More Delusions of Grandeur By King Con Don

The news headlines keep reporting how Trump's approval numbers are sinking. Maybe that's good news for the Democrats, who still feel like they have largely handled things in a weak manner, despite some recent signs of life (finally). Perhaps some Trump detractors also feel good about that, take solace.

For me, however, it is more frustrating and infuriating than anything.

Why?

Because this was just so damn predictable. It reminds me too much of the 2004 election. After four years of bumbling and no shortage of proof that Bush was undeserving of the Oval Office during a term which he "won" without having won the popular vote and which seemed sketchy and suspicious at best in terms of the way that he won Florida, the American people nonetheless rewarded him with a majority and another four year term.

This time is worse. Far, far worse. Because Trump had four years in office, and it was so bad that it should stand as a source of national embarrassment. He was fired in the next election, losing by over seven million votes. But he never conceded, he lied and lied about how he won the election, despite losing every recount (and none were denied to his team) and losing 61 of 62 court cases. By the way, during those court cases, the supposedly irrefutable proof that Trump was cheated in the election not only was never introduced, but the Trump team bent over backwards to make it clear that they were not arguing "massive voter fraud" in any of the court cases. Whatever they told people outside of the courts, when the cameras were pointed in their direction, they were far more careful inside of the courts, since there are actual ramifications when you are proven to have lied. Now, that to me confirms Trump's reputation as a con artist extraordinaire.

Yet, enough of the American people bought it. And the gullible voters also were not dissuaded when Trump took the lead role in directing his hostile crowd to the Capitol Building to interrupt with the election process. Ugly images of violent Trump supporters smashing windows and having violent clashes with the police - all with Trump's stamp of approval - was quickly forgiven and forgotten. An attempted coup, as far as I was concerned, was simply swept under the rug. 

Presto, all gone!

Nor did the American people feel that Trump suggesting that parts of the Constitution might need to be suspended serve as a disqualifier. On top of so many other incidents - frankly, far too extensive for me to list here - that alone should have at least given Americans who actually gave a damn about the Constitution, and American democracy, and respect for the law, frankly - some pause for thought.

Nope. There he was again, kicking off his presidential campaign. When he was not focusing on revenge dreams towards his political enemies, he was promising very quick and decisive action on lowering the price of gas and groceries. He insisted this would be done quickly, starting on Day One.

Of course, he won the 2024 election. And also of course, those too good to be true campaign promises proved to be exactly that: too good to be true. Not only has the price of gas and groceries not gone down, but they have risen. In fact, the price of everything jumped up after Trump's games with imposing on again, off again tariffs. Within weeks, he announced tariffs on Canada and Mexico, then backed off (for a month) just days later. The next month, the tariffs were again announced, and once again, Trump backed off from them. Then came the disastrous, across the board tariffs on almost every nation (with some notable exceptions, like Russia and North Korea). Even some uninhabited islands mostly populated by penguins were not immune. Then, after the economy tanked, Trump backed off from the tariffs yet again. 

What stellar leadership. What a visionary, eh?

Now, let us remember that Trump's tone and promises changed literally as soon as he won the election. Suddenly, he no longer seemed to put much distance between himself and the unpopular Project 2025, which he had made a point of distancing himself during the campaign. He also admitted that lowering the price of groceries would be difficult to do. Frankly, it appears that it was so difficult that he did not bother. 

The worst - at least to me -began within weeks of him winning the election. Once again, he betrayed his fixation on obtaining Greenland for the United States. He then spoke of possibly using the military to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal, and also using the military to straighten things out in Mexico. Later, he spoke of boots on the ground for an American takeover of Gaza, where he would build a Mediterranean Riviera. And let's not forget his systematic undermining of Canada as an independent nation, and continually suggesting that Canada should simply be absorbed into the United States and become the "51st state."

People around the world grew alarmed. Now this man was outright talking about taking over much of the rest of the world, and using the military like pawns in his little chess game (actually, Trump always felt more like a checkers kind of guy, rather than chess). Was this guy talking about starting World War III? Fears were not quelled after a disastrous meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in February.

Polls began to show that Americans - particularly Republicans of the MAGA persuasion - had a growing suspicion and dislike of Canadians and Greenlanders, as well as other outsiders.

Surprise, surprise.

And gone was any substantive talk of lowering gas and grocery prices. Suddenly, the brainwashed drank the orange Kool Aid again. He told them to be patient, which has never been something that loyal MAGA cult members have been known for. Yet, they now are preaching patience to the rest of us. They assure us that Trump knows what he is doing. Just be patient, and wait and see.

Right.

As if all of this were not ridiculous enough - it would be comical if the consequences were not so damn serious - Trump's delusions of grandeur now seem in overdrive. Recently, he literally suggested that he not only runs the country (apparently, the system of checks and balances and the division of power between the three branches of government be damned), but he in fact rules the entire world. Here are his own words, unaltered:

"I run the country and the world."

The emperor really wears no clothes now, eh?

We all know that Trump lies and will say or do anything to get what he wants. And we all know that he has an absurdly inflated ego and never ceases to betray his own very high opinion of himself.

But really, is there no limit to what the MAGA cult will believe? At what point do some of them, in numbers large enough to actually matter, begin to feel that this guy really has gone too far? That maybe he is not the savior he portrays himself as?  

Again, all of this might feel like a joke, and could even be funny, if it was not so damn serious. Because this guy is the President of the United States, duly elected. He literally can have his finger on the button any time that he wants. And let's remember that he apparently did not understand why the United States should not use nuclear weapons, and seemed to reject the cautious responses that military officials provided for him. 

This is not a joke. We Americans are increasingly gaining a reputation for being stupid. And let's face it: it seems like we too often are bending over backwards to justify that reputation, frankly. 

‘I Run The Country And The World,’ Trump Boasts In Interview Sara Dorn Forbes Staff Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics. Follow  2 Apr 28, 2025,

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/04/28/i-run-the-country-and-the-world-trump-boasts-in-interview/

April 30th: 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 311, Emperor Galerius legally recognized Christians in the Roman Empire. Roman Emperor Licinius unified the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule on this day in 313. The Islamic conquest of Hispania started on this day in 711. Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad landed at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus). On this day in 1250, King Louis IX of France was ransomed for one million dollars. In 1396 on this day, Crusaders & the Earl of Nevers departed from Dijon, France. Orbital calculations suggest that on this day in 1483, Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit until July 23, 1503. Christopher Columbus was given a royal commission to equip his fleet on this day in 1492. The first French colonists arrived in what is now part of the United States on this day in 1562, as Jean Ribault and other colonists arrived in Florida. Tsjeng Tsj'eng-Kung commenced the siege of the Dutch Fort Zeelandia in Formosa on this day in 1661. George Washington was inaugurated in New York City as the first President of the United States on this day in 1789. On this day in 1803, France sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million. This set a record as the largest peaceful territorial expansion in history, and doubled the size of the young United States.  In 1859 on this day, Charles Dickens' "A Tale Of Two Cities" was first published in the literary periodical All the Year Round. It continued in weekly installments until November 26. On this day in 1863, Mexican forces attacked the French Foreign Legion in Hacienda Camarón, Mexico. The George Washington Bridge linking New York City and New Jersey opened on this day in 1889. It remains the most widely traversed bridge in the world to this day, with a quarter of a million vehicles crossing it daily, and over 100 million every year. On this day in 1900, the United States Congress passed the Hawaiian Organic Act, formally annexing the Republic of Hawaii into the United States and establishing the Territory of Hawaii  into the United States. The ice cream cone made its debut on this day in 1904. The Soviet Red Army opened the attack on the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany, on this day in 1945. On this day in 1945 in the waning days of World War II in Europe, while holed up in a bunker under his headquarters in Berlin as Allied armies were choking the life off from Nazi Germany and closing in on his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule and shooting himself in the head. In 1948 on this day, the Organization of American States Charter was signed at Bogota, Colombia. US troops invaded Cambodia on this day in 1970. On this day in 1991 in Bangladesh, a cyclone killed over 131,000 & left 9 million people homeless. On this day in 2012, the unfinished One World Trade Center overtook the Empire State Building to become the tallest building in New York, and the Western Hemisphere.

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

 • On this day in 311, Emperor Galerius legally recognized Christians in the Roman Empire.

 • Roman Emperor Licinius unified the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule on this day in 313.

• The Islamic conquest of Hispania started on this day in 711. Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad landed at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus).

1064 - German King Henry IV gives away Utrecht county of West Friesland

Royal France

 • On this day in 1250, King Louis IX of France was ransomed for one million dollars.

1315 - Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged on the public gallows at Montfaucon.

1349 - Jewish community at Radolszell Germany, exterminated

 •  In 1396 on this day, Crusaders & the Earl of Nevers departed from Dijon, France.

 • Orbital calculations suggest that on this day in 1483, Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit until July 23, 1503.

 •  Christopher Columbus was given a royal commission to equip his fleet on this day in 1492.

1492 - Spain announces it will expels all Jews

1506 - Philip of Bourgondy & England sign trade agreement

1527 - Henry VIII of England and King Francis of France signed the treaty of Westminster.

• The first French colonists arrived in what is now part of the United States on this day in 1562, as Jean Ribault and other colonists arrived in Florida.

1563 - Jews are expelled from France by order of Charles VI

1598 - First theater performance in America (Spanish comedy-Rio Grande)

1616 - English King Jacob I leaves Brielle/Vlissingen

1650 - French rebel Henri de la Tour Turenne signs treaty with Spain

• Tsjeng Tsj'eng-Kung commenced the siege of the Dutch Fort Zeelandia in Formosa on this day in 1661.

1671 - Petar Zrinski, the Croatian Ban from the Zrinski family, is executed.

1695 - William Congreve's "Love for Love," premieres in London

1722 - Game of Billiards is mentioned in New England Courant

1725 - Emperor Charles VI and King Philip IV of Spain sign Treaty of Vienna

1748 - Ceasefire at Aken ends

1763 - London Journalist John Wilkes confined in the Tower

1772 - John Clais patents 1st scale

1774 - Pope Clement XIV proclaims a universal jubilee

Statue of George Washington in Morristown, New Jersey

• George Washington was inaugurated in New York City as the first President of the United States on this day in 1789.

1790 - Colonial troops occupy Bonni's marroon village

1794 - The Battle of Boulou is fought, in which French forces defeated the Spanish under General Union.

1798 - Dept of Navy forms

•  On this day in 1803, France sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million. This set a record as the largest peaceful territorial expansion in history, and doubled the size of the young United States. 

1804 - Hague's Theater opens

1808 - 1st practical typewriter finished by Italian Pellegrini Turri

1812 - (Eastern) Louisiana admitted as 18th US state

1838 - Nicaragua declares independence from Central American federation

1852 - Anton Rubinsteins opera "Dmitri Donskoi," premieres in St Petersburg

1857 - San Jose State University forms

Bust of English Writer Charles Dickens

•  In 1859 on this day, Charles Dickens' "A Tale Of Two Cities" was first published in the literary periodical All the Year Round. It continued in weekly installments until November 26.

1859 - Paul Morphy returns from 10-mo chess tour of Europe, retires

1860 - Navaho indians attack Fort Defiance (Canby)

1861 - President Lincoln ordered Federal Troops to evacuate Indian Territory

1862 - Swift Run Gap, West Virginia skirmishes

The flag of Mexico.

• On this day in 1863, Mexican forces attacked the French Foreign Legion in Hacienda Camarón, Mexico.

1864 - Battle of Jenkin's Ferry, Arkansas; Gen W R Scurry is killed

1864 - New York becomes 1st state to charge a hunting license fee

1865 - -5/1] Gen Shermans "Haines's Bluff" at Snyder's Mill, Virginia

1869 - Hawaiian YMCA organized

1871 - The Camp Grant Massacre of Apaches in Arizona Territory, perpetrated by white andMexican adventurers; 144 die

1885 - Boston Pops Orchestra forms

1888 - Hail stones kills about 250 in Moradabad district of Delhi

1889 - First US national holiday, on centennial of Washington's inauguration

The George Washington Bridge at night.

• The George Washington Bridge linking New York City and New Jersey opened on this day in 1889. It remains the most widely traversed bridge in the world to this day, with a quarter of a million vehicles crossing it daily, and over 100 million every year.

1900 - 165 lb Robert Fitzsimmons KOs 305 lb Ed Dunkhost in a boxing match

• On this day in 1900, the United States Congress passed the Hawaiian Organic Act, formally annexing the Republic of Hawaii into the United States and establishing the Territory of Hawaii  into the United States.

1900 - Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to make up time on the Cannonball Express.

1902 - Debussy's opera "Pelléas et Mélissande," premieres in Paris

1903 - NY Highlanders (Yankees) 1st home game, (Hilltop Park-168th St and  Broadway, Manhattan), they beat Wash Senators, 6-2

• The ice cream cone made its debut on this day in 1904.

1905 - First official soccer game between Belgium-Netherlands (1-4)

1907 - Honolulu, Hawaii becomes an independent city.

1910 - Cleveland Indian Addie Joss wins 2nd no-hitter beating White Sox

1911 - Portugal approves woman suffrage

1916 - Chicago Cubs play first game at Weeghman Park (Wrigley Field) beat Reds

1918 - Orange Nassau soccer team forms in Groningen

1919 - Phillies beat Bkln Dodgers 9-0 in 20 innings

1921 - American Professional Football Association reorganizes in Akron

1921 - Pope Benedict XV encyclical "On Dante"

1922 - Chic White Sox Charles Robertson perfect games Detroit Tigers, 2-0

1925 - Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc is sold to Dillon, Read & Company for $146 million plus $50 million for charity.

1927 - Princess Juliana gets seat in Dutch Council of State

1928 - Cherkess Autonomous Region forms in RSFSR (until 1957)

1929 - Earnest Streeruwitz becomes chancellor of Austria

1934 - Austrian gets "Austrian facist" constitution

1935 - World Congress for Women's Rights concludes in Istanbul

1937 - The Philippines holds a plebiscite for Filipino women on whether they should be extended the right to suffrage; over 90% would vote in the affirmative.

1938 - The first televised FA Cup Final takes place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End.

1939 - NBC/RCA first public TV demo with FDR at opening of NY World's Fair

1941 - Spread of Judaism begins in Croatia

1942 - First submarine built on Great Lakes launched, (Peto), Manitowoc, Wi

1943 - Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp for Jews forms

1943 - Dutch strike against forced labor in Nazi Germany's war industry

1945 - Concentration camp Munchen-Allag freed

1945 - Lord Haw-Haw calls for crusade against the bolsheviks

1945 - Red Army occupies Demmin

The Reichstag in Berlin, Germany

• The Soviet Red Army opened the attack on the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany, on this day in 1945.

1945 - Russian Army frees Ravensbruck concentration camp

• On this day in 1945 in the waning days of World War II in Europe, while holed up in a bunker under his headquarters in Berlin as Allied armies were choking the life off from Nazi Germany and closing in on his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule and shooting himself in the head. Soon after, Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces, ending Hitler's dreams of a "1,000-year" Reich.    Since at least 1943, it was becoming increasingly clear that Germany would fold under the pressure of the Allied forces. In February of that year, the German 6th Army, lured deep into the Soviet Union, was annihilated at the Battle of Stalingrad, and German hopes for a sustained offensive on both fronts evaporated. Then, in June 1944, the Western Allied armies landed at Normandy, France, and began systematically to push the Germans back toward Berlin. By July 1944, several German military commanders acknowledged their imminent defeat and plotted to remove Hitler from power so as to negotiate a more favorable peace. Their attempts to assassinate Hitler failed, however, and in his reprisals, Hitler executed over 4,000 fellow countrymen.    In January 1945, facing a siege of Berlin by the Soviets, Hitler withdrew to his bunker to live out his final days. Located 55 feet under the chancellery, the shelter contained 18 rooms and was fully self-sufficient, with its own water and electrical supply. Though he was growing increasingly mad, Hitler continued to give orders and meet with such close subordinates as Hermann Goering, Heinrich Himmler and Josef Goebbels. He also married his long-time mistress Eva Braun just two days before his suicide.    In his last will and testament, Hitler appointed Admiral Karl Donitz as head of state and Goebbels as chancellor. He then retired to his private quarters with Braun, where he and Braun poisoned themselves and their dogs, before Hitler then also shot himself with his service pistol.    Hitler and Braun's bodies were hastily cremated in the chancellery garden, as Soviet forces closed in on the building. When the Soviets reached the chancellery, they removed Hitler's ashes, continually changing their location so as to prevent Hitler devotees from creating a memorial at his final resting place. Only eight days later, on May 8, 1945, the German forces issued an unconditional surrender, leaving Germany to be carved up by the four Allied powers.

1945 - US troops attack the Elbe

1947 - Boulder Dam renamed in honor of Herbert Hoover

• In 1948 on this day, the Organization of American States Charter was signed at Bogota, Colombia.

1948 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak

1952 - Mr Potato Head is 1st toy advertised on television

1955 - Element 101, Mendelevium, announced 1955 - Imperial Bank of India nationalized

1955 - West German unions protest for 40-hour work week and higherwages

1958 - Ted Williams is 10th major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits

1961 - 1st shuttle flights between Wash DC, Boston & NYC begin (Eastern)

1961 - Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba receives Lenin-Peace Prize

1961 - SF Giant Willie Mays hits 4 HRs in a game

1962 - NASA civilian pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 to 75,190 m

1967 - Highest tower to the world finished, 537m (USSR)

• US troops invaded Cambodia on this day in 1970. 

1971 - 25th NBA Championship: Milwaukee beat Balt Bullets in 4 games

1973 - Nixon announces resignation of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, et al

1973 - Paul McCartney releases "Red Rose Speedway" including "My Love"

1973 - Women's tennis groups end disputes over sanctioning tournaments

1974 - President Nixon hands over partial transcripts of Watergate tape recordings

1975 - Last US helicopter leaves US embassy grounds, Saigon surrenders

1976 - Muhammad Ali beats Jimmy Young in 15 for heavyweight boxing title

1976 - Royal Canadian Mint opens a branch in Winnipeg Manitoba

1977 - Billy Graham beats Bruno Sammartino in Baltimore, to become WWF champ

1980 - Terrorists seize Iranian Embassy in London

1980 - Beatrix, Wilhelmina Armgard, crowned queen of Netherlands

1980 - Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands, abdicates

1982 - Alvaro Magana chosen to succeed Jose N Duarte as pres of El Salvador

1982 - Atlanta Braves win record 12th straight from beginning of season

1982 - Iranian offensive in Khusistan

1985 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island

1985 - Last edition of Brink Daily Mail/Sunday Express in South Africa

1986 - Ashrita Furman peformed 8,341 somersaults over 12 miles

1987 - Lou Lamoriello is named NJ Devils President

1987 - NY Islander Mike Bossy plays his final game

1988 - Baltimore Orioles win record 14th straight from beginning of season

1988 - Largest banana split ever, at 455 miles long, was made in Penns

1988 - New Jersey Devils beat Caps 3-2 taking 7th game of Patrick Division final

1988 - World Exposition, Expo 88 opens in Brisbane Australia

1989 - Critics Siskel & Ebert film their 500th TV movie-review show

1989 - Pope John Paul II beatifies Victoire Rasoamanarivo of Madagascar

1989 - US beats Costa Rica 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup

1990 - Seattle's Brian Holman's perfect game broken up with 2 outs in 9th

1990 - US 66th manned space mission STS 31 (Discovery 10) returns from space

1990 - US hostage Frank Reed freed after 4 years in hands of pro-Iranians

•  On this day in 1991 in Bangladesh, a cyclone killed over 131,000 & left 9 million people homeless.

1992 - 208th and final episode of Cosby Show on NBC-TV

1993 - The World Wide Web is born at CERN.

1993 - Virgin Radio broadcasts for the first time in the United Kingdom.

1996 - Dutch/Itallian Beppo-SAX launches from Cape Canaveral

1997 - 42 million watch "Ellen" admit she is gay

1997 - Atlanta Braves win record 19 games in April

1997 - Big Ben stops at 12:11 PM for 54 minutes

1999 - Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bringing the total members to 10. 2001 - The Mitchell Report on the Arab-Israeli conflict is published.

2002 - A referendum in Pakistan overwhelmingly approves the Presidency of Pervez Musharraf for another five years.

2004 - U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.

2008 - Two skeletal remains found near Ekaterinburg, Russia were confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia and one of his sisters.

2009 - Chrysler automobile company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

2009 - Failed attack on the Dutch Royal Family results in 7 deaths and 17 injured. 2009 - The United Kingdom formally ends combat operations in Iraq.

One World Trade Center in New York City.

•   On this day in 2012, the unfinished One World Trade Center overtook the Empire State Building to become the tallest building in New York, and the Western Hemisphere.

2012 - Spain's economy double dips after a 0.3% contraction and 25% unemployment rate

2012 - Overloaded ferry in the Brahmaputra River,India, killing 103 people

2012 - Manchester City defeat Manchester United 1-0 in what is claimed to be the biggest match in the English Premier League's history

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/adolf-hitler-commits-suicide

http://www.historyorb.com/events/april/30

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/apr30.htm

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory/April-30

Today Marks the 47th Anniversary of the Rock Against Racism Concert in London in 1978

Today marks the 47th anniversary of a very memorable concert in London. The concert which I am referring to is, of course, the Rock Against Racism show at Victoria Park in London. It came at a time, and shared the spirit, of a rising call against fascism in Britain. 

At the time, Enoch Powell had not long before delivered his infamous "Rivers of Blood" speech, which was staunchly anti-immigration and voiced opposition to the anti-discriminatory Race Relations Bill. There had been a rise of racist incidents, including chants and jeers directed at black football players. Violence had also erupted, as Sikh teenager Gurdip Singh Chaggar had been killed in 1976.

Adding to all of this, there were a couple of rock stars who had voiced some controversial sentiments. One I had already been aware of, and one, admittedly, I was not familiar with at all until researching stuff for this particular blog entry.

The first musician was Eric Clapton. I had heard that he had Clapton had rather disgraced himself by going on a racist rant during a concert. It happened in Birmingham in 1976, when he drunkenly voiced his support for Powell, railing against “dark-skinned immigrants” and urgently called on people to put a stop to immigration, which he clearly felt threatened white culture in Britain.

Here is a fuller sample from his little speech:

“Stop Britain from becoming a black colony. Get the foreigners out,” exclaimed Clapton to his captive audience. “Get the w*gs out. Get the c**ns out. Keep Britain white.” 

He added a bit more, trying specifically to put some pressure on people in attendance who matched his criteria for being undesirable foreigners:

“Do we have any foreigners in the audience tonight? If so, please put up your hands. So where are you? Well, wherever you are, I think you should all just leave. Not just leave the hall, leave our country. I don’t want you here, in the room or in my country.”  

He added: “Listen to me, man! I think we should send them all back.”

This from a man who, while undeniably a talented musician, nevertheless had at the very least borrowed heavily from black musicians to establish a very prominent musical career. So it feels a little too convenient for Clapton to take such a position.

To be fair, Clapton would voice his regret after the incident.

“I was so ashamed of who I was, a kind of semi-racist, which didn’t make sense,” he said. 

Not so sure that these comments would suggest that he was only a "semi-racist," as he suggested. Truth be told, they sounded very much like he was full blown racist with those sentiments, frankly. But hey, that's just my interpretation. Clapton also tried downplaying the popular perceptions that he was truly a despicable racist after that incident by explaining, in a way that feels almost cringeworthy, about how he had black friends, and used to have a black girlfriend:

“Half of my friends were black, I dated a black woman, and I championed black music.”  

Now, the second musician took me by surprise. It was David Bowie, who in one interview claimed that Britain might just need fascism to straighten things out. 

These remarks were documented in a famous interview with Bowie conducted by Cameron Crowe for Playboy, and in David Buckley's biography titled, "Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story,"

Bowie was apparently thinking about running for public office, and did not back away from his fascist leanings. Here, specifically, were some of Bowie's words:

"As I see it, I am the only alternative for the premier in England. I believe Britain could benefit from a fascist leader. After all, fascism is really nationalism."

There was more. In the interview with Crowe for Playboy, Bowie said:

'I think that morals should be straightened up for a start. They're disgusting.' He added, 'There will be a political figure in the not too distant future who'll sweep through this part of the world like early rock'n' roll did. You probably hope I'm not right but I am ... You've got to have an extreme right front come up and sweep everything off its feet and tidy everything up. Then you can get a new form of liberalism.'

The worst, though, was when Bowie seemed to express admiration for Hitler, and suggesting that Britain should just go ahead and get a fascist leader (he seemed to fantasize about getting this job himself) to sweep all of the undesirable elements out of the country, and get that unpleasant phase out of the way, presumably so that Britain could then start anew. Here are his words, specifically:

Christ, everything is a media manipulation. I'd love to enter politics. I will one day. I'd adore to be Prime Minister. And, yes, I believe very strongly in fascism. The only way we can speed up the sort of liberalism that's hanging foul in the air at the moment is to speed up the progress of a right-wing, totally dictatorial tyranny and get it over as fast as possible. People have always responded with greater efficiency under a regimental leadership. A liberal wastes time saying, "Well, now, what ideas have you got?" Show them what to do, for God's sake. If you don't, nothing will get done. I can't stand people just hanging about. Television is the most successful fascist, needless to say. Rock stars are fascists, too. Adolf Hitler was one of the first rock stars.

Adolf Hitler was a rock star? 

Yikes.

As was the case with Clapton, Bowie backtracked a bit after the fact. After people put pressure on him and expressed outrage and disappointment towards him, in other words. 

"I have made my two or three glib, theatrical observations on English society and the only thing I can now counter with is to state that I am NOT a fascist."

He might not have been a fascist. Indeed, it sure feels like a lot of his music had some intelligence to it. Still, there were those comments, which did not sound so much like the rantings of someone high on drugs as it did someone who enjoyed a privileged rock star life and was perhaps morbidly fascinated with Hitler and fascism. He even at one point seems to concede that the fascist future that he is predicting might not be popular, but insisted that it would nonetheless happen. 

Maybe it was just a phase. Still, it sure seemed like Bowie was seriously flirting with these things.

Given these two incidents, I wonder if a lot of this was not a major part of the influence for Roger Waters in writing many of the themes found in Pink Floyd's "The Wall." Especially Clapton asking the audience if there are any foreigners in the audience, and Bowie's certainty that rock and fascism shared a similar, even perhaps a related, theatricality.

Whether or not these specific incidents inspired Waters and Pink Floyd, they helped to spark a movement within rock to counter this rising tide of fascism. So on this day in 1978, there was a "Rock Against Racism" concert held at Victoria Park in London. Unfortunately, I could not find any decent length videos of this show. However, there is a link to a very short clip of part of the stage performance by punk band The Clash on that day. Also, it seemed fitting to add the video of Clash's "London Calling," which is one of the relatively few songs that I can think of which I must have heard hundreds of times in my life, but never quite got sick of, somehow.

It seemed fitting to remember this anti-racist, anti-fascist concert held in London 47 years ago today.

We sure could use another one right about now. Perhaps on the other side of the Atlantic, in particular.

The Clash - London Calling (Official Video)

The Clash - London's Burning (Live at Rock Against Racism at Victoria Park, 1978) #shorts

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/duFy7PdtPD4

Below are the links to the articles which I used in obtaining the information, and the specific quotes, used in the above blog entry:

Eric Clapton’s abhorrent racist outburst Lee Thomas, Sat 22 June 2024:

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/eric-clapton-racist-outburst/

The shocking moment David Bowie called Adolf Hitler a rockstar Joe Taysom, Mon 31 May 2021:

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/david-bowie-hitler-rockstar-comments/

Did David Bowie Say He Supports Fascism and Call Hitler a 'Rock Star'? by Jessica Lee Published Dec. 23, 2020:

In the years after Bowie's death, social media posts highlighted public statements from the 1970's. 

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/rock-star-david-bowie/

1978: Music Unites to Rock Against Racism  PUBLISHED: 9 MAY 2022

https://www.marshall.com/us/en/backstage/seventies/1978-music-unites-to-rock-against-racism?srsltid=AfmBOoryBYawBxtvqCUj3t9Yz7l98iW7cUq1cwCCVjP2KPwyyHG74l7n

In the Recent Canadian Election, Anti-Trump Sentiment Figured Prominently in Carney's Victory

 

🍁 🍁 🍁 🍁 🍁

Not long ago, the prospect for the ruling Liberal Party in Canada seemed a bit grim. The Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was unpopular and mired in controversy. It seemed almost like a sure thing that the party would be compromised.

However, that about the time when American President Donald Trump entered the picture. In a meeting with Trudeau, he suggested that Canada, if it could not handle Trump's proposed tariffs, might not really be an independent nation, and perhaps should become the "51st state." From that point onward, it seemed like the Trump administration repeatedly taunted Canada, making a point of taunting Canadians in this regard.

That changed the Canadian political landscape entirely. Trudeau stepped down, and Mark Carney took his place as the leader of the centre-left Liberal Party. Carney spoke out strongly against Trump and his anti-Canadian taunts. Suddenly, he came to represent the surging anti-Trump sentiment in Canada.

Just like that, political fortunes turned. The Conservative Party had strong hopes of taking over power after Trudeau's troubles. But with Trudeau stepping down and Trump suddenly basically intervening in Canadian affairs by questioning their status as an independent nation and insinuating that it should dissolve itself to become the next American state, everything changed.

As it turns out, Carney and his Liberal Party came out as winners in the snap election, although it is qualified. They failed to win an outright majority, which means that they will have to form a coalition government with other political parties in order to get things done.

Despite this not being a total victory for the Liberals, it seems like it was a total defeat for the Conservatives. Their leader, and Carney's rival for the leadership position, Pierre Poilievre, apparently lost his own seat. Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), was also defeated.

Below is the link to the article which I used in obtaining the specific information used in this blog entry:

Canada's Liberal Party projected to form minority government as Trump congratulates Carney

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cr5d13e4r2rt

April 29th: 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 1091, the Battle at Monte Levunium was fought, as Emperor Alexius I defeated Petshegenes. On this day in 1429, Joan of Arc entered the city of Orléans (which the American city New Orleans is named after). Eventually, she would end its months-long siege and would become known as the "Maid of Orléans." The Chinese Ming dynasty occupied Taiwan on this day in 1661. On this day in 1672 during the Franco-Dutch War, King Louis XIV of France (known as the "Sun King") invaded the Netherlands. In 1707 on this day, the Act of Union was ratified by the Scottish Parliament. Thus, the Parliament of Great Britain was proclaimed, which marked the formal unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one sovereign nation, Great Britain (also known as the United Kingdom). John Flamsteed observed Uranus for the sixth time on this day in 1715. On this day in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War of Independence, the French fleet occupied Tobago. The French fleet, led by Admiral Suffren, stopped the naval fleet of Great Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope (in modern day South Africa) on this day in 1781. This day in 1784 marked the premiere of Mozart's Sonata in B flat, K454 in Vienna, Austria. Rubber was patented on this day in 1813. Charles Darwin's expedition in the HMS Beagle saw the snowy white tops of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia on this day in 1834. On this day in 1862 during the American Civil War, the city of New Orleans fell to Union forces. There was an anti-Semitic riot in Budapest, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on this day in 1901. Pierre de Brazza landed in Libreville, Gabon, on this day in 1905. On this day in 1916, Irish nationalists set a post office on fire in Dublin,  as the Easter rebellion in Ireland ended with the surrender of Irish nationalists. Telephone connection between Great Britain and Australia went into service on this day in 1930. On this day in 1940 during World War II, Norwegian King Haakon and the exiled Norwegian government fled to England following the Nazi German occupation. Japanese troops marched into Lashio on this day in 1942 during World War II, cutting off the Burma Road. On this day in 1942 during World War II, Jews were forced to wear an identifying yellow Jewish Star in Netherlands and in Vichy-France. On this day in 1945 near the end of the European theater of World War II, the terms of surrender for the German armies in Italy was signed. US troops liberated 31,601 from the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, on this day in 1945 late in World War II. In 1946 on this day, 28 former Japanese leaders were indicted in Tokyo as war criminals. The seventeenth space shuttle mission (51-B)-Challenger 7 was launched on this day in 1985. Wrecking cranes began tearing down the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate on this day in 1990. Croatia declared independence on this day in 1991. On this day in 2004, the National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, D.C., to thousands of visitors. It provided long overdue recognition for the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in that war. 

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!

A lot of the events on these timelines recently have centered on World War II. Indeed, the spring time was a very busy time for the war throughout, beingh conducive to beginning major combat operations and invasions. It makes sense.  But this date also marks the anniversary of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, and that is what this short piece by the History Channel's website focuses on. It can be found at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-war-ii-monument-opens-in-washington-dc

• On this day in 1091, the Battle at Monte Levunium was fought, as Emperor Alexius I defeated Petshegenes.

Picture of the Monument Jeanne d'Arc/Joan of Arc Monument (above) in the gardens in Québec City which now bears her name.

Joan of Arc Statue in Philadelphia

• On this day in 1429, Joan of Arc entered the city of Orléans (which the American city New Orleans is named after). Eventually, she would end its months-long siege and would become known as the "Maid of Orléans."

1522 - Emperor Charles V names Frans van Holly inquisitor-gen of Netherlands

1540 - Emperor Charles declares all privileges of Gent ended

1550 - Emperor Charles V gives inquisiters additional authority

1553 - Flemish woman introduces practice of starching linen into England

1623 - 11 Dutch ships depart for the conquest of Peru

1628 - Sweden & Denmark sign defense treaty against Duke of Wallenstein

1636 - Prince Frederik Henry occupies Schenkenschans

1644 - Farm leader Li Zicheng becomes emperor of China & flees Peking

 • The Chinese Ming dynasty occupied Taiwan on this day in 1661.

1670 - Pope Clemens X elected

Louis XIV, the "Sun King" of France

• On this day in 1672 during the Franco-Dutch War, King Louis XIV of France (known as the "Sun King") invaded the Netherlands.

1701 - Drenthe Neth adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is May 12, 1701

1706 - Emperor Jozef I becomes monarch of Cologne/Bavaria

 

• In 1707 on this day, the Act of Union was ratified by the Scottish Parliament. Thus, the Parliament of Great Britain was proclaimed, which marked the formal unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one sovereign nation, Great Britain (also known as the United Kingdom).

• John Flamsteed observed Uranus for the sixth time on this day in 1715.

• On this day in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War of Independence, the French fleet occupied Tobago.

• The French fleet, led by Admiral Suffren, stopped the naval fleet of Great Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope (in modern day South Africa) on this day in 1781.

•  This day in 1784 marked the premiere of Mozart's Sonata in B flat, K454 in Vienna, Austria.

1793 - Cornerstone laid for Groningen's new townhall

• Rubber was patented on this day in 1813.

• Charles Darwin's expedition in the HMS Beagle saw the snowy white tops of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia on this day in 1834.

1845 - Macon B Allen & Robert Morris Jr, 1st blacks to open law practice

1852 - First edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus published

1853 - Comet C/

1853 G1 (Schweizer) approaches within 0.0839 AUs of Earth

1856 - Peace between England and; Russia

1857 - US Army, Pacific Div HQ permanently forms at Presidio (SF)

1861 - Maryland's House of Delegates votes against seceding from Union

1862 - 100,000 federal troops prepare to march into Corinth, Mississippi

A picture of a cannon near the banks of the Mississippi River with the famous Jackson Square in the background in New Orleans, Louisiana.

• On this day in 1862 during the American Civil War, the city of New Orleans fell to Union forces.

1863 - Battle of Chancellordville, VA (Fredericksburg, Wilderness Tavern)

1864 - -30] Skirmish at Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas

1864 - The Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

1882 - The "Elektromote" - forerunner of the trolleybus - is tested by Ernst Werner von Siemens in Berlin.

1886 - First public Dutch electricity opens

1888 - Old Kavallison, Congo: Stanley meet Emin Pasha

1892 - Charlie Reilly is baseball's first pinch hitter

1894 - Commonweal of Christ (Coxey's Army) arrives in Wash, DC 500 strong to protest unemployment; Coxey arrested for trespassing at Capitol

1901 - 27th Kentucky Derby: Jimmy Winkfield on His Eminence wins in 2:07.75

• There was an anti-Semitic riot in Budapest, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on this day in 1901.

1903 - Limestone slides at Turtle Mountain kills 9 (Frank Alberta)

1905 - 2" rain falls in 10 mins in Taylor, TX

•  Pierre de Brazza landed in Libreville, Gabon, on this day in 1905.

1910 - Ex-president Theodore Roosevelt visits Amsterdam

1912 - 108°F (42°C), Tuguegarao, Philippines (Oceania record)

1912 - Frank Wedekind's "Tod und Teufel," premieres in Berlin

1913 - Swedish engineer Gideon Sundback of Hoboken patents all-purpose zipper

Flag of Ireland

• On this day in 1916, Irish nationalists set a post office on fire in Dublin,  as the Easter rebellion in Ireland ended with the surrender of Irish nationalists.

1918 - Tris Speaker ties career outfield record of 4 unassisted double plays

1922 - First official Intl Weightlifting Federation Champ (Tallinn, Estonia)

1925 - Netherlands returns to gold standard

1926 - France ad the; United States reach accord on repayment of World War I

1927 - Construction of Spirit of St Louis is completed

1930 - North Sea floodgate at Ijmuiden (biggest in world) officially opens

• Telephone connection between Great Britain and Australia went into service on this day in 1930.

1931 - Cleveland Indian Wes Ferrell no-hits St Louis Browns, 9-0

1936 - 1st pro baseball game in Japan is played Nagoya defeats Daitokyo, 8-5

1939 - Whitestone Bridge connecting Bronx and Queens opens in New York City

• On this day in 1940 during World War II, Norwegian King Haakon and the exiled Norwegian government fled to England following the Nazi German occupation.

1940 - Robert Sherwood's "There Shall be No Night," premieres in NYC

• Japanese troops marched into Lashio on this day in 1942 during World War II, cutting off the Burma Road.

• On this day in 1942 during World War II, Jews were forced to wear an identifying yellow Jewish Star in Netherlands and in Vichy-France.

1943 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer arrested by Nazis

1943 - Noel Coward's "Present Laughter," premieres in London

1943 - US 34th Division occupies Hill 609, North Tunisia

1944 - Surprise attack by Van de Peat on General Landsdrukkerij in the Hague

1945 - 1st food drop by RAF above nazi-occupied Holland (operation Manna)

1945 - Japanese army evacuates Rangoon

• On this day in 1945 near the end of the European theater of World War II, the terms of surrender for the German armies in Italy was signed.

• US troops liberated 31,601 from the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, on this day in 1945 late in World War II.

1945 - Venice and Mestre were captured by the Allies

 • In 1946 on this day, 28 former Japanese leaders were indicted in Tokyo as war criminals.

1948 - Bradman scores 107 Aust v Worcs, 152 mins, 15 fours

1953 - The first U.S. experimental 3D-TV broadcast showed an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV.

1955 - G Gronchi elected president of Italy

1956 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Open

1956 - WLUC TV channel 6 in Marquette, MI (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

1956 - WSPA TV channel 7 in G'ville-Spartanburg, SC (CBS) begins broadcasting

1956 - WWBT TV channel 12 in Richmond, VA (NBC) begins broadcasting

1957 - First military nuclear power plant dedicated, Fort Belvoir Va

1961 - ABC's "Wide World of Sports, debuts

1964 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1965 - Australian government announces it would send troops to Vietnam

1965 - Earthquake hits Seattle; 5 die

1965 - Malta is 18th member of Council of Europe

1967 - Aretha Franklin releases "Respect"

1970 - 50,000 American and South Vietnamese troops invade Cambodia

1971 - Boeing receives contract for Mariner 10, Mercury exploration

1971 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1974 - President Nixon said he will release edited tapes made in White House

1975 - Ethiopia nationalizes all ground/earth

1975 - Vietnam War: Operation Frequent Wind: The U.S. begins to evacuate US citizens from Saigon prior to an expected North Vietnamese takeover. U.S. involvement in the war comes to an end.

1976 - Minister Irene Vorrink begins fluoridating Dutch drinking water

1977 - British Aerospace forms

1980 - Corazones Unidos Siempre Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority Inc. is founded.

1981 - Peter Sutcliffe admits he is the Yorkshire Ripper (murdered 13 women)

1982 - Alfredo Magana elected pres of El Salvador

1982 - Nordiques 2-Isles 5-Semifinals-Isles hold 2-0 lead

1983 - Harold Washington sworn in as Chicago's first black mayor

Picture of the space shuttle at Expo Park in Los Angeles, California

 • The seventeenth space shuttle mission (51-B)-Challenger 7 was launched on this day in 1985.

1985 - Ranger Larry Parrish is 5th to hit 3 HRs in a game in both leagues

1985 - Tony Tubbs TKOs Greg Page in 15 for heavyweight boxing title

1986 - 800,000 books destroyed by fire in Los Angeles Central Library

1987 - Japan's premier Nakasone visits the US

1988 - Orioles beat White Sox 9-0 for first 1988 win after 21 loses

1989 - 2nd government of Lubbers falls

1990 - STS-31 (Discovery 10) lands

The longest single piece of the Berlin Wall still standing, I believe, is at the Topographie des Terrors, which is within easy walking distance of Checkpoint Charlie, and not too far from the Potsdam Platz, either. 

• Wrecking cranes began tearing down the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate on this day in 1990.

Flag of Croatia

• Croatia declared independence on this day in 1991.

1991 - Cyclone strikes Bangladesh, 139,000 die/10 million homeless

1991 - Earthquake in Georgia, kills 100

1992 - Country singer Doug Stone, 35, undergoes quadruple bypass surgery

1992 - Jury acquits Los Aangeles police officers of beating Rodney King, riots begin

1992 - Sheena Easton collapses on stage while performing in "Man of LaMancha"

1992 - Voting ends on choice of Elvis stamps

1994 - Ferry boat smashes into Mombasa Harbor Kenya, kills over 300

1994 - Israel and the PLO sign economic accord

1995 - Longest sausage ever, at 2877 miles, made in Kitchener Ontario

1997 - KC Royal Chili Davis is 75th to hit 300 HRs

1997 - The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons among its signatories.

1999 - Avala TV Tower near Belgrade is destroyed in NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

2002 - The United States is re-elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, one year after losing the seat it had held for 50 years.

2004 - Dick Cheney and George W. Bush testify before the 9/11 Commission in a closed, unrecorded hearing in the Oval Office.

2004 - Oldsmobile builds its final car ending 107 years of production.

Fountains of the World War II Memorial in Washington

On this day in 2004, the National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, D.C., to thousands of visitors. It provided long overdue recognition for the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in that war. The memorial is located on 7.4 acres on the former site of the Rainbow Pool at the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The Capitol dome is seen to the east, and Arlington Cemetery is just across the Potomac River to the west.    The granite and bronze monument features fountains between arches symbolizing hostilities in Europe and the Far East. The arches are flanked by semicircles of pillars, one each for the states, territories and the District of Columbia. Beyond the pool is a curved wall of 4,000 gold stars, one for every 100 Americans killed in the war. An Announcement Stone proclaims that the memorial honors those "Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: A nation conceived in liberty and justice."    Though the federal government donated $16 million to the memorial fund, it took more than $164 million in private donations to get it built. Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, who was severely wounded in the war, and actor Tom Hanks were among its most vocal supporters. Only a fraction of the 16 million Americans who served in the war would ever see it. Four million World War II veterans were living at the time, with more than 1,100 dying every day, according to government records.    The memorial was inspired by Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, who served under Gen. George S. Patton. At a fish fry near Toledo in February 1987, he asked U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur why there was no memorial on the Mall to honor World War II veterans. Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio, soon introduced legislation to build one, starting a process that would stumble along through 17 years of legislative, legal and artistic entanglements. Durbin died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.    The monument was formally dedicated May 29, 2004, by U.S. President George W. Bush. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it received some 4.4 million visitors in 2005.

2005 - Syria completes withdrawal from Lebanon, ending 29 years of occupation. 2005 - New Zealand's first civil union takes place.

2007 - Republic Protests in Turkey.

2012 - International Chemical Weapons Convention deadline for chemical weapon stockpiles comes into effect


The following are the websites that I used to compile this list for this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/events/april/29

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory/April-29

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/apr29.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-war-ii-monument-opens-in-washington-dc

Music Legends Neil Young & Paul McCartney Team Up & Perform Beatles Classic Together in Video

Ran into this video over the weekend, and thought it was definitely worth sharing here.

This is Neil Young performing "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles. 

Before long, he is joined by the legendary Paul McCartney, who of course sings the part of the song which was his in the original.

Looked like it was a fun night.

Take a look:

Neil Young & Paul McCartney-A Day In The Life(New Sound)Live From Hyde Park 27th June 2009

Adam Conover Explains How Much of What the Trump Administration Does Has the Specific Intent of Spreading Fear

This video seemed worth sharing.

In it, Adam Conover explains what I have long felt. Specifically, that much of what we are seeing today, with the United States increasingly looking and feeling like a dictatorship, is meant to instill fear in the populace. To stifle dissent, and to make people scared to criticize Trump.

Yet, he also makes a very valid point. Precisely because the Trump regime is trying to set this climate of fear is the reason that it is more important than ever to criticize him. To show that these scare tactics will not work. That American democracy - what remains of it - is worth fighting for, and that one incredibly spoiled and entitled man with clearly authoritarian, anti-democratic tendencies should not be allowed to ruin it for the rest of us. 

Take a look at this video, and see if you don't agree:

You are not safe.

April 28th: 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 357, Emperor Constantius II visited Rome. In 585 on this day, the war between Lydia & Media was ended by a solar eclipse. This day in 1192 marked the assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne was confirmed by election. The killing was carried out by Hashshashin. In 1202 on this day, King Philip II threw out John without Country, from France. On this day in 1253, Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounded Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the first time and declared it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism. In 1521 on this day during the Treaty of Worms, Emperor Charles named his brother Ferdinand Arch Duke of Netherlands-Austria. The first volume of Isaac Newton's "Principia" was published on this day in 1686. On this day in 1770, Captain James Cook landed at Botany Bay in Australia while aboard the Endeavour. In 1804 on this day, 31 British ships sailed up the Suriname River demanding transition colony from the Dutch. Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "L'Africaine" premiered in Paris on this day in 1865. Using the ISO 8601 standard Year Zero definition for the Gregorian calendar preceded by the Julian calendar, the one billionth minute since the start of January 1, Year Zero occurs at 10:40 AM on this day in 1902. On this day in 1945, "Il Duce," Benito Mussolini, and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were shot by Italian partisans who had captured the couple as they attempted to flee to Switzerland. In 1965 on this day, U.S. troops landed in the Dominican Republic in an effort to forestall what American President Lyndon B. Johnson claimed would become a "communist dictatorship" in the country, like in Cuba. Johnson sent more than 22,000 U.S. troops to restore order on the island nation. World heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army on this day in 1967, and was then immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. On this day in 1969, Charles de Gaulle resigned as president of France after he was defeated with his proposals for constitutional reform in a national referendum. In 1970 on this day during the American conflict in Vietnam, American President Richard Nixon formally approved of a Cambodian incursion, effectively widening the war, despite having promised to being an honorable end to the war prior to this.

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

• On this day in 357, Emperor Constantius II visited Rome.

• In 585 on this day, the war between Lydia & Media was ended by a solar eclipse.

•  This day in 1192 marked the assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne was confirmed by election. The killing was carried out by Hashshashin.

• In 1202 on this day, King Philip II threw out John without Country, from France.

1253 - -May 7th) Utrecht destroyed by fire

• On this day in 1253, Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounded Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the first time and declared it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.

1376 - English parliament demands supervision on royal outlay

1503 - Battle at Cerignalo: Spanish army under G Cordoba beats France

• In 1521 on this day during the Treaty of Worms, Emperor Charles named his brother Ferdinand Arch Duke of Netherlands-Austria.

1550 - Powers of Dutch inquisition extends

1611 - Establishment of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, the oldest existing university in Asia and the largest Catholic university in the world.

1635 - Virginia Gov John Harvey accused of treason & removed from office

1655 - English admiral Blake beats Tunen pirate fleet

Bust of Sir Isaac Newton

• The first volume of Isaac Newton's "Principia" was published on this day in 1686.

Picture of a statue of British explorer Captain James Cook

• On this day in 1770, Captain James Cook landed at Botany Bay in Australia while aboard the Endeavour.

• Maryland officially became the seventh state to ratify the Constitution on this day in 1788, thus becoming the seventh state of the Union. 

1789 - Fletcher Christian leads Mutiny on HMS Bounty & Capt William Bligh

1796 - Cease fire of Cherasco

• In 1804 on this day, 31 British ships sailed up the Suriname River demanding transition colony from the Dutch.

1818 - Monroe proclaims naval disarmament on Great Lakes & Lake Champlain

1829 - Dutch parliament accepts new press laws

1847 - George B Vashon becomes 1st black to enter NY State Bar

1848 - Free last slaves in French colonies

1855 - 1st veterinary college in US incorporated in Boston

• Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "L'Africaine" premiered in Paris on this day in 1865.

1892 - 1st performance of Antonin Dvorák's overture "Carneval"

1901 - 1st soccer game between Belgium (8) & Netherlands (0)

1901 - Cleveland's Bock Baker gives up a record 23 singles as White Sox beat Blues (Cleveland Blues!) 13-1

• Using the ISO 8601 standard Year Zero definition for the Gregorian calendar preceded by the Julian calendar, the one billionth minute since the start of January 1, Year Zero occurs at 10:40 AM on this day in 1902.

1910 - 1st night air flight (Claude Grahame-White, England)

1914 - 181 die in coal mine collapse at Eccles WV

1914 - W H Carrier patents air conditioner

1919 - 1st jump with Army Air Corp (rip-cord type) parachute (Les Irvin)

1920 - Azerbaijan SSR joins USSR (1st time)

1922 - WOI (Ames, Iowa) country's 1st licensed educational radio station

1923 - Wembley Stadium opens-Bolton Wanderers vs West Ham United (FA Cup)

1924 - 119 die in Benwood West Virginia coal mine disaster

1925 - Kurdish rebels surrender to Turkish army

1925 - Netherlands & Great Britain return to gold standard

1930 - 1st night organized baseball game played in Independence Kansas

1931 - Program for woman athletes approved for 1932 Olympics track & field

1932 - 1st broadcast of "One Man's Family" on NBC-radio

1932 - Yellow fever vaccine for humans announced

32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1934 - FDR signs Home Owners Loan Act

1934 - Soccer team Blue White '34 forms

1934 - Spanish government of Samper forms

1934 - Tigers' Goose Goslin grounds into 4 straight double plays

1935 - Moscow underground opens (81 km long)

1937 - 1st animated cartoon electric sign displayed (NYC)

1937 - 1st commercial flight across Pacific, Pan Am

1939 - Hitler claims German-Polish non-attack treaty still in effect

1940 - Glenn Miller records "Pennsylvania 6-5000"

1940 - Rudolf Hess becomes commandant of concentration camp Auschwitz

1941 - Last British troops in Greece surrender

1942 - "WW II" titled so, as result of Gallup Poll

1942 - Nightly "dim-out" begins along US East Coast

1943 - 1st performance of Marc Blitzstein's "Freedom Morning"

1943 - German-Italian counter offensive in North-Africa

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf HitlerDictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 1943 - US 34th Division occupies Djebel el Hara North Tunisia

1944 - Stalin meets Polish/US priest S Orlemanski

1944 - Exercise "Tiger" ends with 750 US soldiers dead in D-Day rehearsal after their convoy ships were attacked by German torpedo boats

1945 - British commandos attack Elbe & occupies Lauenburg

1945 - US 5th army reaches Swiss border

• On this day in 1945, "Il Duce," Benito Mussolini, and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were shot by Italian partisans who had captured the couple as they attempted to flee to Switzerland.    The 61-year-old deposed former dictator of Italy was established by his German allies as the figurehead of a puppet government in northern Italy during the German occupation toward the close of the war. As the Allies fought their way up the Italian peninsula, defeat of the Axis powers all but certain, Mussolini considered his options. Not wanting to fall into the hands of either the British or the Americans, and knowing that the communist partisans, who had been fighting the remnants of roving Italian fascist soldiers and thugs in the north, would try him as a war criminal, he settled on escape to a neutral country.    He and his mistress made it to the Swiss border, only to discover that the guards had crossed over to the partisan side. Knowing they would not let him pass, he disguised himself in a Luftwaffe coat and helmet, hoping to slip into Austria with some German soldiers. His subterfuge proved incompetent, and he and Petacci were discovered by partisans and shot, their bodies then transported by truck to Milan, where they were hung upside down and displayed publicly for revilement by the masses.

1947 - Thor Heyerdahl & "Kon-Tiki" sail from Peru to Polynesia

1949 - Bkln, Commish Chandler suspends Durocher but he is absolved on May 3 NY fan charges Leo Durocher with assault after Giants lose 15-2 to

1949 - Former Philippine First Lady Aurora Quezon, 61, is assassinated while en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and 10 others are also killed.

1952 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Richmond Golf Open

1952 - St Louis Browns lend 2 black minor leaguers to Hankyu Braves of Japan

1952 - WW II Pacific peace treaty takes effect

1952 - Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Commander of NATO.

1955 - WBIQ TV channel 10 in Birmingham, AL (PBS) begins broadcasting

1956 - Last French troop leave Vietnam

1956 - Reds Frank Robinson hits his 1st of 586 HRs

Baseball Player and Manager Leo DurocherBaseball Player and Manager Leo Durocher 1957 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Western Golf Open

1957 - WSOC TV channel 9 in Charlotte, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting

1958 - Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

1958 - Vanguard TV-5 launched for Earth orbit (failed)

1958 - Vice Pres Richard Nixon begins goodwill tour of Latin America

1959 - KLOE TV channel 10 in Goodland, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting

1959 - KPLR TV channel 11 in Saint Louis, MO (IND) begins broadcasting

1960 - "Christine" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 12 performances

1960 - WIPM TV channel 3 in Mayaguez, PR (PBS) begins broadcasting

1960 - Elena Kagan,New York, US Supreme Court Judge

1961 - Lt Col Gueorgui Mossolov takes E-66A to 34,714 m altitude

1961 - Warren Spahn pitches 2nd no hitter at 41 beats SF Giants, 1-0

1963 - Marilynn Smith wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship

1963 - 17th Tony Awards: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" win

1964 - Japan joins OECD

Singer-songwriter & Actress Barbra StreisandSinger-songwriter & Actress Barbra Streisand 1965 - Barbra Streisand stars on "My Name is Barbra" special on CBS

1965 - Lindsey Nelson broadcasts game at Astrodome from a hanging gondola

1965 - Richard Helms replaces Marshall S Carter as deputy director of CIA

1965 - US marines invade Dominican Republic, stay until October 1966

• In 1965 on this day, U.S. troops landed in the Dominican Republic in an effort to forestall what American President Lyndon B. Johnson claimed would become a "communist dictatorship" in the country, like in Cuba. Johnson sent more than 22,000 U.S. troops to restore order on the island nation. Johnson's action provoked loud protests in Latin America and skepticism among many in the United States.    Troubles in the Dominican Republic began in 1961, when long-time dictator Rafael Trujillo was assassinated. Trujillo had been a brutal leader, but his strong anticommunist stance helped him retain the support of the United States. His death led to the rise of a reformist government headed by Juan Bosch, who was elected president in 1962. The Dominican military, however, despised Bosch and his liberal policies. Bosch was overthrown in 1963. Political chaos gripped the Dominican Republic as various groups, including the increasingly splintered military, struggled for power. By 1965, forces demanding the reinstatement of Bosch began attacks against the military-controlled government. In the United States government, fear spread that "another Cuba" was in the making in the Dominican Republic; in fact, many officials strongly suspected that Cuban leader Fidel Castro was behind the violence. On April 28, more than 22,000 U.S. troops, supported by forces provided by some of the member states of the Organization of American States (a United Nations-like institution for the Western Hemisphere, dominated by the United States) landed in the Dominican Republic. Over the next few weeks they brought an end to the fighting and helped install a conservative, non-military government.    President Johnson declared that he had taken action to forestall the establishment of a "communist dictatorship" in the Dominican Republic. As evidence, he provided American reporters with lists of suspected communists in that nation. Even cursory reviews of the list revealed that the evidence was extremely flimsy--some of the people on the list were dead and others could not be considered communists by any stretch of the imagination.    Many Latin American governments and private individuals and organizations condemned the U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic as a return to the "gunboat diplomacy" of the early-20th century, when U.S. Marines invaded and occupied a number of Latin American nations on the slightest pretexts. In the United States, politicians and citizens who were already skeptical of Johnson's policy in Vietnam heaped scorn on Johnson's statements about the "communist danger" in the Dominican Republic. Such criticism would become more and more familiar to the Johnson administration as the U.S. became more deeply involved in the war in Vietnam.

1965 - William F Raborn Jr replaces John A McCone as 7th head of CIA

1966 - 20th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3

1966 - 38th Academy Awards - "Sound of Music", Julie Christie & Lee Marvin win

1966 - Cleve ties record with 10th straight win since Opening Day

1966 - OCAM, Common Afro-Mauritian Organization forms

1967 - Expo 67 opens in Montreal

1967 - Muhammad Ali refuses induction into army & stripped of boxing title

• World heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army on this day in 1967, and was then immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali, a Muslim, cited religious reasons for his decision to forgo military service.    Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 14, 1942, the future three-time world champ changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam. He scored a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and made his professional boxing debut against Tunney Husaker on October 29, 1960, winning the bout in six rounds. On February 25, 1964, he defeated the heavily favored bruiser Sonny Liston in six rounds to become heavyweight champ.    On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career.  On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft.    At a January 24, 1974, rematch at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Ali defeated Frazier by decision in 12 rounds. On October 30 of that same year, an underdog Ali bested George Forman and reclaimed his heavyweight champion belt at the hugely hyped “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire, with a knockout in the eighth round. On October 1, 1975, Ali met Joe Frazier for a third time at the “Thrilla in Manila” in the Philippines and defeated him in 14 rounds. On February 15, 1978, Ali lost the title to Leon Spinks in a 15-round split decision. However, seven months later, on September 15, Ali won it back. In June 1979, Ali announced he was retiring from boxing. He returned to the ring on October 2, 1980, and fought heavyweight champ Larry Holmes, who knocked him out in the 11th round. After losing to Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1981, Ali left the ring for the final time, with a 56-5 record. He is the only fighter to be heavyweight champion three times. In 1984, it was revealed Ali had Parkinson’s disease.

1968 - 11 year-old Mary Bell strangles 4 year-old

1968 - Carol Mann wins LPGA Raleigh Ladies' Golf Invitational

1969 - Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France

• On this day in 1969, Charles de Gaulle resigned as president of France after he was defeated with his proposals for constitutional reform in a national referendum.   A veteran of World War I, de Gaulle unsuccessfully petitioned his country to modernize its armed forces between the wars. After Henri Petain and other French leaders signed an armistice with Nazi Germany in June 1940, he fled to London, where he organized the Free French forces and rallied French colonies to the Allied cause. His forces fought successfully in North Africa, and in June 1944 he was named head of the French government in exile. On August 26, following the Allied invasion of France, de Gaulle entered Paris in triumph. Three months later, he was unanimously elected provisional president of France.    He resigned in January 1946, however, claiming he lacked sufficient governing power. De Gaulle formed a new political party that had only moderate electoral success, and in 1953 he retired. However, five years later, a military and civilian revolt in Algeria created a political crisis in France, and he was called out of retirement to lead the nation. A new constitution was passed, and in late December he was elected president of the Fifth Republic.    During the next decade, President de Gaulle granted independence to Algeria and attempted to restore France to its former international stature by withdrawing from the U.S.-dominated NATO alliance and promoting the development of French atomic weapons. However, student demonstrations and workers' strikes in 1968 eroded his popular support, and in 1969 his proposals for further constitutional reform were defeated in a national vote. On April 28, 1969, Charles de Gaulle, 79 years old, retired for good. He died the following year.

1969 - King Crismson with Greg Lake & Ian McDonald debuts

French President Charles de GaulleFrench President Charles de Gaulle 

• In 1970 on this day during the American conflict in Vietnam, American President Richard Nixon formally approved of a Cambodian incursion, effectively widening the war, despite having promised to being an honorable end to the war prior to this. Nixon gives his formal authorization to commit U.S. combat troops, in cooperation with South Vietnamese units, against communist troop sanctuaries in Cambodia.    Secretary of State William Rogers and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, who had continually argued for a downsizing of the U.S. effort in Vietnam, were excluded from the decision to use U.S. troops in Cambodia. Gen. Earle Wheeler, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cabled Gen. Creighton Abrams, senior U.S. commander in Saigon, informing him of the decision that a "higher authority has authorized certain military actions to protect U.S. forces operating in South Vietnam." Nixon believed that the operation was necessary as a pre-emptive strike to forestall North Vietnamese attacks from Cambodia into South Vietnam as the U.S. forces withdrew and the South Vietnamese assumed more responsibility for the fighting. Nevertheless, three National Security Council staff members and key aides to presidential assistant Henry Kissinger resigned in protest over what amounted to an invasion of Cambodia.    When Nixon publicly announced the Cambodian incursion on April 30, it set off a wave of antiwar demonstrations. A protest at Kent State University resulted in the killing of four students by Army National Guard troops. Another student rally at Jackson State College in Mississippi resulted in the death of two students and 12 wounded when police opened fire on a women's dormitory. The incursion angered many in Congress, who felt that Nixon was illegally widening the war; this resulted in a series of congressional resolutions and legislative initiatives that would severely limit the executive power of the president.        

1971 - Dutch social democratic party/D'66/DS'70 win parliamentary election

1971 - Samuel Lee Gravely Jr becomes 1st black admiral in US Navy

1972 - Courts award 1968 Kentucky Derby prize money to 2nd place winner due to the winner being given drugs before the race

1973 - Over 6000 Mk. 82 500 pound bombs detonate over the course of 18 hours in a railyard in northern California. 5500 structures are damaged, and the town of Antelope, California ceases to exist, with every building being reduced to the foundation. This accident leads to the passing of the Transportation Safety Act of 1974 which makes the NTSB an independent agency.

1974 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Birmingham Golf Classic

1975 - John Lennon appears on "Tonight" & Ringo Starr on "Smother Brothers"

1975 - South-Vietnam Gen Duong Van Minh sworn in as president till April 30

1977 - Christopher Boyce convicted for selling secrets

1977 - Andreas Baader & members of Baader-Meinhoff jailed for life after a trial lasting nearly 2 years in Stuttgart, Germany

1977 - The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure is signed.

1980 - Cyrus Vance, Carter's Secretary of State, resigns

1980 - Reunion Arena in Dallas opens

1981 - Galician current Statute of Autonomy.

1983 - Argentine government declares all 15-30,000 missing persons dead

1983 - Bruins 4-Isles 1-Wales Conference Championship-Series tied 1-1

1983 - NASA launches Geos-F

1984 - "La Tragedie de Carmen" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 187 perfs

1985 - Alice Miller wins LPGA S&H Golf Classic

1985 - Billy Martin named NY Yankee manager for 4th time

1985 - Fernando Valenzuela sets record of 41 scoreless inn to start season

1986 - Chernobyl, USSR site of world's worst nuclear power plant disaster

1987 - NBA announces expansion to Charlotte NC & Miami Fla in 1988 & Minneapolis Minn & Orlando Fla in 1989

1987 - American engineer Ben Linder is killed in an ambush by U.S.-funded Contras in northern Nicaragua.

1988 - "Chess" opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 68 performances

1988 - Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 roof tears off in flight; kills stewardess

1988 - Baltimore Orioles lose AL record 21 games in a row

1988 - NJ Devils set all time playoff mark for penalty minutes

1989 - Argentina, hit by rocketing inflation, runs out of money

1989 - Iran protests sale of "Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie

1990 - "Chorus Line" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 6,137 performances

1990 - Boston Celtics score most points in a playoff, beat NY Knicks 157-128

1990 - Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by Dave Ferraro

1990 - Last issue of Dutch communist daily De Waarheid (The Truth)

1991 - "Gypsy" opens at Marquis Theater NYC for 105 performances

1991 - "Taking Steps" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 78 perfs

1991 - Space Shuttle STS 39 (Discovery 12) launched

1992 - Brewers beat Blue Jays 22-2 with AL record 31 hits in 9 innings

1992 - Italian President Francesco Cossiga formally resigns

1993 - "Tango Passion" opens at Longacre Theater NYC for 5 performances

1993 - Carlo Ciampi forms Italian government with ex-communists

1993 - Zambian plane crashes at Libreville, Gabon, 30 soccer players die

1993 - NY Islanders beat Wash Caps 4 to 1 in playoffs, Caps Dale Hunter attacks Pierre Turgeon after scoring, in hockey's worst cheap shot

1994 - 1st multi-racial election in South Africa ends [3 days]

1994 - Aldrich Ames, former CIA officer & wife Rosario plead guilty to spying

1994 - Freddy Thielemans sworn in as mayor of Brussels Belgium

1995 - Gas explosion in South Korean metro, 103 die

1995 - Sri Lankaan BAE748 crashes at Palaly, 52 die

1996 - "Big" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 193 performances

1996 - Martin Bryant shoots & kills 35 in Port Arthur Tasmania

1996 - Meg Mallon wins LPGA Sara Lee Golf Classic

1997 - "Jekyll & Hyde" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC

2001 - Millionaire Dennis Tito becomes the world's first space tourist.

2005 - The Patent Law Treaty goes into effect.

2012 - Tent collapse in St Louis, Missouri, kills one and injures 110 people

2013 - 8 people are killed and dozens are injured after Taliban attacks on election candidates in Pakistan

2013 - 3 people are killed and 14 are injured after a gas explosions causes a building to collapse in Reims, France

0357 - Constantius II visited Rome for the first time.   1282 - Villagers in Palermo led a revolt against French rule in Sicily.   1635 - Virginia Governor John Harvey was accused of treason and removed from office.   1686 - The first volume of Isaac Newton's "Principia Mathamatic" was published.   1788 - Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the U.S. constitution.   1789 - A mutiny on the British ship Bounty took place when a rebel crew took the ship and set sail to Pitcairn Island. The mutineers left Captain W. Bligh and 18 sailors adrift.   1818 - U.S. President James Monroe proclaimed naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.   1896 - The Addressograph was patented by J.S. Duncan.   1902 - A revolution broke out in the Dominican Republic.   1910 - First night air flight was performed by Claude Grahame-White in England.   1914 - W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner.   1916 - The British declared martial law throughout Ireland.   1919 - The League of Nations was founded.   1920 - Azerbaijan joined the USSR.   1930 - The first organized night baseball game was played in Independence, Kansas.   1932 - The yellow fever vaccine for humans was announced.   1937 - The first animated-cartoon electric sign was displayed on a building on Broadway in New York City. It was created by Douglas Leight.   1945 - Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the country.   1946 - The Allies indicted Tojo with 55 counts of war crimes.   1947 - Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl and five others set out in a balsa wood craft known as Kon Tiki to prove that Peruvian Indians could have settled in Polynesia. The trip began in Peru and took 101 days to complete the crossing of the Pacific Ocean.   1952 - The U.S. occupation of Japan officially ended when a treaty with the U.S. and 47 other countries went into effect.   1953 - French troops evacuated northern Laos.   1957 - Mike Wallace was seen on TV for the first time. He was the host of "Mike Wallace Interviews."   1959 - Arthur Godfrey was seen for the last time in the final broadcast of "Arthur Godfrey and His Friends" on CBS-TV.   1965 - The U.S. Army and Marines invaded the Dominican Republic to evacuate Americans.   1967 - Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army and was stripped of boxing title. He cited religious grounds for his refusal.   1969 - Charles de Gaulle resigned as president of France.   1969 - In Santa Rosa, CA, Charles M. Schulz's Redwood Empire Ice Arena opened.   1974 - The last Americans were evacuated from Saigon.   1977 - Christopher Boyce was convicted of selling U.S. secrets.   1985 - The largest sand castle in the world was completed near St. Petersburg, FL. It was four stories tall.   1988 - In Maui, HI, one flight attendant was killed when the fuselage of a Boeing 737 ripped open in mid-flight.   1989 - Mobil announced that they were divesting from South Africa because congressional restrictions were too costly.   1992 - The U.S. Agriculture Department unveiled a pyramid-shaped recommended-diet chart.   1994 - Former CIA official Aldrich Ames, who had given U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and then Russia, pled guilty to espionage and tax evasion. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.   1996 - U.S. President Clinton gave a 4 1/2 hour videotaped testimony as a defense witness in the criminal trial of his former Whitewater business partners.   1997 - A worldwide treaty to ban chemical weapons took effect. Russia and other countries such as Iraq and North Korea did not sign.   1999 - The U.S. House of Representatives rejected (on a tie vote of 213-213) a measure expressing support for NATO's five-week-old air campaign in Yugoslavia. The House also voted to limit the president's authority to use ground forces in Yugoslavia.   2000 - Jay Leno received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   2001 - A Russian rocket launched from Central Asia with the first space tourist aboard. The crew consisted of California businessman Dennis Tito and two cosmonauts. The destination was the international space station.   

1788 Maryland became the 7th state in the United States. 1789 Fletcher Christian led the mutiny aboard the British ship Bounty against Captain William Bligh. 1945 Benito Mussolini was executed. 1947 Thor Heyerdahl and five others began their Pacific Ocean crossing on the raft, Kon-Tiki. 1967 Boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the Army. 1992 The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture unveiled its first “food pyramid.” 2001 Dennis Tito became the first space tourist. 2004 The Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal first comes to light when graphic photos of U.S. soldiers physically abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners were shown on CBS's 60 Minutes II.  

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/apr28.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory





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!

So, this little bit of history is interesting, and focuses on the capture and execution of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. His fate was known by Hitler, and it scared him to death - literally. Trapped in the secret underground bunker in Berlin under the Reichstag, Hitler would take his own life, and had arranged to have his body burned. Mussolini, who had been dictator of Italy for over two decades, and Hitler's closest foreign ally, was captured, shot, and had his body hung upside down and beaten publicly. The end of the war in Europe was fast approaching.   http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 1945, "Il Duce," Benito Mussolini, and his mistress, Clara Petacci, are shot by Italian partisans who had captured the couple as they attempted to flee to Switzerland.  

The 61-year-old deposed former dictator of Italy was established by his German allies as the figurehead of a puppet government in northern Italy during the German occupation toward the close of the war. As the Allies fought their way up the Italian peninsula, defeat of the Axis powers all but certain, Mussolini considered his options. Not wanting to fall into the hands of either the British or the Americans, and knowing that the communist partisans, who had been fighting the remnants of roving Italian fascist soldiers and thugs in the north, would try him as a war criminal, he settled on escape to a neutral country.  

He and his mistress made it to the Swiss border, only to discover that the guards had crossed over to the partisan side. Knowing they would not let him pass, he disguised himself in a Luftwaffe coat and helmet, hoping to slip into Austria with some German soldiers. His subterfuge proved incompetent, and he and Petacci were discovered by partisans and shot, their bodies then transported by truck to Milan, where they were hung upside down and displayed publicly for revilement by the masses.

357 - Emperor Constantius II visited Rome for the first time.

585 - War between Lydia & Media ended by solar eclipse

1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne confirmed by election. Killing carried out by Hashshashin.

1202 - King Philip II throws out John without Country, from France

1253 - -May 7th) Utrecht destroyed by fire

1253 - Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.

1282 - Villagers in Palermo led a revolt against French rule in Sicily.

1376 - English parliament demands supervision on royal outlay

1503 - Battle at Cerignalo: Spanish army under G Cordoba beats France

1521 - Treaty of Worms: Emperor Charles names his brother Ferdinand Arch duke of Neth-Austria

1550 - Powers of Dutch inquisition extends

1611 - Establishment of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, the oldest existing university in Asia and the largest Catholic university in the world.

1635 - Virginia Gov John Harvey accused of treason & removed from office

1655 - English admiral Blake beats Tunen pirate fleet

1686 - First volume of Isaac Newton's "Principia" published

1770 - Captain James Cook, aboard Endeavor, landed at Botany Bay in Australia

1788 - Maryland becomes seventh state to ratify constitution

1789 - Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny on the British ship HMS Bounty took place when a rebel crew took the ship and set sail to Pitcairn Island. The mutineers left Captain W. Bligh and 18 sailors adrift.

1796 - Cease fire of Cherasco

1804 - 31 English ships sail Suriname river demanding transition colony from the Dutch

1818 - American President James Monroe proclaimed naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.

1829 - Dutch parliament accepts new press laws

1847 - George B Vashon becomes 1st black to enter NY State Bar

1848 - Free last slaves in French colonies

1855 - 1st veterinary college in US incorporated in Boston

1865 - Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "L'Africaine," premieres in Paris

1892 - 1st performance of Antonin Dvorák's overture "Carneval"

1901 - 1st soccer game between Belgium (8) & Netherlands (0)

1901 - Cleveland's Bock Baker gives up a record 23 singles as White Sox beat Blues (Cleveland Blues!) 13-1

1902 - Using the ISO 8601 standard Year Zero definition for the Gregorian calendar preceded by the Julian calendar, the one billionth minute since the start of January 1, Year Zero occurs at 10:40 AM on this date.

1910 - 1st night air flight (Claude Grahame-White, England)

1914 - 181 die in coal mine collapse at Eccles WV

1914 - W H Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner

1916 - The British declared martial law throughout Ireland, following the Easter Rebellion.

1919 - The League of Nations (predecessor to the United Nations) was founded.

1919 - First jump with Army Air Corp (rip-cord type) parachute (Les Irvin)

1920 - Azerbaijan SSR joined USSR (first time)

1922 - WOI (Ames, Iowa) country's 1st licensed educational radio station

1923 - Wembley Stadium opens-Bolton Wanderers vs West Ham United (FA Cup)

1924 - 119 die in Benwood West Virginia coal mine disaster

1925 - Kurd rebels surrender to Turkish army

1925 - Netherlands & Great Britain return to gold standard

1930 - 1st night organized baseball game (Independence KS)

1931 - Program for woman athletes approved for 1932 Olympics track & field

1932 - The yellow fever vaccine for humans was announced.

1932 - 1st broadcast of "One Man's Family" on NBC-radio 1932 - Yellow fever vaccine for humans announced

1934 - FDR signs Home Owners Loan Act

1934 - Soccer team Blue White '34 forms 1934 - Spanish government of Samper forms

1934 - Tigers' Goose Goslin grounds into 4 straight double plays

1935 - Moscow underground opens (81 km long)

1937 - The first animated-cartoon electric sign was displayed on a building on Broadway in New York City. It was created by Douglas Leight.

1937 - 1st commercial flight across Pacific, Pan Am

1939 - Hitler claims German-Polish non-attack treaty still in effect

1940 - Glenn Miller records "Pennsylvania 6-5000"

1940 - Rudolf Hess becomes commandant of concentration camp Auschwitz

1941 - Last British troops in Greece surrenders

1942 - "WW II" titled so, as result of Gallup Poll

1942 - Nightly "dim-out" begins along East Coast

1943 - 1st performance of Marc Blitzstein's "Freedom Morning"

1943 - German-Italian counter offensive in North-Africa

1943 - US 34th Division occupies Djebel el Hara North Tunisia

1944 - Stalin meets Polish/US priest S Orlemanski

1944 - Exercise "Tiger" ends with 750 US soldiers dead in D-Day rehearsal after their convoy ships were attacked by German torpedo boats

1945 - British commands attack Elbe & occupies Lauenburg

1945 - Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the country.

1945 - US 5th army reaches Swiss border

1946 - The Allies indicted Tojo with 55 counts of war crimes.

1947 - Thor Heyerdahl & "Kon-Tiki" sail from Peru to Polynesia

1949 - Former Philippine First Lady Aurora Quezon, 61, is assassinated while en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and 10 others are also killed.

1952 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Richmond Golf Open

1952 - St Louis Browns lend 2 black minor leaguers to Hankyu Braves of Japan

1952 - WW II Pacific peace treaty takes effect. The U.S. occupation of Japan officially ended when a treaty with the U.S. and 47 other countries went into effect.

1952 - Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Commander of NATO.

1953 - French troops evacuated northern Laos.

1955 - WBIQ TV channel 10 in Birmingham, AL (PBS) begins broadcasting

1956 - Last French troop leave Vietnam

1956 - Reds Frank Robinson hits his 1st of 586 HRs

1957 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Western Golf Open

1957 - WSOC TV channel 9 in Charlotte, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting

1958 - Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

1958 - Vanguard TV-5 launched for Earth orbit (failed)

1958 - Vice Pres Richard Nixon begins goodwill tour of Latin America

1959 - KLOE TV channel 10 in Goodland, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting

1959 - KPLR TV channel 11 in Saint Louis, MO (IND) begins broadcasting

1960 - "Christine" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 12 performances

1960 - WIPM TV channel 3 in Mayaguez, PR (PBS) begins broadcasting

1961 - Lt Col Gueorgui Mossolov takes E-66A to 34,714 m altitude

1964 - Japan joins OECO 1965 - Barbra Streisand stars on "My Name is Barbra" special on CBS

1965 - Lindsey Nelson broadcasts game at Astrodome from a hanging gondola

1965 - Richard Helms replaces Marshall S Carter as deputy director of CIA

1965 - US marines invade Dominican Republic, stay until October 1966

1965 - William F Raborn Jr replaces John A McCone as 7th head of CIA

1967 - Muhammad Ali refuses induction into army & stripped of boxing title

1968 - 11 year-old Mary Bell strangles 4 year-old

1969 - Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France

1969 - King Crismson with Greg Lake & Ian McDonald debuts

1971 - Dutch social democratic party/D'66/DS'70 win parliamentary election

1971 - Samuel Lee Gravely Jr becomes 1st black admiral in US Navy

1972 - Courts awarded Kentucky Derby prize money to 2nd place winner because winner was given drugs before race

1973 - Over 6000 Mk. 82 500 pound bombs detonate over the course of 18 hours in a railyard in northern California. 5500 structures are damaged, and the town of Antelope, California ceases to exist, with every building being reduced to the foundation. This accident leads to the passing of the Transportation Safety Act of 1974 which makes the NTSB an independent agency.

1974 - The last Americans were evacuated from Saigon.

1975 - John Lennon appears on "Tonight" & Ringo on "Smother Brothers"

1975 - South-Vietnam Gen Duong Van Minh sworn in as president till April 30

1977 - Christopher Boyce convicted for selling secrets

1977 - Andreas Baader & members of Baader-Meinhoff jailed for life after a trial lasting nearly 2 years in Stuttgart, Germany

1977 - The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure is signed.

1980 - Cyrus Vance, Carter's Secretary of State, resigns

1981 - Galician current Statute of Autonomy.

1983 - Argentine government declares all 15-30,000 missing persons dead

1983 - NASA launches Geos-F

1985 - Billy Martin named NY Yankee manager for 4th time

1985 - Fernando Valenzuela sets record of 41 scoreless inn to start season

1985 - The largest sand castle in the world was completed near St. Petersburg, FL. It was four stories tall.

1986 - Chernobyl, USSR site of world's worst nuclear power plant disaster

1987 - NBA announces expansion to Charlotte NC & Miami Fla in 1988 & Minneapolis Minn & Orlando Fla in 1989

1987 - American engineer Ben Linder is killed in an ambush by U.S.-funded Contras in northern Nicaragua.

1988 - Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 roof tears off in flight; kills stewardess 1988 - Baltimore Orioles lose AL record 21 games in a row

1988 - NJ Devils set all time playoff mark for penalty minutes

1989 - Argentina, hit by rocketing inflation, runs out of money

1989 - Iran protests sale of "Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie

1990 - "Chorus Line" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 6,137 performances

1990 - Boston Celtics score most points in a playoff, beat NY Knicks 157-128

1990 - Last issue of Dutch communist daily De Waarheid (The Truth)

1991 - "Taking Steps" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 78 perfs 1991 - Space Shuttle STS 39 (Discovery 12) launched

1992 - The Milwaukee Brewers defeat the eventual World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays 22-2 with AL record 31 hits in 9 innings

1992 - Italian President Francesco Cossiga formally resigns

1993 - Carlo Ciampi forms Italian government with ex-communists 1993 - Zambian plane crashes at Libreville, Gabon, 30 soccer players die

1993 - NY Islanders beat Washington Capitals 4 to 1 in playoffs, Caps Dale Hunter attacks Pierre Turgeon after scoring, in hockey's worst cheap shot

1994 - First multi-racial election in South Africa ends [3 days]

1994 - Aldrich Ames, former CIA officer & wife Rosario plead guilty to spying

1994 - Freddy Thielemans sworn in as mayor of Brussels Belgium 1995 - Gas explosion in South Korean metro, 103 die 1995 - Sri Lankaan BAE748 crashes at Palaly, 52 die

1996 - Martin Bryant shoots & kills 35 in Port Arthur Tasmania

1996 - American President Clinton gave a 4 1/2 hour videotaped testimony as a defense witness in the criminal trial of his former Whitewater business partners.

1997 - A worldwide treaty to ban chemical weapons took effect. Russia and other countries such as Iraq and North Korea did not sign.

1999 - The U.S. House of Representatives rejected (on a tie vote of 213-213) a measure expressing support for NATO's five-week-old air campaign in Yugoslavia. The House also voted to limit the president's authority to use ground forces in Yugoslavia.

2001 -A Russian rocket launched from Central Asia with the first space tourist aboard. The crew consisted of California businessman Dennis Tito and two cosmonauts. The destination was the international space station.

2004 - The Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal first comes to light when graphic photos of U.S. soldiers physically abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners were shown on CBS's 60 Minutes II.

2005 - The Patent Law Treaty goes into effect.

2012 - Tent collapse in St Louis, Missouri, kills one and injures 110 people


http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/apr28.htm

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

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory