duff 104 on Test debut, v England at MCG

1910 - British miners strike for 8 hour working day

1911 - US postal savings bank inaugurated

1912 - South Pacific RR offers to bring Liberty Bell to Exposition, free

1912 - 10th Davis Cup: Australasia beats USA in Christchurch (5-0)

1914 - Kelman/Cushing/Heath' musical "Sari," premieres in NYC

1918 - US employment service opens as a unit of Dept of Labor

1920 - Arthur Honegger's "Chant de Nigamon," premieres

1920 - NY Yankees purchase Babe Ruth from Red Sox for $125,000

1921 - Turkey makes peace with Armenia

1922 - 1st living person identified on a US coin (Thomas E Kirby) on the Alabama Centennial half-dollar

1924 - British egyptologist Howard Carter finds sarcophagus of Tutankhamun

1925 - Benito Mussolini dissolves Italian parliament/becomes dictator

Italian Dictator Benito MussoliniItalian Dictator Benito Mussolini 

On this day in 1924, King Tut's sarcophagus was uncovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter and his workmen. They discovered the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen near Luxor, Egypt, they uncover the greatest treasure of the tomb--a stone sarcophagus containing a solid gold coffin that holds the mummy of Tutankhamen. In 1925 on this day, Benito Mussolini dissolved the Italian parliament and became the first modern day dictator.

1926 - Greek gen Theodorus Pangulos names himself dictator

1929 - 27 year old William S Paley becomes CBS pres

1929 - Bradman scores 112 v England at MCG - his 1st Test century

1931 - Nels Stewart of Montreal Maroons scores 2 goals in 4 sec (record)

1932 - Martial law is declared in Honduras to stop revolt by banana workers fired by United Fruit.

1933 - Minnie D. Craig becomes the first female elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first female to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States.

1938 - March of Dimes established to fight polio

1939 - Gene Cox becomes 1st girl page in US House of Representatives

1940 - WPG-AM in Atlantic City NJ consolidates with WBIL & WOV as "new" WOV

1941 - Canada & US acquire air bases in Newfoundland (99 yr lease)

1941 - Italian counter offensive in Albania

1941 - Sergei Rachmaninov's "Symphonic Dances" premieres in Philadelphia

1942 - American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command forms

1943 - 1st missing persons telecast (NYC)

1943 - Canadian Army troops arrive in North Africa

1944 - World War II: Top Ace Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington is shot down in his Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Zero.

1945 - Allies land on west coast of Burma, conquer Akyab

Soldier, author, journalist, politician Winston ChurchillSoldier, author, journalist, politician Winston Churchill 1945 - British Premier Winston Churchill visits France

1945 - Cato-Meridian School, NY, installs germicidal lamps in every room

1945 - Greek General Plastiras forms government

1945 - John Patrick's "Hasty Heart," premieres in NYC

1945 - US aircraft carriers attack Okinawa

1947 - 1st opening session of Congress to be televised

1947 - William Dawson becomes 1st black to head congressional committee

1948 - Bradman completes dual Test tons (132 & 127*) v India MCG

1949 - "Colgate Theater" dramatic anthology series premieres on NBC TV

1951 - 9 Jewish Kremlin physicians "exposed" as British/US agents

1951 - Fred Wilt wins AAU Sullivan Memorial Trophy (US athlete of 1950)

1952 - "Dragnet" with Jack Webb premieres on NBC TV

1952 - Australia beat W Indies by one wicket at the MCG, last stand 38

1953 - Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, become the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the U.S. Congress.

1955 - Jose Ramon Guizado becomes president of Panama

1956 - A fire damages the top part of the Eiffel Tower.

1957 - 1st electric watch introduced, Lancaster Pa

Mountaineer and Explorer Edmund HillaryMountaineer and Explorer Edmund Hillary 1958 - Edmund Hillary reaches South Pole overland

1958 - Lindsay Kline takes a hat-trick v South Africa at Cape Town

1958 - The West Indies Federation is formed.

1959 - Alaska admitted as 49th US state

1961 - Adam Clayton Powell elected Chairman of House Education & Labor

On this day in 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.  In the climax of deteriorating relations between the United States and Fidel Castro's government in Cuba, President Dwight D. Eisenhower closes the American embassy in Havana and severs diplomatic relations.

1962 - Ground is broken for the Houston Astrodome

1962 - Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro

1963 - WOUB TV channel 20 in Athens, OH (PBS) begins broadcasting

1964 - Jack Paar Show, shows a clip of the Beatles singing "She Loves You"

1966 - Floyd B McKissick, named national director of CORE

1967 - "Tonight Show" is shortened from 105 to 90 minutes

1967 - Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys is indicted for draft evasion

1967 - WJAN TV channel 17 in Canton, OH (IND) begins broadcasting

1969 - John Lennon's "2 Virgins" album declared pornographic in NJ

Musician and Beatle John LennonMusician and Beatle John Lennon 1969 - Rep Adam Clayton Powell Jr seated by Congress

1970 - "Jimmy" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 84 performances

1970 - "Mame" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 1508 performances

1970 - Marxist government takes over in Congo

1970 - WHAG TV channel 25 in Hagerstown, MD (NBC) begins broadcasting

1971 - "President's Daughter" closes at Billy Rose Theater NYC after 72 perfs

1971 - Baltimore Colts beat Oakland Raiders 27-17 in AFC championship game

1971 - Dallas Cowboys beat SF '49ers 17-10 in NFC championship game

1973 - George Steinbrenner III buys Yankees from CBS for $12 million

1974 - Arias Navarro succeeds Carrero Blanco as premier of Spain

1974 - Burma accepts its constitution

1974 - Gold hits record $121.25 an ounce in London

1974 - Miguel Pinero's "Short Eyes," premieres in NYC

1974 - NY Yankees sign Bill Virdon as manager

1976 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

New York Yankees Owner George SteinbrennerNew York Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner 1977 - Apple Computers incorporate

1977 - Lindy McDaniel retires with 2nd most pitching appearances (987 games)

1978 - Chandrasekar takes 6-52 & 6-52 at MCG in Indian innings win

1980 - Gold hits record $634 an ounce

1981 - 55th Australian Womens Tennis: H Mandlikova beats W Turnbull (60 75)

1981 - Cleveland Cavaliers retire jersey # 34, Austin Carr

1981 - Greg Chappell scores 204 v India at the SCG

1981 - Mary Terstegge Meagher swims female record 100 m butterfly (58.91)

1983 - Tony Dorsett sets NFL record with 99-yd rush, Dallas vs Minnesota

1984 - Syria frees captured US pilot after appeal from Jesse Jackson

1985 - Azharuddin scores 110 in 1st Test innings

1985 - Israel government confirms resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews

1987 - "Oh Coward!" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 56 performances

1987 - "Smile" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 48 performances

1987 - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts 1st female artist Aretha Franklin

1988 - Israel orders 9 Palestinian "instigators" deported from W Beirut

British Prime Minister Margaret ThatcherBritish Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher 1988 - Margaret Thatcher becomes longest-serving British PM this century

1989 - Jim & Tammy Bakker return to TV (Oy Vey!)

1989 - Russian newspaper Izvestia gets its 1st commercial advertisement

1990 - Panama's leader Gen Manuel Noriega surrenders to US authorities

1991 - Israel reopens consulate in USSR after 23 years

1991 - LA King Wayne Gretzky scores his 700th goal against NY Islanders

1992 - 32 Cubans defect to the US via helicopter

1992 - Boon completes 11 Test Cricket century, 129* v India at Sydney

1993 - "Catskills on Broadway" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 452 perfs

1993 - "Christmas Carol" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 22 perfs

1993 - "Lost in Yonkers" closes at Richard Rodgers NYC after 780 perfs

1993 - "Secret Garden" closes at St James Theater NYC after 706 performances

1993 - "Tommy Tune Tonite!" closes at Gershwin NYC after 10 performances

1993 - Junk bond king Michael Milkin is released from jail after 22 months

1994 - "Gray's Anatomy" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 13 performances

1994 - 100s killed in Venezuela in prison revolt

1994 - Tupolev-154M crashes at Irkutsk, Siberia: 122 killed

1994 - 35-foot-tall Chief Wahoo, trademark of Indians on top of Stadium since 1962, is taken down, to be moved to Jacob's Field

1997 - Bryant Gumbel co-hosted his final "Today" show on NBC-TV

1997 - Eddo Brandes takes ODI hat-trick v England at Harare

1997 - Zimbabwe clean-sweep ODI series v England 3-0

1997 - The People's Republic of China announces it will spend $27.7 billion USD to fight erosion and pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow river valleys.

1998 - "Side Show," closes at Richard Rodgers NYC after 91 performances

1998 - Grandpa Jones suffers a stroke

1999 - Israel detains, and later expels, 14 members of Concerned Christians.

1999 - The Mars Polar Lander was launched.

2004 - Flight 604, a Boeing 737 owned by Flash Airlines, an Egyptian airliner, plunges into the Red Sea, killing all 148 people on board.

2007 - National Express has its worst ever coach crash just outside Heathrow Airport.

2009 - Israeli ground forces invade Gaza.

2013 - 27 Shiite pilgrims are killed and 60 are injured by a suicide bombing in Musayyib, Iraq

1496 - References in Leonardo da Vinci notebooks suggested that he tested his flying machine. The test didn't succeed and he didn't try to fly again for several years.   1521 - Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther.   1777 - The Battle of Princeton took place in the War of Independence, in which George Washington defeated the British forces, led by Cornwallis.   1815 - By secret treaty, Austria, Britain, and France formed a defensive alliance against Prusso-Russian plans to solve the Saxon and Polish problems.   1823 - Stephen F. Austin received a grant from the Mexican government and began colonization in the region of the Brazos River in Texas.   1825 - The first engineering college in the U.S. , Rensselaer School, opened in Troy, NY. It is now known as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  1833 - Britain seized control of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. About 150 years later, Argentina seized the islands from the British, but Britain took them back after a 74-day war.   1868 - The Shogunate was abolished in Japan and Meiji dynasty was restored.   1871 - Henry W. Bradley patented oleomargarine.   1888 - The drinking straw was patented by Marvin C. Stone.   1924 - English explorer Howard Carter discovered the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt.   1925 - In Italy, Mussolini announced that he would take dictatorial powers.   1938 - The first broadcast of "Woman in White" was presented on the NBC Red network. The program remained on radio for 10 years.   1938 - The March of Dimes was established by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The organization fights poliomyelitis. The original name of the organization was the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.   1947 - U.S. Congressional proceedings were televised for the first time. Viewers in Washington, Philadelphia and New York City saw some of the opening ceremonies of the 80th Congress.   1947 - In Trenton, NJ, Al Herrin, passed away at age 92. He had claimed that he had not slept at all during his life.   1951 - NBC-TV debuted "Dragnet."   1953 - Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, became the first mother-son combination to serve at the same time in the U.S. Congress.   1957 - The Hamilton Watch Company introduced the first electric watch.   1959 - In the U.S., Alaska became the 49th state.   1961 - The U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.   1962 - Pope John XXIII excommunicated Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro.   1967 - Jack Ruby died in a Dallas, TX, hospital.   1973 - The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) sold the New York Yankees to a 12-man syndicate headed by George Steinbrenner for $10 million.   1980 - Conservationist Joy Adamson, author of "Born Free," was killed in northern Kenya by a servant.   1983 - Tony Dorsett (Dallas Cowboys) made the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. Dorsett ran 99 yards in a game against the Minnesota Vikings.   1984 - A woman died at Disneyland after falling from a ride. She had apparently unfastened her seatbelt while on the Matterhorn bobsled.   1988 - Margaret Thatcher became the longest-serving British Prime Minister in the 20th century.   1990 - Ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, 10 days after taking refuge in the Vatican's diplomatic mission.   1991 - The British government announced that seven Iraqi diplomats, another embassy staff member and 67 other Iraqis were being expelled from Britain.   1993 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in Moscow.   1995 - WHO reported that the cumulative total of officially reported cases of AIDS had risen to 1,025,073 in 192 countries as at the end of 1994.   1995 - The U.S. Postal Service raised the price of the first-class stamp to 32 cents.   1997 - Bryant Gumbel signed off for the last time as host of NBC's "Today" show.   1998 - China announced that it would spend $27.7 billion to fight erosion and pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow river valleys.   1999 - Israeli authorities detained, and later expelled, 14 members of Concerned Christians. Israili officials claimed that the Denver, CO-based cult was plotting violence in Jerusalem to bring about the Second Coming of Christ.   2000 - Charles M. Schulz's final original daily comic strip appeared in newspapers.   2001 - The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) charged the "Texas 7" with weapons violations. An autopsy showed that Office Aubrey Hawkins, killed by the convicts, had been shot 11 times and run over with a vehicle.   2004 - NASA's Spirit rover landed on Mars. The craft was able to send back black and white images three hours after landing.




Jan 3, 1521: Martin Luther excommunicated    1521 Martin Luther excommunicated by Pope Leo X. 1777 George Washington defeated Cornwallis's forces at the Battle of Princeton. 1833 Britain seized control of the Falkland Islands. 1870 Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began. 1920 The New York Yankees acquired Babe Ruth and so began the "curse of the Bambino" that haunted the Boston Red Sox until 2004. 1947 Congressional proceedings were televised for the first time. 1958 Sir Edmund Hillary reached the South Pole overland. 1959 Alaska became the 49th state in the United States. 1962 Pope John XXIII excommunicated Fidel Castro. 1967 Jack Ruby, the man who shot John Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, died. 1987 Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1990 Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces.


The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/jan03.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

January 2nd: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in the year 69, the Roman Lower Rhine army proclaimed its commander, Vitellius, as Emperor. The Reconquest of Spain came in 1492 on this day. The leader of Granada, the last Arab stronghold in Spain surrendered to Spanish forces loyal to King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I, and the Moors lost their last foothold in Spain. On this day in 1896, the Battle at Doornkop was fought in South Africa, as the Boers defeated Dr Jamesons troops. In 1960 on this day, Senator John F Kennedy announced his candidacy for the US Presidency. On this day in 1980, the U.S.-Russia detente ended, largely as a result of the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December of 1979. In 1998 on this day, Russia began circulating new rubles in effort to keep inflation in check and promote confidence in the nation's currency.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

69 - Roman Lower Rhine army proclaims its commander, Vitellius, emperor

On this day in the year 69, the Roman Lower Rhine army proclaimed its commander, Vitellius, as Emperor. 

366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.

533 - John II begins his reign as Catholic Pope

1235 - Emperor Joseph II orders Jews of Galicia Austria to adopt family names

The Reconquest of Spain came in 1492 on this day. The leader of Granada, the last Arab stronghold in Spain surrendered to Spanish forces loyal to King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I, and the Moors lost their last foothold in Spain. 

1570 - Tsar Ivan the Terrible's march to Novgorod begins

1585 - Spain & Catholic France sign Saint League of Joinville

1602 - Spanish force in Ireland surrender to the English army at Kinsdale

1678 - Staatsoper Hamburg opens with Theiles "Adam und Eva"

1757 - British troops occupy Calcutta India

1776 - 1st revolutionary flag displayed

1776 - Austria ends interregation torture

1788 - Georgia is 4th state to ratify US constitution

1791 - Big Bottom massacre in the Ohio Country, marking the beginning of the Northwest Indian War.

1800 - Free black community of Phila petitions Congress to abolish slave

1811 - US Sen Thomas Pickering is 1st senator censured (revealed confidential documents communicated by the president of the US)

1814 - Lord Byron completes "The Corsair"

1818 - Lord Byron completes "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" (4th canto)

1818 - The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded.

Russian Tsar Ivan the TerribleRussian Tsar Ivan the Terrible 1831 - Liberator, abolitionist newspaper, begins publishing in Boston

1832 - 1st Curling club in US (Orchard Lake Curling Club) opens

1833 - Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands.

1839 - 1st photo of the Moon (French photographer Louis Daguerre)

1842 - 1st US wire suspension bridge for general traffic opens in Penn

1843 - Wagner's opera "Der Fliegende Holländer" premieres, Dresden

1861 - SC seizes inactive Ft Johnson in Charleston Harbor

1861 - Colonel Charles Stone is put in charge of organizing DC militia

1863 - Battle of Murfreesboro (Stone's River) ends

1871 - King Amadeus I of Spain inaugurated at 25

1879 - 1st Test match hat-trick, Fred Spofforth at the MCG

1879 - British battleship Thunder explodes in Gulf of Ismid, 9 die

1879 - Dr Benjamin E Mays, named president of Atlanta Board of Education

1879 - Northwestern League (minor baseball league) organized, Rockford, Ill

1881 - Camille Saint-Saëns' 3rd Concerto in B, premieres

Photographer and Inventor Louis-Jacques DaguerrePhotographer and Inventor Louis-Jacques Daguerre 1882 - Because of anti-monopoly laws, Standard Oil is organized as a trust

1885 - Gen Wolseley receives last distress signal of Gen Gordon in Khartoum

1890 - Alice Sanger becomes 1st female White House staffer

1890 - Record 19'2" alligator shot in Louisiana by E A McIlhenny

1893 - 1st US commemoratives & 1st US stamp to picture a woman issued (Queen Isabella, patron of Columbus)

1893 - World's Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago [or 0501]

On this day in 1896, the Battle at Doornkop was fought in South Africa, as the Boers defeated Dr Jamesons troops. 

1900 - E Verlinger begins manufacturing 7" single-sided records (Montreal)

1900 - Gustave Charpentiers opera "Louise," premieres in Paris

1900 - John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.

1903 - Pres T Roosevelt shuts down post office in Indianola Miss, for refusing to accept its appointed postmistress because she was black

1905 - Elara, a satellite of Jupiter, discovered by Perrine

1905 - Japanese troops capture Port Arthur

1905 - The American anarcho-syndicalist union known as the Industrial Workers of the World forms.

1908 - Canadian branch of the Royal Mint opens in Ottawa

1909 - 1st official Dutch 11 city skate (Minne Hoekstra in 13:50)

1910 - 1st junior high schools in US opens (Berkeley California)

1911 - Bkln Dodgers pres Charles Ebbets announces purchase of grounds to build a new concrete-and-steel stadium to seat 30,000

1913 - National Woman's Party forms

1914 - Philips installs research dept in Eindhoven

1917 - Royal Bank of Canada takes over Quebec Bank

1918 - Dodgers trade Casey Stengel & Cutshaw to Pitts for Grimes & Mamaux

1918 - NHL Montreal Wanderers disband after Westmount arena burns down

1919 - Anti-British uprising in Ireland

1919 - Lithuania gains independence

1920 - 10,000 US union & socialist organizers arrested (Palmer Raids)

1921 - 1st religious service radio broadcast in US, KDKA-Pittsburgh

1921 - DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park opens

1923 - Ku Klux Klan surprise attack on black residential area Rosewood Fla, 8 killed (compensation awarded in 1995)

1925 - Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region established (now in Tadzhik SSR)

1929 - US & Canada agree to preserve Niagara Falls

1932 - Young gang shoot dead 6 police in Springfield Missouri

1933 - Bradman scores 103* against the Bodyline attack in the 2nd Test

1933 - Bruins beat Rangers in NY 13-3

1933 - Ijmuider fishing strike begins (till July 11th)

1933 - US troops leave Nicaragua

1934 - 1st state liquor stores open, in Pennsylvania

1934 - Bradman scores 253 NSW v Queensland, 204 mins, 29 fours 4 sixes

1935 - Bruno R Hauptmann trial begins for kidnap-murder of Lindbergh baby

1936 - 1st electron tube to enable night vision described, St Louis, Mo

1936 - Bradman scores 357 for SA v Vic, 424 minutes, 40 fours

1938 - Book publisher Simon and Schuster founded

1939 - Bradman scores 107 SA v Victoria, his 4th consecutive century

1941 - World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales.

1941 - World War II: The U.S. government announces its Liberty ship program to build freighters in support of the war effort.

1942 - 28 nations, at war with Axis, pledge no separate peace

1942 - German troops in Bardia surrender

1942 - Japanese troops occupy Manila Philippines

1942 - The United States Navy opens a blimp base at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

1944 - 1st use of helicopters during warfare (British Atlantic patrol)

1945 - Allied air raid on Neurenberg

1945 - Kentucky begins 130 home basketball game win streak, ends in 1955

1945 - Radio Orange ends cooperation at Liese-Aktion

Pacifist and Spiritual Leader Mahatma GandhiPacifist and Spiritual Leader Mahatma Gandhi 1947 - Mahatma Gandhi begins march for peace in East-Bengali

1948 - WNDT (now WNET) TV channel 13 in New York-Newark, NY (PBS) begins

1949 - KDKA TV channel 2 in Pittsburgh, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1949 - Luis Muñoz Marín becomes the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.

1951 - Philip Barry's "Second Threshold," premieres in NYC

1952 - "Pal Joey" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 542 performances

1953 - NBA Baltimore Bullets begin a 32 game road losing streak

1954 - Herman Wouks "Caine Mutiny," premieres in NYC

1955 - 1st "Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later on CBS)

1955 - Panamanian president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated.

1956 - Poujadists/communists win French parliamentary elections

1958 - Dmitri Shostakovitch' 2nd Piano concert, premieres in NY

1959 - USSR launches Mechta (Luna 1) for 1st lunar fly-by, 1st solar orbit

1960 - 1st redshank old world shore bird reported in North America (Halifax)

1960 - John Reynolds sets age of solar system at 4,950,000,000 years

1960 - Roger Sessions' 4th Symphony, premieres

  

Statue of John F. Kennedy in Forth Worth, Texas (above) and a portrait honoring John F. Kennedy at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where he was pronounced dead in November of 1963.

In 1960 on this day, Senator John F Kennedy announced his candidacy for the US Presidency.

1961 - 1st AFL Championship Game, Houston Oilers beat LA Chargers 24-16

1961 - Hawaii's, then all time low temperature, 14°F recorded atop Haleakale

1962 - Nighttime version of "Password" with Allen Ludden premieres on CBS

1964 - Failed assassination attempt on president Nkrumah of Ghana

1965 - Ayub Khan elected president of Pakistan

Clergyman and Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr.Clergyman and Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King Jr. 1965 - Martin Luther King Jr begins a drive to register black voters

1965 - NY Jets sign quarterback Joe Namath

1965 - Obverse design of all Canadian coins is changed to depict present-day

1966 - 1st Jewish child born in Spain since 1492 expulsion

1966 - Green Bay Packers beat Cleveland Browns 23-12 in NFL championship game

1968 - "Zizi" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 49 performances

1968 - Christian Barnard performs 2nd heart transplant

1968 - KBHK TV channel 44 in San Francisco, CA (IND) begins broadcasting

1969 - "Fig Leaves Are Falling" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 4 perfs

1969 - "Soviet Sport" calls Emile Zatopek a public enemy

1969 - Lorraine Hansberry's "To be Young, Gifted & Black," premieres in NYC

1969 - Luis Ferré becomes the first statehooder Governor of Puerto Rico.

1969 - Operation Barrier Reef begins in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

1970 - Dutch premiere of musical "Hair" in Amsterdam

1970 - US population is 293,200,000; Black population: 22,600,000 (11.1%)

1971 - A barrier collapses at Ibrox Park football ground at end of a soccer match in Glasgow Scotland, killing 66

1972 - "Rothschilds" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 505 perfs

1972 - Dallas Cowboys beat SF '49ers 14-3 in NFC championship game

1972 - Mariner 9 begins mapping Mars

1972 - Miami Dolphins beat Balt Colts 21-0 in AFC championship game

37th US President Richard Nixon37th US President Richard Nixon 1974 - 55 MPH speed limit imposed by Richard Nixon

1974 - Worst fire in Argentine history destroys 1.2 million acres

1975 - US Dept of Interior designates grizzly bear a threatened species

1977 - Bowie Kuhn suspends Braves owner Ted Turner for one year due to tampering charges in Gary Matthews free-agency signing

1978 - Bulent Ecevit forms government in Turkey

1978 - Rhino Records releases their 1st album "Wildmania"

1979 - 30th Islander shut-out opponent-Glenn Resch 9-0 vs Vancouver

1979 - Gavaskar gets twin tons for India for the third time (v WI)

1979 - Sid Vicious' trial for murder of girlfriend Nancy Spungen begins

1980 - 68th Australian Men Tennis: Guillermo Vilas beat John Sadri (76 63 62)

 

39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

On this day in 1980, the U.S.-Russia detente ended, largely as a result of the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December of 1979. President Jimmy Carter asked the Senate to postpone action on the SALT II nuclear weapons treaty and recalls the U.S. ambassador to Moscow. These actions sent a message that the age of detente and the friendlier diplomatic and economic relations that were established between the United States and Soviet Union during President Richard Nixon's administration (1969-74) had ended.  

1981 - Mary Terstegge Meagher swims female record 200 m butterfly (2:05.65)

1981 - Sylvester Clarke knocks out spectator with brick, WI v Pakistan

1982 - "Camelot" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 48 performances

1982 - 70th Australian Mens Tennis: Johan Kriek beats S Denton (62 76 67 64)

1982 - Islanders start 23 undefeated home streak (21-0-2) 14 straight wins

Musician Sid ViciousMusician Sid Vicious 1982 - San Diego Chargers beat Miami Dolphins, 41-38 in 13:52 of OT

1983 - "Annie" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 2,377 performances

1983 - "Sophisticated Ladies" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 767 perfs

1983 - Don Muraco beats Pedro Morales to become WWF Intercontinental Champ

1983 - Gary Trudeau takes a 20-month break from writing "Doonesbury"

1983 - Ken Anderson of Cincinnati completes record 20 consecutive passes

1984 - Darryl Cullinan, 16, scores his 1st first-class cricket century

1984 - Miami beats Nebraska in Orange Bowl for college football championship

1984 - Riot in Tunis kills over 100

1984 - Wilson Goode, sworn-in as Phila's 1st black mayor

1985 - 90th hat trick in Islander history-Brent Sutter

1985 - Australia beat WI by innings at SCG, Bob Holland 10 match wkts

1985 - Egyptian Pres Mubarak reappoints Coptic pope Shenuda III

1985 - Nevada-Las Vegas beats Utah 142-140, highest college basketball score

1985 - Undefeated BYU becomes college football champions

1986 - 191.66 million shares traded in NY Stock Exchange

1986 - NY Islander, Mike Bossy, scores his 500th goal

1987 - Penn State upsets Miami in Fiesta Bowl for college football champ

1987 - Troops of Chad President Habré conquer Fada oasis

1988 - Ashland Oil storage tank spills 3.8 million gallons, Penn

US President & Actor Ronald ReaganUS President & Actor Ronald Reagan 1988 - Mulroney & Reagan sign Canada-US free trade agreement

1989 - Notre Dame beats West Virginia for college football championship

1989 - UCLA wins a record 7th consecutive bowl game

1990 - Dow Jones hits record 2,800 (2,810.15)

1990 - Sting joins wrestlings 4 Horsemen (Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson)

1991 - Colorado wins its 1st AP national title poll

1992 - Test debut of Shane Warne, v India at Sydney

1993 - "Gypsy Passion" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 55 performances

1994 - "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" closes at Beaumont NYC after 40 perfs

1994 - "Shakespeare after My Father" closes at Helen Hayes NYC after 266 perf

1994 - Battles between army & rebellious indians in South Mexico, kill 57

1995 - Bus crashes in Luzon Philippines, 29 killed

1995 - Carquest Bowl 5: South Carolina beats West Virginia, 24-21

1995 - Most distant galaxy yet discovered found by scientists using Keck telescope in Hawaii (est 15 billion light years away)

1997 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Columbus OH on WBZX 99.7 FM

1998 - Autopsy of Chris Farley shows he overdosed of opiates & cocaine

1999 - A brutal snowstorm smashes into the Midwestern United States, causing 14 inches (359 mm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches (487 mm) in Chicago, where temperatures plunge to -13°F (-25°C); 68 deaths are reported.

2001 - Sila Calderón becomes the first female Governor of Puerto Rico.

2002 - Eduardo Duhalde is appointed interim President of Argentina by the Legislative Assembly.

2004 - Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that it will return to Earth two years later.

1492 - The leader of the last Arab stronghold in Spain surrendered to Spanish forces loyal to King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I.   1788 - Georgia became the 4th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.   1842 - In Fairmount, PA, the first wire suspension bridge was opened to traffic.   1859 - Erastus Beadle published "The Dime Book of Practical Etiquette."   1872 - Brigham Young, the 71-year-old leader of the Mormon Church, was arrested on a charge of bigamy. He had 25 wives.   1879 - Thomas Edison began construction on his first generator.   1890 - Alice Sanger became the first female White House staffer.   1892 - Ellis Island opened as America's first federal immigration center. Annie Moore, at age 15, became the first person to pass through.   1893 - The first commemorative postage stamps were issued.   1900 - U.S. Secretary of State John Hay announced the Open Door Policy to prompt trade with China.   1900 - The Chicago Canal opened.   1910 - The first junior high school in the United States opened. McKinley School in Berkeley, CA, housed seventh and eighth grade students. In a separate building students were housed who attended grades 9-12.   1917 - Royal Bank of Canada took over the Quebec Bank.   1921 - The first religious broadcast on radio was heard on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, PA, as Dr. E.J. Van Etten of Calvary Episcopal Church preached.   1921 - DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park opened.   1929 - The United States and Canada reached an agreement on joint action to preserve Niagara Falls.   1935 - Bruno Richard Hauptmann went on trial for the kidnap-murder of Charles Lindberghs baby. Hauptmann was found guilt and executed.  1942 - The Philippine capital of Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II.   1953 - "The Life of Riley" debuted on NBC-TV.   1955 - Panamanian President Jose Antonio Remon was assassinated.   1957 - The San Francisco and Los Angeles stock exchanges merged.   1959 - CBS Radio ended four soap operas. "Our Gal Sunday", "This is Nora Drake", "Backstage Wife" and "Road of Life" all aired for the last time.   1960 - U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.   1965 - "Broadway" Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football.   1968 - Fidel Castro announced petroleum and sugar rationing in Cuba.   1971 - In the U.S., a federally imposed ban on television cigarette advertisements went into effect.   1974 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed a bill requiring all states to lower the maximum speed limit to 55 MPH. The law was intended to conserve gasoline supplies during an embargo imposed by Arab oil-producing countries. Federal speed limits were abolished in 1995.   1983 - The final edition of Garry Trudeau’s comic strip, "Doonesbury", appeared in 726 newspapers. "Doonesbury" began running again in September 1984.   1983 - The musical "Annie" closed on Broadway at the Uris Theatre after 2,377 performances.   1985 - The Rebels of UNLV beat Utah State in three overtime periods. The final score of 142-140 set a new NCAA record for total points in a basketball game (282). The game took over three hours to play.   1991 - Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC. She was the first black woman to head a city of that size and prominence.   1996 - AT&T announced that it would eliminate 40,000 jobs over three years.   1998 - Russia began circulating new rubles in effort to keep inflation in check and promote confidence.



1492 Muhammad XI, the leader of the last Arab stronghold in Spain, surrendered to King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I. 1788 Georgia was admitted to the Union as the 4th state. 1839 Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre took the first photograph of the Moon. 1905 The Russo-Japanese war ended. 1923 The African-American town of Rosewood, Fla., was burned by a white mob. 1935 The Bruno R. Hauptmann trial began for the kidnap and murder of the Lindbergh baby. 1959 The first spacecraft to fly by the Moon and also to orbit the Sun, Mechta (Luna 1) was launched by the USSR.



The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/jan02.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory