No podcast today, and I apologize for the delayed write up. I had to prioritize my article on Georgia elections, which you can read here. It’s a doozey!
We will return tomorrow!
I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Don’t wait until next year. Suck it up and clean out all the spoiled food, wipe up the spills, and purge expired condiments. Adulting is hard, I know.
It’s also National Raisin Bran Day, which makes my husband happy. I personally think raisins are of the devil, but to each his own. It’s also National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day, something I never heard of but that also apparently includes raisins.
“Considered an old-fashioned cookie, its spice comes from cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and sometimes nutmeg. And the added bonuses are the raisins, nuts, and dates.”
For a better option, it’s National Bundt Day. Yum.
Now let’s get onto today’s history…
In Government…
In 1620, Myles Standish led a crew of 16 men in Cape Cod to explore the northern part of the region on foot. A little over 200 years later in 1827, the Creek-indians lost all their property in the US.
In 1777, the Articles of Confederation were approved by the Continental Congress. It’s an unpopular opinion, but they were preferable to the perversion of the Constitution that we see today. Speaking of the founders, in 1794, Declaration of Independence signer John Witherspoon died on this day.
The following century was wracked by division and, in the civil war, Sherman left Atlanta on this day for his "March to the Sea."
In 1919, the US Senate invoked the Cloture Rule for the first time to end a filibuster in order to pass the Treaty of Versailles. Speaking of Congress, they first got air conditioning in their chambers on this day in 1937. Typical — most Americans didn’t get air conditioning until the 1950s.
The cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial was laid on this day in 1939, the same day that the first unemployment compensation law was approved. Man, FDR was a piece of work. A year later, in 1940 the first peacetime draft occurred and 75,000 men were called to military duty.
More than 50 years later, in 1993, 13 Cuban refugees landed in Florida after stealing a crop-duster in Cuba. Man, that is some dedication to escape communism. Reminder: You can’t vote your way out.
In more recent history, Steve Bannon turned himself in on this day in 2021 — more political persecution — and President Trump announced his 2024 re-election campaign last year.
In world government history…
1811: Coup in Chile; José Miguel Carrera becomes the country's first President
1889: Coup in Brazil; Republic proclaimed
1899: Winston Churchill, then a reporter, captured by Boers in Natal
1902: King of Belgium almost assassinated by Italian anarchist
1920: League of Nations’ first meeting in Geneva
1936: Nazi-Germany & Japan sign Anti-Commie pact
1948: Louis St. Laurent sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of Canada; Mackenzie King retires after 22 years as PM
1974: International Energy Agency formed in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis
1976: Syria conquers Beirut
1979: Sir Anthony Blunt, art advisor to the Queen, exposed a Soviet spy
1983: Republic of Northern Cyprus proclaimed
There are so many Jewish historical events today that they need their own focus area. It seems every hundred years or so, the Jews are accused of atrocities. God promised this kind of life for them, and in 1348 in Switzerland they were accused of poisoning wells. In 1492 in Spain, they were again accused of ritual murder and blood libel.
The first kosher butcher was licensed in New Amsterdam — now New York City — in 1660. In 1727, the Jews were afforded freedom of religion in that state when the NY General assembly permitted them to omit the phrase "upon the faith of a Christian" from oaths.
In 1939, Nazis began their mass murder of Warsaw Jews, and in 1973, Egypt & Israel exchanged prisoners of war. Again, God, according to their holy scriptures, promised this king of life for them — look around: there is nothing new under the sun.
In Culture…
Christopher Columbus discovered tobacco on this day in 1492. Over 300 years later in 1835, Charles Darwin reached Tahiti. Darwin was a psychopath and eugenicist and responsible for atrocities all over the world. He was also wrong about the origin of the species.
Shorthand was invented on this day in 1837. My mother writes in shorthand and, to this day, I can’t read it. In other firsts:
1849: First US poultry show (Boston)
1864: First US mines school (New York)
1881: First Labor Union — American Federation of Labor (Pittsburgh)
1940: First traffic through Midtown Tunnel (New York)
1950: First Black Man in Hockey — Arthur Dorrington, (Atlantic City)
1954: First commercial flights over North Pole (Scandinavian Airlines)
1969: First color TV commercial — Birds Eye peas (United Kingdom)
1969: First Wendy's Hamburgers (Columbus, Ohio)
1980: First Rides on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Disney World, Florida)
2001: First Xbox game console; Playstation Four launched same day in 2013
2019: First R-rated film to earn $1 billion worldwide (Joker)
It was also a big day for entertainment. In music, we got Elvis’ "Love Me Tender" in 1956, Ed Bruce’s "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" in 1975, Kool & the Gang’s “Emergency” in 1984, and Beastie Boys’ “Licensed to Ill" in 1986. The same day in 1986 marked only the second time that "Saturday Night Live" used a time delay when Sam Kinnison was host.
In other music news, in 1969, Janis Joplin was accused of vulgar and indecent language in Tampa and, in 1990, producers confirmed that Milli Vanilli did not sing on their album.
Finally in culture, in 1993, Joe Buttafuoco was sentenced to six months for statutory rape of Amy Fisher, the “Long Island Lolita.” She went on to attempt to murder Buttafuoco’s wife Mary Jo.
In Death & Destruction…
1824: 10 killed in series of fires in Scotland
1959: 4 killed by Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Smith in Kansas
1978: 183 killed in Icelandic Airlines DC-8 crash in Sri Lanka
1987: 28 killed, of 82, in Continental Airlines DC-9 crash at Denver
2000: 40 killed in Antonov AN-24 crash in Angola
2007: 5,000 killed in Sidr Cyclone in Bangladesh
2012: 95 killed in Syrian conflicts
2013: 5 killed, 10 injured in train derailment in India
2019: Pakistan targets 10 million children with typhoid vaccine
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!