Happy National Pickle Day! I just ate some fried pickles over the weekend, and they were delicious. That being said, sweet pickles are from the devil. Yuck!
It’s also National Spicy Guacamole Day, and I love all guacamole. It’s delicious, and we should all celebrate appropriately today. It is Taco Tuesday, after all!
Avocados are a healthy superfood so it’s appropriate that guacamole shares a day with World Diabetes Day. Diet is everything when it comes to your health!
With the holidays coming up, it’s a good time to get your family PJ sets, and today is National Family PJ Day. There are many cute options at Hannah Anderson, but wear your seatbelt when you go out shopping for them — it’s also National Seatbelt Day!
Now let’s get onto today’s history…
In Government…
On this day in 1881, Charles Guiteau was put on trial for the assassination of 20th US President James Garfield. President Garfield was an anti-corruption champion — and a Republican — which is probably why he was assassinated. Taking on corruption is a dangerous business in Washington.
In 1935, FDR proclaimed the Philippine Islands to be a free commonwealth, following more than three decades of occupation and rebellion in the wake of the Spanish American War. From the History Channel:
“In 1902, an American civil government took over administration of the Philippines, and the three-year Philippine insurrection was declared to be at an end. Scattered resistance, however, persisted for several years.
More than 4,000 Americans perished suppressing the Philippines–more than 10 times the number killed in the Spanish-American War. More than 20,000 Filipino insurgents were killed, and an unknown number of civilians perished.
In 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established with U.S. approval, and Manuel Quezon was elected the country’s first president. On July 4, 1946, full independence was granted to the Republic of the Philippines by the United States.”
On this day in 1960, New Orleans elementary schools began desegregation under court order, and the racist Democrats of the day weren’t happy about it. The brave students, including six year old Ruby Bridges, were met with death threats and racial slurs. The schools faced immediate boycotts.
In 1965, the US government sent 90,000 soldiers to Vietnam. At least 58,300 US troops died in the conflict, but the military industrial complex expanded its power and made a fortune. Because of course they did. On the same day three years later, in 1968, more than 100,000 military aged males burned their draft cards in protest of the war.
Ivan Boesky was a US stock broker who amassed hundreds of millions in fortune by “betting” on corporate takeovers. Unfortunately for him, it was discovered that his earnings were the result of insider trading and, in 1986, the SEC imposed a record $100 million penalty against him. That was a portion of his wealth, so he was financially fine, though he was never able to recoup his reputation.
It’s said that Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street (1987) is based — at least in part — on Boesky: "I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself.”
In 1993, Puerto Rico voted against becoming the 51st state in the Union. Hard to blame them when you see what a shit show our nation has become.
Finally in US government history, in 2002, the House of Representatives inexplicably voted against creating an independent commission to investigate September 11. The Republicans had control of the House, Senate and the Executive Branch, so there is no blaming Democrats for this treasonous act.
In world government history today…
1380: 12yo King Charles VI of France crowned
1675: Gorcumse martyrs declared divine by Pope Clemens X
1885: Serbia invaded Bulgaria
1919: Red Army captured Omsk, Siberia
1920: The Russian Bolshevik army occupied Sebastopol
1921: The Communist Party of Spain was founded
1954: Egyptian President Naguib resigns; state of emergency declared
1956: Soviets stopped Hungarian revolt
2002: Argentina defaulted on an $805 million World Bank payment
2018: 720,000 Rohingya refused to return to Myanmar
2018: UK Prime Minister Theresa May and cabinet approve draft Brexit plans
In Culture…
In a heck of a year for this story — 1666 — the first Blood Transfusion Report was drafted in English writer Samuel Pepys diary. Pepys documented the first transfusion between dogs. This science moved very quickly and, by 1668, blood transfusions from animals to humans were all the rage. It’s all about the blood and the children. Trust the science.
A few years later in 1680, Gottfried Kirch discovered the Great Comet of 1680, which was named Kirch's Comet or Newton's Comet depending on who you ask. Allegedly it’s coming back in 2024.
In weird coincidences, both Mozart and Beethoven’s fathers were born on the same day — both men were their sons’ primary teachers. Leopold Mozart was born in 1719, and Johann van Beethoven in 1740. This is also the day Claude Monet was born in 1840. Good day for classics!
It’s also a big day for adventure as, in 1889, New York World reporter Nellie Bly — whose real name is Elizabeth Cochrane — began her attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She succeeded and finished the trip in just 72 days and six hours. Nellie Bly’s most famous story was when she went undercover in an insane asylum to expose the poor treatment.
In other firsts today:
1732: First US librarian Louis Timothee hired (Philadelphia)
1832: First streetcar (horse-drawn)
1851: First edition of "Moby-Dick" published
1883: First edition of "Treasure Island" published
1896: First operation of Power plant at Niagara Falls
1910: First airplane flight from a ship deck in Norfolk, VA
1968: First European lung transplant (Belgium) – survived 10 months
1994: First public trains run through the Channel Tunnel
2016: First show of "Tucker Carlson Tonight"
In science history, Lord Kelvin entered university in Scotland at the age of 10 on this day in 1834. At the time, his name was William Thomson. Gail Borden — the Father of Milk — was issued a technology patent for his invention of condensed milk in 1856. In 1908, Albert Einstein presented his quantum theory of light. He began developing this theory on paper in 1905… I wonder what his first cousin thought of the theory.
In other earth history, Kilauea's most spectacular eruption occurred on this day in 1959. There were two big discoveries in 2018 as archeologists announced the discovery of the ancient Greek city of Tenea near Corinth, and a large impact crater was discovered under the Hiawatha Glacier in Greenland. The latter was 31km wide and said to be from a 1km iron meteorite.
In 2022, scientists claim to have found the earliest evidence of humans cooking with fire. This was allegedly found in study of fish remains from 780,000 in northern Israel. Sure, why not.
While science is entertaining, entertainment also had a big day in history today. In music, Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" reached #1 on this day in 1960 and, in 1981, Earth, Wind & Fire released their 11th studio album "Raise!" — it went on to win Billboard Album of the Year in 1982. Ten years later in 1991, Michael Jackson released his "Black or White" music video. It was groundbreaking at the time with unprecedented effects and a simulcast in 27 countries.
In movies, “Network” premiered in 1976. “Tangled” came out in 2010 and “Moana” in 2016.
Oh and the final installment of the vampire craze dropped in 2012 — "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2.”
And in TV history, "Murphy Brown" premiered on CBS in 1988.
Finally in culture, in 2018 Marie Antoinette’s jewelry was auctioned off in Geneva, after not being seen for 200 years.
In Death & Destruction…
1927: 28 killed when world's largest gas tank exploded in Pittsburgh
1938: 6 killed when Dutch DC3 crashed at Schiphol
1939: 500 killed in oil refinery fire in Venezuela
1946: 11 killed when Dutch Dakota flight crashed on way to Schiphol
1960: 110 killed when two Czech passenger trains collided at high-speed
1970: 75 killed in DC9 air crash in WV – Marshall University football team
1990: 110 killed when Philippines hit by typhoon
2016: 2 killed in aftermath of earthquake in New Zealand
2021: 53 killed in attack on a military police near a gold mine in Burkina Faso
2022: 2 killed, 150 rescued from extreme flash flooding in Australia
On This Day is published Monday through Friday. Watch the Today’s History podcast weekdays at 12PM ET! Don’t forget to visit bootlegproducts.com and use coupon code MYAMERICA!